The biggest car news and reviews, no BS
Our free daily newsletter sends the stories that really matter directly to you, every weekday.
If you were hoping to secure one of the first Toyota GR GT supercars headed to the United States, you might have to buy a vacation home in Europe or Asia and try your luck with a dealer there. While at Laguna Seca for the Rolex Motorsport Reunion over the weekend, The Drive learned that all units headed here are sold out.
Toyota Senior Vice President of Automotive Operations Andrew Gilleland explained that the automaker has earmarked 200 to 250 samples of its flagship machine for the U.S. market.
M Stahlschidt via Toyota
“We’re not going to have enough to meet demand, and that’s by design,” said Gilleland. “It’s a passion project and made because Akio [Toyoda] wants a world-class performance car. We don’t want to sell cars to flippers, we only want people who are going to drive it. The first allocation is already sold.”
When asked about production numbers, Gilleland clarified that it was somewhere between 200 and 250 for the U.S. only, not globally. That said, he did not elaborate on what total worldwide production is expected to be for the first round of manufacturing.
Gilleland went on to explain that during The Quail—the events that practically kicks off Monterey Car Week—upwards of 150 potential buyers sat down with the automaker’s reps to configure their machines despite it not actively taking orders; “the interest is huge.”
Several key members of the GR GT and GR GT3 development team were present at the event after traveling from Japan. While it appears Toyota didn’t use the venue for further development this time, it did take the opportunity to photograph both variants side-by-side on the famous track.
M Stahlschidt via Toyota
Development drivers Tatsuya Kataoka and Jack Hawksworth shared some thoughts about bringing both of these cars to market, and both emphasized its drivability, reliability, and how extremely close the road version is to its GT3 counterpart.
“I hope that people can sense the intensity of the development and how passionate Toyota has been so far about the project,” Kataoka said.
The GR GT will reportedly make its way to lucky owners next year, and when it does, it will be powered by a 4.0-liter twin-turbo hybrid V8 targeting over 640 horsepower paired to a rear-mounted, triple-wet-clutch, eight-speed transmission.
Got a tip? Email us at tips@thedrive.com
As deputy editor, Jerry draws on a decade of industry experience and a lifelong passion for motorsports to guide The Drive’s short- and long-term coverage.
