Front 3/4 view of a red GR GT at the Petersen museumYesterday was the Petersen Automotive Museum's annual Japanese Car Cruise In & Motorcycle Show, which hosted everything from perfect R34 GT-Rs and imported kei trucks to oddball JDM classics and even a W123 Mercedes with a Toyota engine swap. But there was one car that was the clear star of the show: Toyota brought a GR GT out as part of a promo for "Forza Horizon 6." It was both the GT's North American public debut and the first time the car has been shown in a color other than the grey from the initial reveal.This, folks, is a great lesson in why launch specs matter. Don't get me wrong, the GR GT looks good in grey, and it's a fine, neutral choice for showing off a car's design. But it wasn't very exciting or impactful, and it didn't really fit the GT's vibe. This as-yet-unnamed bright metallic red, though, my god — it just works so much better. Sparkling in the sunlight on top of the Petersen's parking deck, surrounded by a constant crowd of people, the GR GT was a total showstopper. It looks sooooo goodRear 3/4 view of a red GR GT at the Petersen museumLike I said, I already loved the GR GT's styling in the launch pictures, but I'm also willing to admit that it's a divisive design. Seeing the car in colors like this red, however, will go a long way to endearing the GT to haters or people who are on the fence. The GT is a lot longer than the Lexus LFA it serves as a successor for, with proportions that look extra dramatic in person. The long and low hood, massive dash-to-axle ratio, and pushed-back greenhouse really make it look like a race car for the road. Its character lines and surfacing details pop a lot harder in person, with the car looking less slab-sided; my favorite is the sharp line running just above the front fender vent that extends over the rear wheel arch, and the kinked crease that runs from the nose to the base of the side windows, creating the boxy front flare.Daniel Golson/JalopnikDetails that looked a bit incongruous in photos, like all the various vents and intakes and the rear diffuser treatment, work a lot better in person. It's a funky-looking thing, for sure, and you can definitely tell this car was designed as a race car first and foremost (just look at the side skirts), but it's really a stunner. I do think the nose looks like it's missing a badge — it really looks like it should have a Toyota emblem on there — and the wheel design is pretty boring. People love the GR brandFront 3/4 view of a red GR GT at the Petersen museumThe reaction from the crowd seemed to be overwhelmingly positive. I heard lots of "oh my god" exultations, countless "that's sick as f**k" praise, and thankfully almost no one saying dumb stuff like "it just looks like a Viper." People seem to have a lot of enthusiasm for the Gazoo Racing brand in general, beyond the GR Corolla being a car nerd favorite. I saw lots of people walking around with GR merch at the Cruise In, and even a RAV4 that had a GR-branded baby-on-board sticker, so maybe the GR GT being the flagship of that Toyota sub-brand will work after all.Daniel Golson/JalopnikHow it's badged doesn't really matter anyway. What does matter is how seriously Toyota has taken the GR GT's performance and development, both in terms of the road car and the race car. It's just bonkers that Toyota even went through with this project in the first place — it's not like the LFA was a huge success, and the expensive two-seat front-engine supercar market is a pretty small niche, plus coming up with a completely new platform and engine from scratch is a huge undertaking. It remains to be seen whether the GT will actually be good to drive or competitive in racing, but at least for now we can spill a lot of digital ink about how hot it looks. Because are you seeing these photos? What a spectacular thing. Want more like this? Join the Jalopnik newsletter to get the latest auto news sent straight to your inbox, and add us as a preferred search source on Google.
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