It started with the legendary Toyota 2000GT. Decades later, Lexus gave us the LFA. Now Toyota’s Gazoo Racing division arrives with its latest flagship sports car. This is the GR GT, and Toyota calls it a road-going race car.
Three key elements determine the development of the GR GT. The center of gravity must be low, the curb weight must be relatively low and the car must be quite stiff to maximize aerodynamic performance.
These three principles are the common thread of the car, and based on the numbers, Toyota appears to have stuck to its guns. The GR GT has at least 640 hp. That center of gravity is on your knees, and the weight is surprisingly low thanks to Toyota’s first all-aluminum frame.
Power is provided by a brand new twin-turbocharged V8 engine and a single electric motor integrated into the transmission. Toyota is targeting the aforementioned figure of 640 horsepower and a healthy 627 pound-feet of torque. All power is shifted to the rear via a newly developed eight-speed automatic transmission.
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Source: Toyota
One thing to note is that Toyota described the power figures as minimum targets for the prototype. The production GR GT will deliver these figures… or higher.
The GR GT marks Toyota’s first use of an all-aluminum frame. Body panels are made of carbon fiber reinforced plastic and aluminum. Pursuing weight reduction is crucial with a car like this. As you lose weight, many aspects of performance improve. You get a lower center of gravity, better road holding and the aerodynamic elements can do their job more effectively.
The brakes can also save speed more efficiently. That shouldn’t be a problem with the GR GT, as the car is equipped with massive carbon-ceramic stoppers front and rear. Twenty-inch wheels are shod with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires; the rear wheels run on rubber with a section width of 325.
Toyota has set a curb weight of 3,858 pounds or less. That’s an important goal and a substantial number. For comparison, the lightest example of the Porsche 911 GTS weighs just over 3,500 pounds. However, the GR GT should produce at least 110 hp more than the Porsche and significantly more torque.
A fairer comparison comes when you open the spec sheet for the Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray. GM’s hybrid sports car is slightly heavier, produces slightly more horsepower, but offers slightly less torque. The GR GT vs. E-Ray shootout should be a good one.
Inside, you’ll find an expectedly driver-oriented cabin. There are no Toyota badges, as this is truly a GR product. The carbon-supported Recaro bucket seats look great. And the entire interior leans further towards Lexus than Toyota. GR does a great job of combining sport and luxury in this way.
Toyota relies heavily on the street-legal race car atmosphere. The low roofline provides an excellent appearance. The GR GT has a height of only 47.0 inches. That leaves it shorter than both the aforementioned 911 GTS and the Corvette E-Ray. At the rear, the quad exhaust looks almost evil, tucked into the rear aerodynamic elements.
Along the side, the air vent and lower sill appear to have been plucked straight from a GT3 car. And somehow the nose still says Toyota, but in an almost cartoonish way. I mean that positively, mind you, as the dash-to-axle ratio on the GR GT is off the charts.
Photo by: Toyota
As for the GT3 comparison, there’s a reason for it. Gazoo Racing developed the car alongside the GR GT3 race car version. The two vehicles share suspension components and the twin-turbocharged V8 portion of the powertrain.
There’s a new flagship sports car in the Toyota family. It looks pretty angry – let’s hope the sound of that V-8 matches the visual anger on display today.
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