The Toyota GR GT is a V8, rear-wheel drive Aston Martin Vantage rival

We’re certainly not short of hypercars, but the introduction of a brand new mainstream supercar designed from the ground-up is a rarity in today’s market. That’s what makes this moment particularly significant, with Toyota Gazoo Racing unveiling its all-new GR GT as its flagship model. We’re at the reveal event at Fuji Speedway in Japan for all of the details.

Until recently, this car was little more than an exotic prototype with only rumours to guide us on its positioning. An official, albeit camouflaged, outing at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed further stoked the rumour mill, but Toyota remained typically tight-lipped as to precisely what we were looking at. Now, all is revealed.

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As is immediately clear, this is not a car that follows the typical supercar formula. Developed by Gazoo racing (hence GR GT), it was developed as a ‘race car for the road’, and while this phrase is thrown around an awful lot these days, the GR GT takes this quite literally. An FIA GT3-spec variant has been launched alongside it, with both cars developed in tandem to allow for part sharing.

Slightly odd is the way this car has been positioned in Toyota’s lineup, as while initial marketing material suggested it’s a spiritual successor to the Lexus LFA, Lexus just announced its ‘LFA concept’ as an all-electric alternative to this car. Regardless of how Toyota decides to position these new models, the market will undoubtedly make its own decision on what seems most logical…

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Design and aerodynamics

It’s bold design follows form over function, with its aerodynamics and cooling optimised prior to its final design. The result is an exotic silhouette and the kind of long-nosed, ultra cab rear super GT design we haven’t seen since the days of the Mercedes-Benz SLS and Dodge Viper. There are elements of Dodge Charger in its front end, but the relation to the rest of the GR lineup like the Yaris and Corolla is very clear – the surfacing and lighting units all tie in with the rest of the range.

This is not a small car. We might draw comparisons to the SLS, but the GR GT is a whole 18cm longer, 6cm wider and 6cm lower, giving it real presence. How well it will adapt to Britain’s tight roads is yet to be seen, but then Japan and the US are believed to be its key markets. 

Engine, power and top speed

As if a new supercar wasn’t exciting enough, this is one not with a battery and two electric motors, but a brand new V8 instead. Yes, Toyota really has developed a new V8 from the ground-up in 2025, using the architecture from its incoming 400bhp 2-litre G20E as its basis. While this new V8 is effectively two of those units combined in basic terms, that doesn’t give it twice the output. Toyota’s quoting an output of ‘more than’ 641bhp and 627lb ft of torque for now, making it quite a bit more modest in terms of output than its wild looks suggest.

All of this power doesn’t just come from its engine, as this car is a hybrid. Electric assistance is more on the mild side here though, with a battery mounted behind the seats (for weight distribution) to power a single motor nestled within the powertrain. 

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What this hybrid assistance doesn’t do, unlike many modern supercars, is make it all-wheel drive. With development headed by none other than Akio Toyoda, it’s remained as pure of a driver’s car as it can be, with power sent to the rear wheels alone. This puts the GR GT in an increasingly rare class, and directly up against the likes of the similarly powerful, rear-wheel drive Aston Martin Vantage. 

Final performance figures are still under wraps for now and while the ethos of this car puts driver engagement over numbers, it’s still capable of at least 199mph according to Toyota. Power-to-weight stands at 372bhp/ton, marginally down on the 393bhp/ton Aston Martin Vantage.

Chassis and technical details

Developed alongside the GR GT3 and all-electric LFA concept, Toyota’s new supercar features its very first body frame constructed entirely from aluminium. While it does feature more exotic carbonfibre reinforced plastic components and bodywork for rigidity and weight savings, this basic aluminium architecture makes it a much more accessible car than something like the V10-powered LFA with its expensive carbonfibre monocoque.

It’s rigid, then, but while there has been plenty of attention paid to keeping weight to a minimum, it’s not light. Even with power to the rear only and a hybrid system smaller than most, weight stands at 1750kg ‘or less’. Put it into context of models like the smaller and less-complex Mercedes SLS and it’s only 80kg heavier – a new Aston Martin Vantage stands at 1670kg.

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Suspension is double wishbone front and rear, with 20-inch wheels (very similar in design to the BBS F1-R) wrapped in 265-front, 325-rear Michelin Pilot Cup 2 rubber developed specifically for this car – behind those wheels are huge carbon ceramic brakes from Brembo. To extract the absolute most from its tyres, the GR GT features a derivative of the trick multi-stage stability control system honed in its endurance racers at the Nürburgring 24 Hours.

Interior

The cabin design of the GR GT follows the same function over form approach as the exterior. Toyota says it has prioritised ergonomics, visibility and driving position, ensuring vital controls are within easy reach while ensuring everyday usability is possible. Even the digital dash has been designed with this in mind, making sure important information is clear to the driver both on a commute and during the heat of a track battle.

While the design language inside makes it very clear this is a Toyota, it’s much more exotic and purposeful than anything we’ve seen from the brand before. The driver sits low in sparsely padded bucket seats (a bit like those in the McLaren Senna), with the centre of gravity deliberately designed to sit in-line with the driver – a high, wide transmission tunnel also adds an element of theatre.

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Toyota GR GT price and availability

The car we see here might be the GR GT in its final form on the surface, but Toyota says it’s still in active development. As a result, its market launch won’t come until around 2027, which is when we’ll find out exactly where it will be positioned in the market.

Given its power output and aluminium construction, a price of in the region of £200,000 seems likely, and would make it a competitive offering amongst alternatives like the £165,000 Aston Martin Vantage and the Mercedes-AMG GT.

Toyota GR GT specs