Toyota revealed its GR GT sports car and its racing counterpart GR GT3 close to a year ago now. Toyota shared quite a bit about the cars back then, but not quite everything, including some key specifications such as power. We would be a bit more frustrated, but to make up for the delay in those final details, Toyota has been taking its two running examples on tour, and every time we see it driven hard, we get more excited.
The latest stop on the tour was at Laguna Seca, and the cars still impress us.
Toyota Brought Its Rumbling V8s To California
Toyota’s sports cars came to Laguna Seca during Monterey Car Week festivities, and the company sent drivers out to do some demonstration laps. Photographer and writer Mike Garrett, who goes by Japanifornia on Instagram, recorded the two cars going down the most famous section of Laguna Seca, the Corkscrew. It’s so named because of its combination of twistiness and dramatic elevation change.
The deep grumbly exhaust from the cars makes it quite clear that they’re using traditional cross-plane crankshaft V8s. The rumble could just as easily come from an American sports or muscle car. We believe that’s the case for both V8 cars, since all we hear is classic V8 sounds and not a distinct, more high-pitched exhaust note from one of them. Of the two, the race car certainly seems louder, which is completely understandable. You may notice a bit of a whine at certain points, and that sound is actually coming from the transmission on the racecar.
What Do We Know About The GR GT Cars?
Like we mentioned, Toyota has actually shared a shocking amount of detail about the GR GT with the world. The V8 under the hood uses a dry-sump lubrication system, and it has a pair of turbochargers nestled in the valley between the cylinder heads. The transmission is mounted at the back along with a small hybrid motor. Everything rides in an aluminum chassis with double-wishbone suspension at all four corners. Stopping power comes from carbon ceramic Brembo disc brakes.
Toyota has also made it clear that the GR GT was designed with creating the GR GT3 racecar in mind. Much of the two cars is shared, though the engines will differ. Mainly, the racecar lacks any kind of hybrid power. The chassis is also shared with the new Lexus LFA, though the Lexus is slated to be a full EV. It also has significantly different styling.
2027 Toyota GR GT & GR GT3Toyota
There are a couple of key things we don’t yet know about the car, though. We don’t know its final price, though we’re expecting it to cost more than $200,000. Final power and torque numbers haven’t been given, either, but Toyota said it’s targeting around 641 horsepower and 627 pound-feet. Hopefully, we learn these soon, as cars are supposed to become available in 2027. Not many will be available initially, only around 200 to 250 to start, though Toyota will continue building them to meet additional demand.
CarBuzz Insight – Why This Matters:
For most of us, seeing the GR GT and GT3 lapping Laguna Seca is just a fun treat. However, Toyota has a good business reason to do this, too. Monterey Car Week has effectively become the biggest event for wealthy car enthusiasts, many of whom could be customers, in the world. Hot laps of the car was surely a move to get the attention of potential buyers as the launch nears. Those buyers might not just be looking at getting a road car, but also one of the GT3 race cars for a private team.
Basically, Toyota sure seems to know what it’s doing with this car.
Source: Mike Garrett / Japanifornia / Instagram via Motor1
