Toyota has finally lifted the wraps off the highly anticipated new halo car that serves as the spiritual successor to the Toyota 2000GT and the Lexus LFA. Featuring a 4-liter V8 paired with a single-motor hybrid system, the GR GT represents “Toyota’s Shikinen Sengu” tradition of renewal and the passing of car-building skills onto the next generation of engineers.

In the Japanese Shinto religion, the concept of the Shikinen Sengu tradition involves rebuilding a Shinto shrine every few decades, which includes not only the shrine itself, but also the furnishings and ceremonial garments within it. As a result, this tradition serves as a platform for artisans from various traditional Japanese crafts to pass their skills to the next generation. The GR GT, GR GT3, and the Lexus LFA Concept together represent “Toyota’s Shikinen Sengu.” The GR GT came into existence thanks to a driver-first philosophy, with engineers listening closely to Master Driver Morizo (AKA Akio Toyoda), Tatsuya Kataoka, Hiroaki Ishiura, Naoya Gamou, and gentleman driver Daisuke Toyoda as they all teamed up to develop this new model.

The GR GT features a front-engine, rear-drive layout, with a focus on lowering the center of gravity that influenced the placement of every component—including the driver themselves—to be as optimized as possible. The newly developed 4-liter V8 twin-turbo engine paired with a single electric motor delivers over 650 PS and more than 850 Nm of torque, routed through a new 8-speed automatic transmission sending all power to the rear wheels.

Holding it all together while maintaining weight as low as possible is Toyota’s first all-aluminum frame, with carbon used in the hood, roof, and other areas to maximize weight savings. The aerodynamics and cooling performance of the GR GT came from a reverse-design approach, where the process began with an ideal aerodynamic form that was then shaped into what the exterior looks like now, as opposed to the traditional method of designing the exterior first.

It is rumored that this new Toyota flagship will likely cost around the $500,000 mark and will be sold via Lexus dealers as opposed to regular Toyota dealers. The first production GR GTs will likely hit streets and highways for the first time in late 2027, with more information about pricing, availability, and performance figures to come very soon.