Hard to believe it’s been almost four years since Toyota took the covers off the GR GT3 concept at the Tokyo Auto Salon. We’ve been patiently waiting ever since to see whether a road-going car would follow. Early reports claimed it would wear a Lexus badge, but Toyota set things straight earlier this year when it announced the vehicle would be sold under the Gazoo Racing banner. Ahead of its world premiere next week, Toyota’s flagship performance car finally has a name: GR GT. Attached closer to the bottom of this page is a TV commercial that aired in Japan a few hours ago, showing the upcoming model alongside its predecessors, the LFA and the 2000GT. The thunderous note of a V-10 follows the classic car’s inline-six before the newcomer plays what we believe is V-8 music. The video also provides a good opportunity to see the GR GT without camouflage. Toyota lowered the brightness to obscure the finer details, but there’s still enough light to show the car’s wide hips. Additionally, the front and rear light signatures appear to echo the upcoming 2026-spec GR010 Le Mans hypercar. While the video clearly shows the street-legal version, a GT3-spec endurance racer is also on the way. Toyota recently confirmed plans for a new V-8 engine, likely to be used by the company's luxury division as well. A production version of the Lexus Sport Concept with that eight-cylinder mill seems plausible, and the V-8 is expected to filter into regular models as well. The all-new combustion engine is believed to feature a pair of turbochargers and a 4.0-liter displacement. However, Toyota has yet to release firm details about the new V-8 and hasn’t said whether it’ll be a hybrid. As much as we’d like to see a manual gearbox, that seems highly unlikely. We'd love to be proven wrong, though. How much will it cost? We’d wager it'll easily be a six-figure car. We're making this assumption based on Toyota's efforts earlier this year to benchmark a prototype against the previous-generation AMG GT. Although we expect it to undercut the $375,000 LFA significantly, prepare to pony up around $150,000 or maybe more. After all, the outgoing Lexus RC F already brushes up against $100,000. Because of its exorbitant price tag, the LFA wasn’t exactly a commercial hit. Consequently, Toyota and Lexus are likely to be more careful when setting prices to avoid clashing with big names in this segment, like Ferrari, Lamborghini, and McLaren. The official premiere is set for next Friday, December 5 (Japan time), so Americans may see the GR GT late Thursday, December 4. The online reveal will be shortly followed by a public debut at the 2026 Tokyo Auto Salon (January 9-11). We want your opinion! What would you like to see on Motor1.com? Take our 3 minute survey. - The Motor1.com Team
