Toyota actually desires to construct a kickass GT3 race automotive that can spawn a manufacturing counterpart. However, we’ve heard little concerning the effort within the year-plus since its announcement. No information isn’t all the time good on this enterprise, and typically plans change. Perhaps Toyota shelved the street automotive; it’s not prefer it doesn’t have precedent for that. Thankfully, that doesn’t appear to be the case. The GT3’s nonetheless coming — we’ll simply have to attend just a few extra years for it.
The replace comes from the absolute best supply, that being the director of Toyota’s World Endurance Championship workforce, Rob Leupen. He advised Motorsport.com that it’s unlikely the grand tourer will hit the observe till 2026, and that’s as a result of it takes years to develop and certify a manufacturing automotive. Sure, ready sucks, however that is for an excellent motive. From the article:
It had been thought that the automotive was being lined up for a race debut in 2025, the yr after the WEC is opened as much as GT3 vehicles.
But because of delays to the deliberate launch of the GR GT3-derived street automotive that might be launched to coincide with the race model, Toyota is now focusing on a WEC debut in 2026.
“Everybody knows we are developing a car, and this car will come to race in Europe in 2026,” Toyota WEC workforce director Rob Leupen advised Motorsport.com.
“The date is in alignment with the road car side, which is following the philosophy of Toyota to have a motorsport-bred car on the road. This is moving forward at the moment.”
“Motorsport-bred car on the road” is, after all, music to our ears. One of the large query marks that is still is how the ultimate consequence might be branded. The preliminary idea, with its dramatic front-engine, rear-wheel-drive proportions, was badged a Gazoo Racing product. But after all GR is completely a Toyota factor, and hasn’t actually touched the Lexus marque but. Leupen clarified this, too:
Reports have instructed that the automotive based mostly on the GR GT3 might be badged as a Lexus, which has repeatedly hinted at introducing a successor for the ageing RC F GT3.
Asked whether or not the brand new automotive might be generally known as a Lexus, Leupen replied: “At the moment, it seems to be. It depends on how it develops within Toyota, but at the moment, yes.”
That sounds fairly definitive. At this stage it appears the GR GT3 will find yourself a Lexus, which is sensible taking within the automotive’s phase and the scope of the model. Besides, Toyota has the hypercar effort all to itself anyway, so why not share the racing glory with the remainder of the household? Whatever brand’s above the grille, the corporate appears fairly decided to hold this out to the top. Roll on 2026.
Source: jalopnik.com