Toyota Motor Corporation’s Gazoo Racing division unveiled their GR GT and GR GT3 flagship sports cars (developmental prototypes that are nearer to an actual production model) that is planned for sale in 2027. The Lexus LFA Concept is also going to be based on this same platform, but has no actual release date; it will be an all-electric vehicle.
The GR GT3 is a FIA GT3-spec race car that is based on the GR GT which itself, was designed via a driver-first approach development that involves listening to, understanding, and fulfilling the needs of the person behind the wheel. Engineers are shooting for a minimum 641hp/627 lb-ft of torque (the curb weight for the GR GT is around 3858lbs or 1750kgs).
Toyota’s global press release.
It’s been around 30 years since I last owned a 2-door sports coupe (and it had half that horsepower and torque where even that felt excessive). Part of the reason for moving away from considering cars like that was how that design fell out of favor with most companies for 4-door sedans (though some incorporated a sporty design) along with SUV’s. Plus as I got older, that general usability (of a 4-door sedan as a daily driver) just made more practical sense. Then when I moved to Japan, a car fell off the radar (until I began splitting time back in the US due to family).
Since the 2000’s, I rarely ended up following this sort of automotive stuff and whenever something new was released, it didn’t really register that wow factor with me. Seeing this GR GT (specifically the above angled side profile) did in-fact evoke a “what is this vehicle” curiosity.
While this is one of the first coupes in a long time that actually has me reading press releases and articles about it, I keep coming back to how highly impractical this would be for me/where I live. Toyota hasn’t released actual pricing for it but the product manager Takashi Doi hinted to those who attended the technical briefing after the reveal, to look at the prices of the Porsche 911 and Mercedes-AMG GT models with similar specifications as the GR GT; those are priced from the $202,000-$235,000 range ($275,000 for a Porsche 911 Turbo). While I can easily pay cash for one, that realistic part of me also ends up popping up where the impracticality is going to cost an excessive amount (money which can be used for more realistic/useful things).
I’ve often times hit those dips in the road (or worse, the pothole that suddenly forms after heavy rain) where I am glad I drive a regular car like a Camry (with 50-series tires). I know a sports coupe like this is also not the most comfortable. These 20″ rims with the low profile 35-series tires are like bumpy ride territory (especially with the sports tuned suspension that is meant to provide that road feedback).
A regular passenger vehicle is also incognito mode while something like this just draws too much attention.
If it seems I am writing these cons to convince myself out of even considering something like this when it goes on sale, it is because I am doing just that (because there were times in the past that I have seen stuff that I pretty much said no to, only to end up buying it – some of my guitars in the 4-digit price range plus that last sports coupe I bought were in that category).
I thought I had gotten that whole “sports car” thing out of my system a long time ago, but this GR GT has managed to hit that old nerve (one that might have only been dormant now that I think about it).