We’ve been waiting for it for a couple of years already, the wait isn’t actually over yet, but a first presentation has finally taken place: Toyota has revealed the shapes of its GR GT3 which will take to the track from 2027 to compete on all the tracks in the world in dedicated series.
As we were saying, we will have to be patient a little longer because the development is not finished and will continue next year to fine-tune all the key characteristics on which it was based, i.e. low center of gravity, reduced weight, robustness, high-performance aerodynamics, and obviously the 650HP 4-litre V8 Bi-Turbo engine.
The main characteristic of the Japanese is to make everything, even the smallest, with the utmost precision and commitment, so that it can work, taking advantage of what they have learned by putting themselves to the test, even in very difficult moments, as explained during the presentation of the GR GT3, shown together with its road sister GR GT and the Lexus LFA electric prototype.
“We celebrate not only the invention, but also something that we all love: the automobile. Enthusiasm, emotion, love of speed are feelings that, I believe, we all have in common. But as with many things in life, a success story begins with what in Japanese is called ‘kuyashisa’, or humiliation”, says Toyota designer Simon Humphries.
“I have been working as a designer for 36 years and I can say that there is nothing more painful than being told that what you put your heart and soul into is boring. 14 years ago, this was exactly what happened at Pebble Beach when Akio was told ‘Lexus is boring’. That feeling of humiliation was a turning point and fueled his determination.”
“From that moment, Akio stood up and made a promise: ‘No more boring cars.’ So when we went to consult him on how to present this car at Pebble Beach this year, his response was very simple: ‘Just put it on display and let it speak for itself.’ And that’s exactly what we did: without giving explanations, we let people form their own opinion.”
“I am very pleased to say that this year at Pebble Beach no one called Lexus boring! To be innovative, to be bold, to be original, to help our customers discover; this is what Lexus was born to do. And with this car, we wanted our customers to discover a new level of sensory immersion.”
And from here starts the second great story that led Toyota to establish itself in the world of motor sports, with Akio Toyota himself and the historic test driver, Hiromu Naruse (who passed away in 2010) who had to descend… to Hell (green) and then make the climb to Heaven.
“Akio told me how 20 years ago, at the Nürburgring, he had lived an experience that he could never forget. It wasn’t about being overtaken or finishing first, but he was able to see that other car manufacturers gave priority to racing”, Humphries continues.
“They took advantage of the opportunity to develop not only new technologies and products, but also to develop the people who made them. Disguised prototypes of never-before-seen cars were put to the test on the most challenging circuit in the world. At the time, Toyota wasn’t even trying to build a car capable of racing at the Nürburgring and, to be honest, we didn’t even have a sports car for sale.”
“So Akio, along with test driver Naruse-san, not only ended up driving an old Supra, but did so under the alias Morizo with his unknown private team, Gazoo Racing. Every time he was overtaken by another prototype in development, it was as if they told him: ‘You at Toyota can never build a car like this!’. The GR GT and its racing sister, the GR GT3, will be joined by the new Lexus LFA Concept to form the pinnacle of sports cars for both Lexus and GR.”
“All are born from a single racing platform, faithful to GR’s promise to push the limits to improve, contributing to the entire Toyota group. And all are part of Akio’s promise to no longer produce boring cars. The GT3 category, where the story of these three cars begins, is dedicated to creating cars for those who want to win, both professionals and private drivers: everything starts with speed, without it there is nothing.”
“The GR GT3 has all the main elements to carry out this task, but speed is not everything. The race is much more than the final straight, the real art lies in how you control that speed. In a real situation, as our Morizo likes to say, everything depends on the kaiwa, or the dialogue between driver and car; the GR GT3 is a car designed to instill safety in every situation, feeling reassured by that dialogue, even at the limit, in the most extreme situations.”
Toyota GR GT3, Toyota GR GT
Photo credit: Toyota
“It all comes down to the cues the car gives you to guide you through split-second decisions. Smooth communication, knowing how it will react so there are no misunderstandings, bringing out the best in your abilities, so you can push the car and yourself even further. It speaks to both types of drivers, the professional and the amateur, whether it’s two different people or you and your alter ego.”
“An integral part of any conversation with a car is sound. Not only during acceleration, but also during deceleration and braking. To understand the importance of this aspect, just think of the Fuji circuit, from the main straight to the first hairpin bend. Brake as late as possible, deeper, faster and accelerate confidently following the ideal line. This may be the first time we focus not only on the sound a car makes when you press the accelerator, but also on the visceral and guttural sound that is produced when the pedal is released”.
“We also thought of all this for the Toyota GR GT. Akio loves motor sports and in a racing team there are no hierarchies, but we must all stay united in the pits. And these three cars will work as a team to convey the thrill of driving to both veteran drivers and new generations of car enthusiasts.”
“Whether it’s the twin-turbo V8 of the GR GT3 or the hybrid version of the GR GT, or the electric LFA, these cars represent a commitment to keeping the joy of driving at the edge of human ability alive for the next generation. Cultivating technology and people to create a new era of driving exhilaration, just as Naruse-san took his wisdom from the Toyota 2000GT to the LFA and passed it on to a new generation of test drivers.”
“The emotional side has returned through driving dynamics, engineering, manufacturing and design, there has been a fundamental shift in the corporate mentality. How a car looks and feels is subjective. But in the pits, as a team with Akio as the master, we have the freedom to do what is necessary to make each car’s story a reality.”
A story that Akio Toyoda, President and CEO of the Japanese company, personally contributed to writing, even wearing a helmet and overalls.
“30 years ago, it was just me and Naruse-san who were dedicated to car manufacturing. Gradually, other members who shared the same vision as us joined the project, and finally, when the LFA was completed, Naruse-san, with a smile I had never seen on him before, said, ‘It’s the first time I can drive on the Nürburgring while only looking straight ahead.’ Until then, we were constantly being overtaken by other cars, but now we had one that could do it. I could feel how happy he really was.”
“That didn’t mean the humiliation went away. The LFA went into series production, but limited. We started winning races, but only in our category and there were still many other cars faster than ours. I would hear people say, ‘There’s no way you at Toyota can build a car like this!’ And I’ll never forget that feeling of humiliation – that pain is definitely the force that drives me to this day.”
“15 years ago, suddenly, I inherited the role of master driver. Naruse-san left me the ‘secret recipe’ for building cars, created from that pain, but also something else: some colleagues who shared that suffering. We used that pain and frustration as a driving force, continuing to focus simply on making better and better cars. The GR86, the GR Supra, the GR Yaris, the GR Corolla, the hydrogen engine, the Super Taikyu, the Nürburgring and now these three cars.”
“Today in Toyota I have many colleagues who share the same vision as me and produce cars with the same conviction as me! I want to entrust our car production activity to them and I want to work together with them to create cars that can pass on our ‘secret’ to future generations; but you will continue to count on us to give you emotions. My life has been a continuous series of battles.”
“The role I have found through these battles is to be the last person to protect others, not to be President or CEO, but to make sure that my colleagues can be in a safe place, honing their skills and able to react even stronger. I am the one who will protect them, so to make sure they can find themselves in that environment, Morizo will continue to be there until he leaves you.”
Toyota will showcase its all-new GR GT and GR GT3 at the Tokyo Motor Show from January 9-11.
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
– The Motorsport.com team
