Toyota’s next-generation GT3 race automotive will make its competitors debut in 2026 within the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), timed with the revealing of a road-car counterpart, in accordance with Motorsport.com.
The race automotive, based mostly on the Toyota GR GT3 idea proven on the 2022 Tokyo auto salon, was initially scheduled to start racing in 2025, in accordance with the report, which cites feedback from Toyota WEC group director Rob Leupen. However delays for the street automotive that shall be based mostly on the race automotive meant that needed to be pushed again.
Toyota GR GT3 idea
The Lexus RC F is at the moment homologated for the GT3 class, however the GR GT3 idea supplied a powerful trace that Japan’s largest automaker was planning to re-up in GT3. Patent drawings that surfaced a couple of months after the idea’s debut have been an extra trace that Toyota was transferring forward with manufacturing of the GR GT3.
The GT3 class requires to be based mostly on road-going variations, so a it was inevitable that the GR GT3, which is not based mostly on any present Toyota mannequin, would spawn a street automotive as properly. That street automotive might be badged as a Lexus, permitting the GR GT3 to take over for the getting older RC F. Lexus has additionally proven an electrical supercar idea with proportions similar to these of the GR GT3.
Toyota GR GT3 idea
As for why the GR GT3 is not based mostly on one of many automaker’s present platforms, Toyota beforehand stated it allowed engineers check out new applied sciences for potential use in different road-car and racing packages.
Toyota already affords a Supra GT4 buyer race automotive, in addition to Supra-badged race automobiles for Japan’s Tremendous GT touring automotive sequence. It nonetheless competes within the WEC’s LeMans Hypercar (LMH) prototype class as properly. So the brand new GT3 race automotive will fill within the hole between the lower-level GT4 and touring-car lessons and the prototypes, giving Toyota an entry at almost each stage of sports-car racing.
