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Toyota’s Unveiling: A New Era of Performance, from EV Flagships to Nürburgring Supremacy The Holy Trinity: A Vision for Toyota’s Future Toyota has recently pulled back the curtain on what they’re calling their “holy trinity” of high-performance vehicles. This impressive lineup includes the Lexus LFA Concept, the GR GT, and the GR GT3 race car. We had a rare opportunity to spend some time inspecting these stunning machines up close and attending technical briefings with the engineering teams covering chassis, powertrain, design, and aerodynamics. While we asked plenty of questions, we didn’t get straight answers to everything. However, one thing became crystal clear: Toyota plans to leverage every milestone on the journey of these vehicles, from their initial debut to the moment customers receive the keys. The GR GT: A Return to V-8 Power The GR GT is the production road car that Toyota claims will arrive in 2027, likely as a 2028 model. This car will serve as the homologated version of the GR GT3 race car, suggesting the racer will debut shortly thereafter. It has been a long time since Toyota has had a proper flagship sports car, and the arrival of the GR GT marks a significant moment in the company’s history. Price and Performance Expectations After repeated questions about the GR GT pricing, project manager Takashi Doi invited us to inspect the prices of comparable models from Porsche and Mercedes-AMG. Using the GR GT’s claimed 641 hp and 3858-pound curb weight as benchmarks, we calculated a weight-to-power ratio of 6.0 lb/hp. Here is a breakdown of high-performance GT cars with similar specifications: | Vehicle | Curb Weight | Horsepower | Weight/Power | Base Price | | :— | :— | :— | :— | :— | | 2028 Toyota GR GT | 3858 lb | 641 hp | 6.0 lb/hp | N/A | | 2026 Porsche 911 GT3 | 3278 lb | 502 hp | 6.2 lb/hp | $235,500 | | 2026 Porsche 911 Turbo S | 3859 lb | 701 hp | 5.5 lb/hp | $275,650 | | 2026 AMG GT Pro 4Matic | 4299 lb | 603 hp | 7.1 lb/hp | $202,200 | | 2026 Aston Martin Vantage S | 3847 lb | 671 hp | 5.7 lb/hp | $235,000 | Based on this competitive set, it is highly likely that the GR GT price will be well north of $200,000. Performance Modes and Future Variants The GR GT powertrain features a complex electromechanical hybrid system, complete with a mechanical limited-slip differential (LSD). This setup should provide not only highly engaging driving dynamics but also the ability to perform tire-scorching maneuvers, smoky donuts, and extended drifts. To confirm these assumptions, we asked if there would be a drift mode. Doi-san confirmed that his team is working on different driving modes but wouldn’t specify their names. A look at the GR GT steering wheel offers some clues, with a knob on the right labeled ‘Sport Boost.’ Mirroring this on the lower left is a ‘TRC/VSC Off’ button. When asked if drivers would be allowed to turn traction and stability control completely off, Doi eventually confirmed they would. Looking ahead, we inquired about future higher-performance variants of the GR GT, such as a Nürburgring Edition (similar to the Lexus LFA), GRMN, GT R, or GT3 RS version. Doi replied, “Obviously we can’t talk about future product, but variations and improvements is something we’re always looking for. And that’s crucial, very important for a sports car.” Nürburgring Nordschleife: A New Frontier Regarding the Nürburgring, Akio “Master Driver Morizo” Toyoda, the visionary behind Gazoo Racing and grandson of Toyota’s founder, stood in front of a massive screen displaying the word ‘humiliation’ with a capital H. Akio spoke extensively about his experiences at the Nürburgring Nordschleife in Toyota sports cars, including a fourth-generation Supra, where he was passed by faster, better-handling sports cars, mostly from Germany. It was this very Japanese concept of using humiliation as a catalyst for improvement that drove the development of the GR GT and GT3. When we asked Doi-san about the importance of the Nürburgring and whether the team is targeting a specific lap time, such as under 7 minutes, as recently achieved by the Mustang GTD (6:52), Corvette ZR1 (6:50), and Corvette ZR1X (6:49), he remained reserved. However, he did affirm the importance of the ’Ring to Toyota, the GR brand, and the company’s motorsports programs. He reiterated Akio’s position that the GR GT would not be the car getting passed on the Green Hell. Given the typical modesty of Japanese automotive engineers, we consider this essentially a declaration that the GR GT will achieve a sub-7-minute lap, especially considering that various Porsche 911 GT3 and AMG GT models have all dipped well below that barrier. The GR GT represents Toyota’s commitment to pushing the boundaries of automotive performance. The Lexus LFA: A Return to Electric Grand Touring If you’re excited about the look of the LFA and want to know when it’s coming and how much it will cost, prepare for a wait. The consensus from Toyota representatives, including Doi-san, is that the new LFA will arrive in “several years.” Pricing for the Next-Generation LFA As for the LFA price, we believe the new LFA will need to be considerably less than the original. The first LFA debuted in 2010 at a shocking $375,000 and exited the market a couple of years later at $445,000 for the LFA Nürburgring Edition. Doi-san conceded that the world has changed since Lexus’ limited-edition V-10 supercar departed. Coming back as an EV complicates things, suggesting that the next-generation LFA needs to be priced under $350,000. We believe it must be substantially less, for a couple of reasons. The market for luxury sports coupes is already minuscule, and there are currently no electric sports coupes priced above $200,000. While there are a small handful of electric luxury and performance cars over $200,000, including the Lucid Air Sapphire, Rolls-Royce Spectre, and Cadillac Celestiq, none fit the competitive profile of the LFA. In the electric hypercar realm of the Rimac Nevera and Lotus Evija, you’re looking at $2.3 to $2.4 million, which is decidedly not Lexus territory. About the only thing that comes close to the mission Lexus is attempting to execute is the second-gen Tesla Roadster, which is rumored to be in the $200,000 to $250,000 range—if Elon’s vaporware ever materializes. Solid-State Batteries: The Future of LFA There is one complicating factor that could make the LFA a very pricey, and exotic, luxury sports flagship for Lexus: the potential arrival of solid-state battery (SSB) technology. No one at the event would confirm this under direct questioning. What we do know is that Toyota has been working on solid-state batteries since 2020, after starting a joint venture with Panasonic named Prime Planet Energy & Solutions, Inc. In 2024, Toyota released an update on its battery plans, showing SSB arriving in 2027 to 2028 with a range of 621 miles (1000 km) and recharging times of approximately 10 minutes. Obviously, this kind of battery performance would represent a huge technological leap, which is exactly what Lexus may be looking for in its flagship sports car. It also could potentially solve a major packaging problem in the electric LFA. The current best practice in global EV manufacturing is to put the heavy battery cells, bundled in packs or modules, as low as possible in the floor of the vehicle, usually taking up all the space between the wheels or even extending past. This is called a skateboard chassis, pioneered in production by the first successful mainstream EV, the Tesla Model S, and every major EV that has followed. Keeping the heavy batteries down low is a solid move for both packaging and handling. It keeps the center of gravity low, giving EVs that planted feeling when changing direction. But there are two problems for the Lexus LFA production engineers. The first is that the all-aluminum spaceframe chassis shared between the GR GT, GR GT3, and LFA Concept doesn’t have a traditional floorpan ahead of