Toyota’s freshly unveiled, Gazoo Racing-branded GR GT has been setting our part of the internet on fire since it was unveiled earlier today in Japan. Road & Track had the chance to spend more time with both the car and some of the team that developed it at the unveiling event in Japan, and here are some of the things we learned.1) It was “born from humiliation.”Specifically, Toyota Group chairman Akio Toyoda’s first visit to the Nürburgring 20 years ago, at a time when other makers of performance cars didn’t consider Toyota to be a credible rival, in an era when the Japanese brand didn’t sell a single sports model. “I will never forget that feeling of humiliation,” Toyoda said in his speech at the unveiling, “the pain is definitely the force that drives me even now.” The GR is the end point of that quest for redemption.2027 gazoo racing gt technical details 2) The new twin-turbo V-8 was created just for the GR GT. And there are no plans to share it in other models, either inside or outside the company.3) The project to make what became the GR GT began in 2020.The development team was given what was effectively a blank sheet of paper by Toyoda to come up with the best solution for a car of this type. A mid-engined layout was considered before the team decided to stick to the more traditional combination of a front-mounted engine and rear-wheel drive.2027 gazoo racing gt technical details4) The rear transaxle is crazy. Taking drive from the rear of the rear-mounted transmission and then sending it forwards to the offset differential that drives the rear axle makes it look like the gearbox for an all-wheel drive car with an integrated front transfer case. The official reason for the novel layout is to minimize the GT’s (still considerable) wheelbase, and to help with weight distribution. But it also has the feeling of a manifesto piece, something to show rival automakers just how hard Toyota is willing to chase marginal gains.5) Hybridization is slight. While the engineering team wouldn’t share details of the GT’s electrical system, the chance to see the electric motor within the transmission revealed dimensions that suggest it will be a 48-volt system, and we were told its primary purpose is to improve drivability rather than add performance or cut emissions. So pretty much all of the headline 641 horsepower is coming from the V-8.2027 gazoo racing gt technical details6) The GR GT’s aluminum structure is a work of art. Especially the sizeable extruded sections that form critical parts of the underbody. Again, there is a sense that Toyota has chosen to do something much harder than it strictly needed to.7) The street car and GT3 racer were engineered together.And both were created around the same aggressive “drive, break, fix” development cycle. The road car is designed to take what we were promised was “regular, hard” track use without complaint. 8) The car may be able to lap the 'Ring in under seven minutes.We need to wait a bit longer for more performance figures, but project manager Takeshi Doi admitted that, although it hasn’t been timed around the Nürburgring Nordschliefe yet, the “overall design has the potential” to put in a sub-seven minute lap at the famous track. Which would put it in the same league as the Ford Mustang GTD.2027 gazoo racing gt technical details9) Practicality will be limited. Although we didn’t get to see inside the trunk of the GT on display, a scale model of the structure revealed what looks to be a minimal amount of luggage space at the back, with the trunk floor having to sit above the rear-hung gearbox and the space to the front of it heavily restricted by the placement of the hybrid battery. Visibility from the cabin will also be limited to a narrow slot to the rear screen, so a secondary rear-view camera system will be standard.10) It should be cheaper than the previous LFA.Pricing predictions for the GT have been all over the place, with many presuming it would effectively carry on where the $375,000 Lexus LFA left off more than 10 years ago. The good news is that it seems set to be far cheaper than that, although still much more than any of the existing GR branded road cars. We won’t have confirmed pricing for some time, but Takeshi Doi’s assertion that “there are a lot of GT3-based cars in the market. Use that as a reference” suggests something closer to the $225,000 of the 992.2-gen Porsche 911 GT3. 11) The first customers will be receiving cars in 2027.So we have plenty of time to find out the rest of the details not on this list.