Akio Toyoda Regrets Lexus LFA’s Rarity, Says GR GT Will Be Different
Toyota wants to reach as many people as possible with the $200,000-plus GR GT.
Toyota isn’t ready to talk volume or numbers yet, but the Toyota GR GT will not be doomed to the same fate as the iconic Lexus LFA.
On Thursday just outside Fuji, Japan at the automaker’s Woven City at the debut of the Toyota GR GT Project Manager Takashi Doi confirmed the GR GT will not be volume limited.
Doi said Chairman Akio Toyoda did not like that the LFA was so limited production. Lexus only built 500 LFAs.
The LFA was described as “out of reach of so many,” by Doi.
And while the LFA won some races in its class, that wasn’t enough for Toyoda, according to Doi.
The goal with the GR GT is to not only dominate on the track but also pass on the fun of driving, the passion, to future generations, according to Doi.
Doi said that the LFA’s price point was also a huge barrier to entry at around $375,000. While Toyota hasn’t released pricing and wouldn’t give a specific number for the GR GT, hints at a price in the neighborhood of $225,000 were dropped.
Toyota won’t say where the GR GT is going to be built, but most of the car is aluminum with only a select set of body panels being carbon fiber. The aluminum chassis is a new trick for Toyota. It’s possible the new sports car will be built at the automaker’s Motomachi plant, which is where the LFA was built after a carbon fiber loom was designed and built for that facility.
It's not the sexiest thing out there but it also isn't ugly. The starting point was function over form. And imo still way better looking than the R35 and NC1.
In recent memory, Dodge tried to spin off SRT into it's own standalone / sub brand and it didn't work out too well. Hopefully Toyota knows what they are doing. To me it just seems like unnecessary addition marketing and confusion. My 2 cents is Toyota should have just sold the GT under the Lexus LFR nameplate as they had trademarked. Keep the Supra, Celica, MR2, and 86 under the Toyota GR badge and maybe have a Lexus version of the upcoming A100, aka SC.
Again, make no mistake. This car exists so Toyota can have a brawler of a GT3 car. They've been hiring for, expanding and working on their customer motorsports interest as well and that is it's own business case there. Audi left a lot of business on the table to mop up and I have no doubt that TGR is going to try to absorb some of that.
Homologtion only requires them to sell 300 units of the street car each year. I'd guess that is their target.
I tell you what the GR GT is the first supercar that I genuinely dream of owning (excluding the classic "i want a lambo" dreams as a child), what an absolutely beautiful car, and I'm so glad Toyota went with a Viper-esque design and layout instead of just trying to make another lambo/ferrari/mclaren clone.