Toyota’s Next-Generation Supercar Lineup: Everything You Need to Know About the GR GT, GR GT3, and Lexus LFA
Following Toyota’s highly anticipated reveal of its “Holy Trinity” of next-generation sports cars, we were afforded a unique opportunity to dive deep into the engineering behind these revolutionary vehicles. At an exclusive technical briefing with chief program manager Takashi Doi and his core engineering teams, we uncovered what lies beneath the striking designs of the GR GT, the track-ready GR GT3 race car, and the groundbreaking Lexus LFA Concept. While the teams remained tight-lipped on certain details, it’s clear that Toyota plans to milk every milestone as these vehicles move from debut to customer delivery.
GR GT: The Roadmap to the Road Car
The GR GT is positioned as the production road car that will hit dealerships “in 2027,” likely hitting the market as a 2028 model. This model will serve as the homologation basis for the GR GT3 race car. While we could expect the race car to launch shortly thereafter, historical trends—as seen with the latest Ford GT—demonstrate that race cars often hit the track long before their road-going counterparts.
After multiple inquiries regarding the pricing of the GR GT, project manager Doi invited us to benchmark the pricing of Porsche 911 GT3 and Mercedes-AMG AMG GT models with similar performance specifications. Using the GR GT’s claimed 641 hp and 3858-pound curb weight as guides, we calculated a weight-to-power ratio of 6.0 lb/hp. Let’s examine this benchmark against comparable high-performance GTs:
| Vehicle | Curb Weight | Horsepower | Weight/Power | Base Price |
| :— | :— | :— | :— | :— |
| 2028 Toyota GR GT | 3858 lb | 641 hp | 6.0 lb/hp | N/A |
| 2026 Porsche 911 GT3 | 3278 lb | 502 hp | 6.2 lb/hp | $235,500 |
| 2026 Porsche 911 Turbo S | 3859 lb | 701 hp | 5.5 lb/hp | $275,650 |
| 2026 AMG GT Pro 4Matic | 4299 lb | 603 hp | 7.1 lb/hp | $202,200 |
| 2026 Aston Martin Vantage S | 3847 lb | 671 hp | 5.7 lb/hp | $235,000 |
\Weight and horsepower figures for 2026 models reflect those currently projected or announced at press time.\
Based on this competitive landscape, it is highly probable that the GR GT will be priced above the $200,000 mark.
Performance Modes and Potential Variants
The GR GT boasts a fiendishly complicated hybrid powertrain featuring a mechanical limited-slip differential (LSD), designed to facilitate highly engaging driving dynamics and high-performance maneuvers. Will it drift? Will it offer a dedicated drift mode?
Doi-san confirmed that his team is developing different driving modes but declined to specify their names. However, a close examination of the GR GT’s steering wheel provides a major clue: a dial on the right side features the label “Sport Boost.”
Mirroring this button on the lower left side is a traction and stability control button labeled “TRC/VSC” with an “Off” option. When asked if drivers would be allowed to disable traction and stability control completely, Doi eventually confirmed that this would be possible.
Looking ahead, we inquired about potential future higher-performance variants of the GR GT, such as a Nürburgring Edition (similar to the Lexus LFA’s final production run), GRMN (Meister of Nürburgring), GT R, or GT3 RS version. Doi replied, “Obviously we can’t talk about future product, but variations and improvements is something we’re always looking for. And that’s crucial, very important for a sports car.”
The Nürburgring Challenge: Humiliation to Redemption
When it comes to the “Green Hell” circuit, Akio “Master Driver Morizo” Toyoda, the driving force behind Gazoo Racing and grandson of Toyota’s founder, placed significant emphasis on the concept of overcoming past humiliations. During the GR GT and GR GT3 unveiling at Toyota’s Woven City, Akio stood before a massive video screen displaying the word ‘HUMILIATION,’ not just for a brief moment. He spoke extensively about the challenges he faced just a few years ago while conducting development laps at the Nürburgring Nordschleife in Toyota sports cars—notably including a fourth-generation Supra—finding himself consistently passed by faster, better-handling sports cars, many from Germany.
It is this uniquely Japanese philosophy of harnessing humiliation as a catalyst for improvement that drove the development of the GR GT and GT3. Regarding the Nürburgring’s importance and whether the team is targeting a specific lap time, such as the sub-7-minute mark recently achieved by the Mustang GTD (6:52), Corvette ZR1 (6:50), and Corvette ZR1X (6:49), Doi would not commit. However, he did affirm the critical importance of the Nürburgring to Toyota, the GR brand, and the company’s motorsports endeavors. He reiterated Akio’s declaration that the GR GT would not be the one being passed on the Green Hell.
Given the inherent modesty and precision of Japanese automotive engineers, this statement serves as a strong declaration that the GR GT will achieve a sub-7-minute lap, especially considering that numerous Porsche 911 GT3 and AMG GT models have already surpassed that benchmark.
Lexus LFA: Pricing and Timeline Remains Under Wraps
For those captivated by the visual identity of the LFA, the questions of when it will debut and its expected price remain shrouded in uncertainty. Toyota representatives, including Doi-san, reiterated that this would be “several years” away. As for the price, we anticipate the new LFA will be considerably less expensive than the original, which launched in 2010 at a shocking $375,000 and concluded its production run a couple of years later at $445,000 for the LFA Nürburgring Edition.
Doi-san conceded that the world of high-performance luxury cars has shifted since Lexus discontinued the V-10 supercar. He also acknowledged that returning as an EV adds complexity to the equation. This appears to be a subtle indication that the next-generation LFA will need to come in under $350,000.
We believe the price must be substantially lower for two key reasons. First, the market for luxury sports coupes is already quite limited. Second, there are currently no electric sports coupes priced above $200,000. While a small handful of electric luxury and performance cars exceed this threshold—including the Lucid Air Sapphire, Rolls-Royce Spectre, and Cadillac Celestiq—none fit the competitive profile of the LFA. Entering the electric hypercar realm, with vehicles like the Rimac Nevera and Lotus Evija costing between $2.3 and $2.4 million, is decidedly not Lexus territory. The closest competitor in mission might be the second-generation Tesla Roadster, rumored to be in the $200,000 to $250,000 range—if Elon’s vaporware ever materializes.
Lexus LFA: A Potential Solid-State Battery Flagship?
However, one complicating factor could elevate the LFA into a very expensive and exotic luxury sports flagship for Lexus: the possibility that the LFA will debut with solid-state battery (SSB) technology. No one at the event would confirm this under direct questioning.
What we do know is that Toyota has been working on solid-state batteries since 2020, after forming a joint venture with Panasonic named Prime Planet Energy & Solutions, Inc. In 2024, Toyota updated its battery roadmap, projecting SSB arrival between 2027 and 2028 with a range of 621 miles (1000 km) and recharging times of approximately 10 minutes. Obviously, this level of battery performance represents a massive technological leap, which is precisely what Lexus may be seeking for its flagship sports car. It also presents a potential solution to a significant packaging challenge in the electric LFA.
The current best practice in global EV manufacturing is to position the heavy battery cells, consolidated into packs or modules, as low as possible in the vehicle’s floor, typically occupying all the space between the wheels, and sometimes extending beyond them. This design is referred to as a skateboard chassis, pioneered in production by the first successful mainstream EV, the Tesla Model S, and adopted by virtually every major EV that has followed.
Keeping heavy batteries low is an excellent strategy for both packaging and handling. The latter helps lower the vehicle’s center of gravity, providing that planted feel when changing direction. However, for the Lexus LFA production engineers, this presents two major challenges. Firstly, the all-aluminum spaceframe chassis shared between the GR GT, GR GT3, and LFA Concept lacks a traditional floorpan ahead of the front firewall; instead, it features thick structural members. The small amount of floor space present extends across the compact two
