It's been two and a half years since Toyota took the Tokyo Auto Salon by storm with its hugely promising GR GT3 Concept. As a refresher, that car will evolve into a successor to the Lexus RC F GT3 scheduled to go racing in 2026. A new spy video shows what appears to be its street-legal counterpart, which will use a Lexus badge instead.
Caught testing in Japan at the Toyota-owned Fuji Speedway, the mysterious high-performance coupe doesn't look as aggressive as the GR GT3. The most noticeable difference between the two is the omission of a huge rear wing. We're also not seeing the side exhaust of the race car while the front splitter isn't sticking out as much.
これ何！？ pic.twitter.com/0LRAbvIXBh
— タバ 🐸 (@taba_tokyo) July 24, 2024
Elsewhere, it appears to have regular windshield wipers instead of a single piece resting on the middle of the glass. At the rear, it does away with the aggressive diffuser of the GR GT3. Overall, we're getting the impression that the aerodynamic package and the cooling are not as hardcore compared to Toyota's racer.
A little over a year ago, Toyota WEC team director Rob Leupen told our sister site Motorsport.com that the street-legal car would indeed be a Lexus. He refrained from disclosing the model’s name, although trademarks and rumors suggest it'll go by the "LFR" moniker. The new high-performance coupe won't be an LFA successor, but rather a follow-up to the RC F. The Yamaha V-10-powered machine will be indirectly superseded by an electric supercar previewed by the Electrified Sport Concept.
Toyota's concept featured a sleek, low-slung appearance with an elongated hood. The subsequent camouflaged prototypes spotted testing at the Motegi and Fuji Speedway tracks in Japan further suggest that something exciting is in the works. The GR GT3 was also seen a few months ago in Belgium at Spa-Francorchamps, looking notably more aggressive than the Lexus version.
As to what will power the flagship sports car, it could be a V8 judging by the sound made by the Toyota GR GT3. We can't hear the engine noise coming from the Lexus because the video was shot from afar. However, there seems to be enough room underneath the hood for eight cylinders, and possibly a pair of turbochargers if the rumor mill is accurate.
Since the GR GT3 will compete in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) in 2026, logic tells us Toyota will unveil the race-ready coupe at some point next year. We reckon the road-going Lexus can't be far behind.
Toyota GR GT3 Concept
