Toyota has publicly displayed its GR GT and GR GT3 flagship sports car and GT3-class race car at the 2026 Tokyo Auto Salon, following the debut of the two-seater duo in December last year. The Toyota badging on this model, now known simply as the GR GT, is conspicuous by its absence, a brand direction that reflects the Japanese giant’s rebranding of its motorsport activities.
The GR GT features a classic, swept-back, long-nose cab with an all-aluminum space frame, which is a first for Toyota. Carbon fiber and plastic panels are used for weight savings, while the target weight is still a hefty 1,750 kg.
The powertrain for the GR GT is a new 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 petrol engine as part of a hybrid setup, and the internal combustion unit is a short-stroke design with a ‘hot-V’ turbocharger configuration to lower the engine’s center of gravity.
The engine’s power is sent via a carbon fiber torque tube to the rear axle, which joins the rear-mounted eight-speed automatic transmission, an electric drive motor and a mechanical limited-slip differential. The gearbox uses a wet clutch instead of a torque converter, as in certain Mercedes-AMG models.
The layout of the transaxle, together with the placement of the hybrid battery, fuel tank and other components, has resulted in a 55:45 weight distribution, front to rear. All told, the GR GT powertrain produces a combined output of 650 hp and 850 Nm, pushing the two-seater to a claimed top speed of 320 km/h. The suspension features a double wishbone layout with forged aluminum arms at all four corners, while braking is handled by carbon-ceramic units.
Shown alongside the GR GT is its track racing stablemate, the GR GT3, which is likely to be fielded from 2027 through Toyota’s GT-class customer racing program. Long in the making, Toyota’s GT-class race car was first unveiled as the GR GT3 Concept in 2022.
Technical details for the GR GT3 are relatively scarce, although Toyota has revealed that the race car will be rear-wheel drive, retain the 4.0 liter biturbo V8 engine and measure 4,785mm long, 2,050mm wide and have a wheelbase of 2,725mm; this will be possible without the electrification of the GR GT, as the GT3 class regulations do not allow hybrid powertrains.
You can see that the GR GT3 employs a much more aggressive bodywork for racing applications, while a side exhaust sits just below each door. The Brembo brakes are housed behind 18-inch Rays alloy wheels, on 30/68-18 front and 31/71-18 rear tires. Inside, the stripped-down GR GT3 cabin gets a race-specific steering wheel, control panel and a pair of data displays.
GR GT at the 2026 Tokyo Auto Salon
GR GT3 at the 2026 Tokyo Auto Salon
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