On the 10th, at Makuhari Messe, a convention center in Chiba Prefecture near Tokyo, the site of the "2026 Tokyo Auto Salon." From early morning, tens of thousands of spectators flocked to watch test runs of "GR GT" and "GR GT3," new flagship sports cars from "Gazoo Racing (GR)," the Toyota Group's high-performance brand. These black sports cars, with bodies not even reaching an adult's waist, exuded wild presence. At the explosive engine sound and razor-sharp drifting, the crowd kept shouting "Sugoi (amazing)." They also showed off incredible speed, circling the vast event grounds in less than a minute.
Pushing through white smoke and the acrid smell of burning tires, the driver who stepped out of the GR GT was Toyoda Daisuke, senior executive vice president of Woven by Toyota and the eldest son of Toyota Group Chairman Toyoda Akio. "The road surface was wet, so I was a bit tense, but I really enjoyed how you can feel tremendous power when you hit the accelerator," Toyoda said. The co-driving driver said, "We originally decided not to make donuts (circular tire marks from drifting), but Daisuke pulled it off," adding, "The speed also topped 250 kph, faster than planned."
The Toyota Group unveiled its third flagship sports car model in 17 years, signaling its ambition for high-performance cars. GR GT, which seeks the fun of driving in daily life, and GR GT3, which aims to be the top choice for pro drivers who want to win, are the stars. The Toyota Group plans to further strengthen its philosophy of "making ever-better cars through motorsports" with these models. Chairman Akio believes the more effort put into high-performance car development, the more mass-production technology advances and the more automotive talent can be cultivated.
◇ Third flagship model GR GT… a daily-life sports car with 650 horsepower
GR GT is the third flagship model, following the 1967 "Toyota 2000GT" and the 2009 "Lexus LFA." Limited to about 350 and 500 units, respectively, the 2000GT and LFA are landmark vehicles that embody Japan's technological prowess and craftsmanship. A Toyota official said, "GR GT represents a new challenge for the Toyota Group," adding, "Compared with the LFA, it has become a completely different car in every respect, including performance."
GR GT is a racing car that can be driven on public roads. It was developed for "gentleman drivers" whose skills surpass amateurs, though not on par with pros. It can reach speeds of up to 320 kph, with a maximum output of 650 horsepower. To achieve this performance, it needed: ▲ a low center of gravity ▲ light weight and high rigidity ▲ minimized air resistance.
A Toyota official said, "We lowered the center of various components that make up the car, including the driver's seat, as much as possible," adding, "For the first time in the group, we used a full aluminum body to make it strong yet light, and we put a lot of thought into how to run without air resistance." The GR GT's height is just 1,195 mm, and its curb weight is 1,750 kg, similar to a midsize sport-utility vehicle (SUV).
GR GT3 is a model based on this GR GT. It aims to be a race car that not only targets drivers seeking victories in competition but also is easy for anyone to drive. Specific specifications for the GR GT3 have not yet been released, but its height is being developed at 1,090 mm, slightly lower than the GR GT, and the engine displacement is being developed at 3,998 cc, the same as the GR GT. A Toyota official explained, "We are putting all our efforts into development so we can launch (GR GT and GR GT3) next year."
◇ How did Toyota, a byword for economy, fall for high-performance cars?
Toyota is a company that spread the concepts of economy and efficiency to industries worldwide, and it is also synonymous with practical cars. For such a Toyota Group, high-performance cars are not a natural fit. Development costs a lot of money, yet they cannot be sold in high volumes, often resulting in losses. In fact, GR, an in-house company of the Toyota Group, is reportedly not generating revenue yet.
But Chairman Akio not only drives under the name "Morizo," he also has been deeply involved throughout the GR GT's development, putting great effort into the high-performance car business. The catalyst was the 24-hour endurance race challenge at Germany's Nürburgring in 2007.
At the time, the Toyota Group did not have a proper racing car, and because it was not recognized as official company business, it entered under the name "Team Gazoo," without the Toyota name. Every time they were overtaken by other makers' cars on the track, Chairman Akio is said to have had a searing experience, as if hearing, "Toyota can't build a car like this, can it?"
This "anger" moved the Toyota Group. "We can't erase the very bitterness we felt then," Senior Executive Vice President Daisuke said that day. "When high-performance cars improve, the balance goes off, and when you fix the shortcomings that result, new shortcomings appear," he said. "You could stop at some level, but the sense of frustration and regret leaves you no choice but to keep developing. As long as there are people who feel this way, the Toyota Group's high-performance car development will continue."
Chairman Akio believes mass-production cars can advance only with high-performance technology. "GR Yaris" is a prime example. Developed for the World Rally Championship (WRC), the GR Yaris was later reverse-engineered for mass production. A Toyota Group official said, "We are taking on many challenges to develop high-performance sports cars; while we cannot disclose specifics, you can assume all these technologies can be applied to mass-production cars."
Developing high-performance cars is also essential for cultivating talent. Chairman Akio is calling for engineers to gain experience by watching cars break at the race site and solving problems in seconds. "Motorsports is not just a stage to test driving skills," a Toyota Group official said. "It is a venue for talent development, where people grow by directly controlling vehicles, internalizing driving feel, and personally adjusting and improving," the official said, adding, "It is, in effect, a stage for training talent who understand the vehicle itself."