Showcasing sporty future
The Lexus LFA is being revived as an all-electric king of speed and Toyota is planning to launch its GR performance brand “around 2027” with a GT petrol supercar.
The GR GT and LFA concept are both slated for production and will share an all-aluminium frame – the company’s first – despite their vastly different powertrains.
A third petrol-powered model designed for racing, the GR GT3, also shares the frame and meets specifications to participate in FIA’s GT3 racing category.
Akio Toyoda, Toyota’s chairman, unveiled the three low-riding, long-nosed, aggressively styled sports cars during a showcase at the company’s Woven City future-mobility complex in Mount Fuji’s foothills.
The GR GT and GT3
Of the GR variants, pictured above, the GT is positioned as a street-legal sports vehicle and the GT3 is being pitched as a track-ready racer set for teams to deploy in GT3 series competition.
The newly developed twin-turbo four-litre V8 engine will power the GT, paired with a single electric motor and a newly developed eight-speed automatic transmission.
Together, the powertrain components are expected to generate at least 478kW of power and torque of 850Nm. The vehicles are expected to top out at some 320kph.
The GT and GT3 have been designed to optimise and prioritise aerodynamics and engine cooling over exterior styling. Interior styling optimises the driving position and visibility for high-performance operation.
Toyota is “continuing development” of the GT and GT3 “toward launching them around 2027” and will release more information when it becomes available.
Toyoda, 69, is the company’s self-appointed master driver who races under the nom de guerre Morizo. He has had a personal hand in track-testing the vehicles during development as has his 37-year-old son Daisuke. The younger Toyoda is also a company test driver and heads the Woven City project as a vice-president of its software and automated driving subsidiary.
Rebirth of Lexus LFA
The Lexus has been shown in concept form. The slick two-seater foreshadows a successor to the LFA halo car. Its limited edition of 500 hand-built units sold out before output began in December 2010.
Its body styling mirrors the Lexus Sport Concept, which made its debut in August at Monterey Car Week before being shown at the Japan Mobility Show in October.
Unlike the first-generation LFA, which was powered by a 4.8-litre V10, the fully electric concept is envisioned as a “driver’s dream”.
Toyota has yet to provide details such as battery size, motor power or range. However, it could mark the company’s first use of its solid-state battery technology, which has been under development for several years and which executives have said would make its debut in 2027.
A suitcase-size, solid-state battery, if adopted, would give the LFA a major weight advantage over rival battery technologies.
Although details about the interior were not revealed, Lexus says it has been designed with “a minimalist world view” that enables “intuitive vehicle control” without having to move the driver’s focus from the road or circuit.
The LFA Concept, pictured below, and its two engine-equipped GR sports-car counterparts share the same architecture. Designed to accommodate a range of electrified set-ups or pure internal combustion vehicles, the platform embodies Toyota’s so-called multi-pathway powertrain strategy.
Views from the top
Andrew Davis, Toyota NZ’s chief strategy officer Lexus NZ’s vice-president, says: “The GR GT is a direct dialogue with the road, born from the same spirit as the 2000GT and LFA. It’s proof the lessons learned from every failure and victory are our fuel for what’s next.
“We are excited to see the GR GT3 circuit racing against some amazing global GT3 competition, and thrilled to bring the GR GT here for customers.
“The GR GT is that raw, untamed energy we’re always chasing. It’s a driver-centric machine, engineered for perfect dialogue between driver, car and road. It’s about a visceral connection, a bond forged by pushing the limits together and it looks super cool.”
Details on how the GR GT will be sold and serviced are yet to be determined. Davis says the Toyota Gazoo Racing facility at Hampton Downs Motorsport Park could come into the mix, especially if advance driver training is required.
“We are well-established in New Zealand with GR, and have a custom facility at Hampton Downs with world-class engineering and development talent as well as access to professional driver training.
“Whatever the GR GT customer needs, whether it be car set-up or getting the most out of it we have a team that can meet their needs right here.”
As for the LFA Concept, he says it’s no “science experiment”, but a statement about where performance is heading and how important it is to “preserve the craft of building great cars”.
Davis adds: “The LFA has always represented the pinnacle of what Lexus is capable of. It’s where our engineers push themselves to redefine performance without compromising on design.
“As we celebrate a record sales year in New Zealand, it’s exciting to see the next chapter of LFA take shape as a BEV. The new LFA Concept shows electrification and emotion are not opposites. It shows how performance, craftsmanship and sustainability can progress together.”
