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The Toyota GR GT3 concept unveiled at last year’s Tokyo motor show will reportedly spawn a street-legal sports car. Picture: SUPPLIED
The Toyota GR GT3 concept unveiled at last year’s Tokyo motor show will reportedly spawn a street-legal sports car. Picture: SUPPLIED

Toyota will launch a sports car based on the outlandish GR GT3 concept shown at the 2022 Tokyo motor show.

A racing version of the vehicle will make its competition debut in the 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) to replace the ageing Lexus RC F GT3, according to Motorsport.com. WEC rules call for GT3 racers to be based on roadgoing production cars, and it is the street-legal version that will cause excitement among Toyota/Lexus fans. According to Motorsport.com the car might wear a Lexus badge.

“Everyone knows we are developing a car, and this car will come to race in Europe in 2026,” Toyota WEC team director Rob Leupen told 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.”

Such a sports car would give the Japanese firm a potent rival to take on the likes of the Aston Martin Vantage, Lamborghini Huracán and Porsche 911 — the first since the 412kW Lexus LFA, which was produced from 2010-12.

The 285kW Toyota Supra and the 351kW Lexus RC F are the sportiest road cars from the Japanese stable, but they are grand tourers rather than full-blown sports cars.

Toyota hasn’t yet revealed any power or performance specifications of the GR GT3.

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