Toyota has officially confirmed that its all-new GR GT supercar will make its world debut on December 5. The announcement came via a Toyota Times livestream, where company chairman Akio Toyoda revealed the car’s badging and confirmed its Toyota Gazoo Racing lineage — complete with an audio preview of its V8 hybrid powertrain.
This news also puts an end to months of speculation about whether the long-awaited flagship performance model would carry Toyota or Lexus branding. The development prototype for Toyota’s new supercar was also showcased publicly, under heavy camouflage, at the Goodwood Festival of Speed earlier this year. It was accompanied by another heavily camouflaged prototype of identical proportions, with additional aero elements. It was likely a GT3 track-only iteration of the new supercar.
The livestream also coincided with the launch of a countdown clock on the Toyota Gazoo Racing website, ticking down to 11:00 am Tokyo time on December 5. The global public premiere is set to follow at the Tokyo Auto Salon in January, where enthusiasts will finally see the car in full for the first time.
A tribute to Toyota’s performance icons
Hints of the new Toyota GR GT’s identity surfaced when the Japanese carmaker displayed a teaser billboard at Fuji Speedway, revealing a portion of the car’s front end and its GR badge. The billboard appeared alongside images of two legendary nameplates: the Lexus LFA (2010–2012) and the Toyota 2000GT (1967–1970), accompanied by the evocative tagline, “The soul lives on.”
This message reinforces Toyota’s intent to create a modern halo car that connects its past and future, much like the 2000GT and LFA once did for their respective eras. Hopefully, this new supercar will also be more of a commercial success than its predecessors, ensuring Toyota’s participation in a segment dominated by European carmakers.
Lexus dream lives on
Despite Toyota’s confirmation of the new performance car’s badge identity, speculation persists that a Lexus-badged twin may also be in development. It is expected to be named the LFR as a successor to the iconic Lexus LFA — possibly as a track-only variant or with distinct design and performance characteristics. Else, the same exact model could carry a Lexus badge for markets like the USA where Toyota needs to distinguish its more premium offerings from the mass-market models.
Further intrigue grew when a Lexus Sport Concept appeared at Monterey Car Week in August, sparking suggestions that it could preview a new Lexus LC successor or the rumoured LFR. Around the same time, heavily disguised Lexus prototypes resembling the Goodwood show cars were spied lapping both the Nürburgring and Spa-Francorchamps circuits, supporting theories of a shared platform between the two brands.
Mr. Toyoda noted during his livestream that he had personally named the new vehicle, with “Toyota GR GT” trademarks filed in multiple countries, including Australia.
A new flagship for Gazoo Racing
The GR GT marks Toyota’s most ambitious performance project since the Supra, and its debut will cement Gazoo Racing’s place at the top of the brand’s performance hierarchy. Expected to blend Toyota’s hybrid racing expertise from Le Mans with design inspiration from the 2000GT and LFA, the 2026 GR GT could become a defining statement for the company’s next generation of performance cars.
The new Toyota supercar will reportedly feature a twin-turbocharged 4.0L V8 hybrid system producing more than 660kW, placing it firmly among competitors from Ferrari, McLaren, and Lamborghini.
With its V8 hybrid heart, motorsport engineering, and heritage-driven design, the Toyota GR GT aims to deliver the best of Toyota’s past and future — proving that even in an electrified era, the soul of the Japanese supercar is very much alive.
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