Most Automakers Race What They Sell. With the GR GT3, Toyota Is Selling What It Races

Key Points:

• The Toyota GR GT is a race-first vehicle, designed primarily to be competitive as a GR GT3 race car, with its road car counterpart heavily influenced by racing needs rather than aesthetic considerations.
• Over 80% of the components are shared between the GR GT3 race car and the GR GT road car, a significant increase in commonality compared to Toyota’s previous Lexus RC F GT3, which shared only 25% with its road version.
• The GR GT road car features a hybrid powertrain with a new 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 targeting 641 horsepower, while the race car omits the hybrid system but retains the V8 with turbos in a “hot-V” configuration mounted further back in the chassis.
• Toyota’s approach with the GR GT is a broader, long-term commitment to sports-car racing, contrasting with Ford's more narrowly focused GT program aimed at winning the 2016 Le Mans, and the GR GT is expected to be produced in limited numbers.
• Building on Toyota’s rich sports-car racing heritage, including recent success with the Lexus RC F GT3, the GR GT aims to elevate Toyota’s presence and competitiveness in IMSA and other racing series.