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Toyota’s Sports Car Ambitions: The GR GT, GT3, and Lexus LFA Revealed Toyota has just unveiled a trio of ambitious sports car projects that have motorsport and automotive enthusiasts buzzing. From the new hybrid-powered GR GT road car and its corresponding GR GT3 race car sibling to a production-ready Lexus LFA concept, this is Toyota’s most significant push into high-performance vehicles in decades. We caught up with chief program manager Takashi Doi and the engineering teams to get a closer look at these machines and understand what they mean for the future of the brand. The GR GT: A Hybrid Powerhouse with Premium Pricing Toyota plans to launch the road-legal GR GT in 2027, with the first deliveries expected to be in 2028. This model will serve as the homologation basis for the GR GT3 race car, meaning the production version will share significant DNA with its track-focused sibling. However, don’t expect this to be a budget-friendly option. When pressed on pricing, project manager Doi pointed to competitors like the Porsche 911 GT3 and the Mercedes-AMG GT as benchmarks. With a claimed output of 641 horsepower and a curb weight of 3,858 pounds, the GR GT offers a power-to-weight ratio of 6.0 lb/hp. Here is a breakdown of how the GR GT stacks up against some high-performance GTs: | Vehicle | Curb Weight | Horsepower | Weight/Power | Base Price | | :——————- | :———– | :——— | :———– | :————– | | 2028 Toyota GR GT | 3,858 lb | 641 hp | 6.0 lb/hp | N/A | | 2026 Porsche 911 GT3 | 3,278 lb | 502 hp | 6.2 lb/hp | $235,500 | | 2026 Porsche 911 Turbo S | 3,859 lb | 701 hp | 5.5 lb/hp | $275,650 | | 2026 AMG GT Pro 4Matic | 4,299 lb | 603 hp | 7.1 lb/hp | $202,200 | | 2026 Aston Martin Vantage S | 3,847 lb | 671 hp | 5.7 lb/hp | $235,000 | Based on this competitive set, it’s highly likely the 2028 Toyota GR GT price will exceed $200,000. This positions the GR GT as a premium contender in the high-performance GT segment, competing directly with established European luxury sports cars. Performance Modes and Cutting-Edge Technology Under the hood, the GR GT powertrain is fiendishly complex and technologically advanced. It features an all-aluminum engine with forged internals (pistons, rods, and cross-plane crankshaft) that produce a claimed 641 hp and 627 lb-ft of torque. This power is delivered through a mechanical limited-slip differential (LSD), offering both engaging driving dynamics and the potential for spectacular tire-scorching antics. Will it drift? Will there be a drift mode? While Doi-san confirmed they are working on different driving modes, he wouldn’t specify their names. However, the steering wheel offers a clue with a “Sport Boost” knob on the right. On the lower left is a traction and stability control button labeled “TRC/VSC” with “Off.” When asked directly, Doi eventually confirmed that drivers will be allowed to turn traction and stability completely off. Looking ahead, we inquired about future higher-performance models of the GR GT, such as a Nürburgring Edition, 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.” This implies that Toyota is already planning a Toyota GR GT evolution, potentially building on the success of the Lexus LFA Nürburgring Edition. The Nürburgring Challenge: Humiliation to Redemption The Nürburgring Nordschleife played a central role in the GR GT’s unveiling. Akio \”Master Driver Morizo\” Toyoda, father of Gazoo Racing, stood in front of a huge video wall displaying the word \”humiliation\”. He spoke at length about the experience of development laps in Toyota sports cars, notably including a fourth-generation Supra, being passed by faster, better-handling German cars. It was this very Japanese concept of using humiliation as a force for improvement that drove the development of the GR GT and GT3. When asked about the importance of the Nürburgring lap time and if they are targeting a specific benchmark like the Mustang GTD’s 6:52, the Corvette ZR1’s 6:50, or the ZR1X’s 6:49, Doi wouldn’t take the bait. However, he did affirm the importance of the Green Hell to Toyota and reiterated Akio’s position that the GR GT was not going to be the one getting passed. Given the modesty and humility of Japanese automotive engineers, we consider this essentially a declaration that the GR GT lap time will be under 7 minutes. Various 911 GT3 and AMG GT models have all dipped well below this barrier, and Toyota is clearly aiming to join them at the sharp end of the field. The GR GT3 Race Car: Purebred Track Dominance The GR GT3 race car is the homologation sibling to the road car, designed to compete in the FIA GT3 class. While the specific details are limited, we know it represents Toyota’s commitment to customer racing and the Gazoo Racing philosophy. One notable difference from its predecessor, the Toyota 86 GT3 Cup, is the hybridized powertrain. This suggests that Toyota is looking to leverage hybrid technology in motorsport, similar to the Toyota GR010 Hybrid in the World Endurance Championship (WEC). This allows for better power delivery, improved efficiency, and potentially a significant boost in performance on the track. The 2027 Toyota GR GT3 is positioned as a competitor to top-tier GT3 cars from Porsche, AMG, Corvette, and Aston Martin. Expect it to feature a lightweight carbon fiber chassis, advanced aerodynamics, and the same powerful hybrid powertrain found in the production GR GT. This race car will be a critical proving ground for the new platform and a halo product for the Toyota Gazoo Racing brand. The Return of the Lexus LFA: A Solid-State Future? If you’re waiting for the return of the Lexus LFA, prepare to be patient. \”Several years\” was the refrain from Toyota representatives, including Doi-san. As for the Lexus LFA price, we think the new model will need to be considerably less than the old one, which 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 the world has changed since the LFA’s departure and that returning as an EV complicates things. This implies that the next-generation LFA needs to be priced under $350,000. However, we think 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 north of $200,000. Competition for the Next-Gen LFA 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 talking $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. Could the LFA Feature Solid-State Batteries? But there is one complicating factor that could render the LFA as a solid-state battery flagship. This is a rumor that no one at the event would confirm under direct questioning. What we do know is that Toyota has been working on solid-state batteries (SSBs) 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 6