Representing Toyota’s in-house motorsport brand, Gazoo Racing has a long and illustrious history of turning stock, production model cars into high-performance race weapons. However, with the ongoing shift toward an all-electric future, and Toyota’s lineup currently lacking a track-focused EV, the team over at GR have been given the green light to develop an ultra-high-performance GT3 Class concept from the ground up.
Developed for the FIA’s Cup Grand Touring Cars Series — better known simply as the “GT3 Class” — the GR GT3 Concept presumably utilizes an advanced hybrid powertrain, with a pair of exhaust ports set just behind the front wheels that point to an internal combustion engine under the hood. The two-door touring car racer features an ultra-sleek body design with flared, vented fenders that’s complemented via a cutting-edge aero package with a massive, downforce-generating rear wing, a pronounced, boxed rear diffuser setup, and sharp front splitters. Revealed at the ongoing Tokyo Auto Salon alongside new Rally and Circuit packages for the GRMN Yaris, the concept also sports a minimalistic matte black livery, LED lighting all around, and ten-arm wheels with center-locking hubs that are shod in Bridgestone racing slicks.
While there are no plans of putting the concept into production, the GR GT3 is a crucial component in Toyota’s plan to eventually have the state-of-the-art systems and technologies developed for the concept trickle down to production offerings. The finished prototype of the GR GT3 is expected to be completed by the end of the year. We’re also curious to see if this project will result in a full-fledged GT3 class factory race effort from Toyota, though only time will tell.
