Toyota GR GT has the Porsche 911 GT3, Mercedes-AMG GT in its sights
The twin-turbo V8-powered Toyota GR GT is being turned up to 11, with a track-derived, road-going variant spotted testing.
Toyota appears to be wasting no time in expanding the GR GT family, after a bewinged version of the upcoming sports coupe was spotted at the Nürburgring.
So far Toyota has only previewed one production version of the GR GT, which has since been doing the rounds as its promotional vehicle for the spiritual successor to the Lexus LFA.
That looks like it’ll change though, with Toyota’s GR GT3 racer set to influence a more hardcore on-road version of the standard model, akin to the Porsche 911 GT3 in that model’s lineup.
Filmed by CarSpyMedia, the camouflaged GR GT features a far more aggressive body than that of the car we’ve already seen revealed by Toyota.
This includes a larger front splitter, bumper canards, more venting on the bonnet and wheel arches, while at the rear there’s a large diffuser and huge swan-neck style wing to generate even more downforce.
It doesn’t sound different to the standard car, while its wheels also continue to be shod in Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres, which on the road vehicle help to deliver grip from the double-wishbone suspension and Brembo carbon ceramic brakes.
The development of the GT3-inspired Toyota GR GT comes amid Mercedes-AMG also testing a hardcore version of its GT car, with the Black Series to be the homologation base for its own GT3 race vehicle.
Stephen Ottley
Many comparisons have been drawn between the Toyota GR GT and the Mercedes-AMG GT, not only due to their names but also because both feature twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 engines, both located at the front, rather than most competitors which are mid- or rear-engined.
The GR GT has a target kerb weight of less than 1750kg, with a 45:55 front-to-rear weight distribution. That makes it quite a bit lighter than the current Mercedes-AMG GT63, with the all-wheel drive sports coupe tipping the scales at over 1900kg.
In the Toyota, its V8 engine features a single electric motor in its all-new dual-clutch eight-speed automatic transaxle, capable of producing 478kW and 850Nm combined to make it the most powerful vehicle the brand has ever made.
Its racing derivative, the GR GT3, will make its track debut in 2027.
