GR GT revealed – Toyota’s new flagship sports activities automobile with 650 PS 4.0L twin-turbo hybrid V8, 320 km/h

Toyota’s flagship sports activities automobilethe religious successor to the Lexus LFA (there’s one other automobile proven at the moment that bears the identical identify, nevertheless it’s not the revival of the V10 legend that everybody hoped for), has had a protracted gestation shrouded in thriller. However no extra – the corporate has lastly revealed its Le Mans-inspired monster merely known as GR GT, with its Gazoo Racing motorsports arm being spun off right into a separate model.

Yup, this automobile has nary a Toyota badge in sight, simply GR badges on the lengthy and low physique – with a nostril that stretches far forward of the motive force in a transparent nod to vehicles just like the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG. That sizeable vented bonnet hides a brand new 4.0 litre twin-turbocharged hybrid V8, which incorporates a “hot-V” turbo configuration and a brief stroke and dry sump to decrease the centre of gravity.

The engine related through a carbon fibre torque tube to a rear-mounted eight-speed computerized transmission, an electrical motor and a mechanical limited-slip differential. Similar to on Mercedes-AMG fashions, the gearbox makes use of a moist clutch for stepping off and altering gears, fairly than a torque converter.

All collectively, this powertrain produces “a minimum of” 650 PS and 850 Nm of torque, flinging the GT to a high pace in extra of 320 km/h. The transaxle structure, long-nose design and optimised placement of the hybrid battery, gas tank and different elements have resulted in a weight distribution of 45% entrance, 55% rear. Suspension is dealt with by double wishbones throughout, with cast aluminium arms and carbon ceramic brakes.

These are bolted onto an all-aluminium house body – the primary for a Toyota – with intensive use of carbon and plastic panels to save lots of weight. Even so, the automobile gained’t precisely be gentle, though the corporate is focusing on a weight determine of beneath 1,750 kg. The corporate says its engineers pounded its Shimoyama proving floor and tracks such because the Fuji Speedway and the Nürburgring to seek out failure factors and strengthen them.

It additionally claims the GT has been designed primarily for aerodynamics, with the styling being a secondary consideration, akin to a road-homologated race automobile. It definitely seems to be that means, because the automobile is just not notably good-looking, being surprisingly boxy and slab-sided – a bit like a Le Mans prototype.

Formed partly by Toyota’s WEC aero engineers, the outside options sharp headlights joined by a gloss black bar, forming an X form in live performance with the big air intakes. The latter, along with a slot on the entrance of the bonnet, feed and funky the hungry engine, whereas spent scorching air is drawn out by twin vents close to the windscreen. In the meantime, the flat fenders direct the airflow across the wheels, assembly with the wheel nicely turbulence being expelled from the large vertical vents aft of the entrance wheels.

There are but extra inlets within the facet skirts and the tops of the rear fender, the latter hemming in a good, virtually Mazda RX-7-esque glasshouse. A subtly aggressive ducktail spoiler tops a low rear deck with full-width taillights, huge vents and a dual-channel diffuser that integrates typical quad spherical tailpipes. Ending off the look are 20-inch Y-spoke alloy wheels wrapped in sticky Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres.

Inside, the GT is equally purposeful, with a flat-bottomed steering wheel, massive paddle shifters, a easy horizontal dashboard design and a tall centre console for a cockpit-like really feel. As we’re nearing 2026, the automobile inevitably sports activities massive shows for instrumentation (which incorporates a clear gear indicator and shift lights) and infotainment, though there are fortunately nonetheless toggle switches for the air conditioning.

The GT additionally options an adjustable stability management system, which will be modulated intuitively through a knob on the steering wheel, with the opposite dial being for the drive modes. The gear selector toggle is framed by minor perform buttons that, in typical Toyota style, features a shocking quantity of blanks, even on this top-dog, specially-built sports activities automobile.

Need one? You’ll have to attend fairly some time for the GR GT to enter manufacturing, with a launch solely slated someday in 2027. It is going to debut alongside the GR GT3 race automobile which ought to, amongst different racing actions, spearhead Toyota’s GT racing efforts within the WEC. The GT will even spawn a brand new Lexus LFA, however purists higher look away, as a result of that automobile is now – shock, horror! – a pure electrical mannequin.

GALLERY: GR GT

GALLERY: GR GT3

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