Toyota has recently unveiled the wraps around an amazing machine; the Toyota GR GT3. It is not just a new car but a statement. It is a supercar that combines pure power of a twin-turbo V-8 engine and intelligent design of a lightweight chassis.
Being the offspring of Toyota Gazoo Racing (GR) division, the car is the descender of Toyota 2000GT and the scream of Lexus LFA. It is a model constructed with the sole purpose of being a car that is an ultimate driver automobile that can be driven on the road but would be home on a race track.
We shall discuss what is so special with this high-performance sports car.
Toyota GR GT3 Revealed With Twin-Turbo V-8 and Lightweight Chassis
A great sports car starts with the engine, which the GR GT3 possesses in monster. It has a fresh 4.0 liter twin-turbo V-8 under its long, sleek hood. This is not some ancient engine of another car. Its engineers constructed it on a foundation of power and response by Toyota.
It adopts a design with a hot-V where the turbochargers are stored within the V shape of the engine. This trick provides the engine to react fast once you press the gas pedal. An electric motor also aids this mighty V-8 to develop a hybrid system. They have a combined target of 641 horsepower and 627 lb-ft of torque- and Toyota is even stating that these figures might be or even more.
A new 8-speed automatic transmission transmits all that power to the rear wheels. The result? It was a car that was set out to achieve a speed of over 199 miles an hour and offer acceleration that could make the owner experience a rush.
Power in itself does no good without control. It is then where the second part of the magic takes place, the lightweight aluminum frame. Toyota has also produced a car with an all-aluminum body structure the first time. Consider the aluminum as a powerful metal that is very light unlike the common steel. Making it the main frame will be a huge leap towards ensuring that the car has a low weight.
The doors, hood and roof are constructed of an even lighter and stronger carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP). It is aimed at maintaining the curb weight at 3,858 pounds or lower. That is a quite respectable number of a large, powerful front-engined GT car. This is because of mass centered on low vehicle which assists in speed, handling and braking.
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The Engineering Magic: Light Weight Meets Low Gravity
When it comes to constructing a fast car, it is more than a big engine. The engineers of Toyota worked towards three golden rules to ensure that the GR GT is a car to drive like a dream, that includes low center of gravity, low weight and high rigidity, and excellent aerodynamic features.
Making the Car Feel Planted
It seems as though the sports car is stuck to the road, so low. Partially that is due to a low center of gravity. Toyota went to an extreme to ensure that the center of gravity of the GR GT was brought as low as possible.
They lowered all the car and the seat of the driver. They also placed the heavy V-8 engine and the rear gearbox as low as possible in the chassis. They even came up with a special dry-sump lubrication system in the engine such that it can be sat low. The result? The automobile is firmly planted, assured and willing to wind around corners.
A Frame That’s Strong and Light
It is made of all aluminum space frame, the backbone of the car. This makes the body tight and receptive since it is incredibly strong. This rigidity is important in ensuring sharp handling. It is also light thus assisting in attaining that target weight. It is an ideal display of the high level of engineering that was invested in this project.
Shaped by the Wind
The gorgeous appearance of the GR GT does not only show. In the case of this car, Toyota did something that was unlike. Usually, designers make some beautiful shape and engineers attempt to get it aerodynamic. In the case of the GR GT, they reversed the process.
Their understanding of racing (such as the FIA World Endurance Championship) was first employed by aerodynamics engineers to calculate the optimal form of cut in the air and the cooling of the engine. Next, the designers created the beautiful body on that effective form. This design in reverse form dictates that all curves and vents have their purpose, thus making it a highly aerodynamically efficient car.
Designed for the Driver: Inside and Out
The GR GT is an impressionable product as soon as it comes into sight. It is very long and broad and it is very low to the ground. It possesses a traditional sports car rear-engine front profile with a long hood and a cabin being pushed back leaving a powerful aggressive stance.
It has huge cooling grilles on the front, slight ducktail spoiler on the rear with four exhaust pipes. They say that its functional appearance resembles a Batmobile. It is a design which even when still screams of speed.
A Cockpit All About Control
Take off the door and you will not see a standard Toyota interior. This cabin is all business. It is designed with the ideal driving posture. The seats are also positioned at a low level and the steering wheel and pedals are positioned ideally in a way that a driver feels fully in touch with the car.
The dashboard is driver oriented. Instrumental buttons are placed close to the steering wheel and do not require one to turn the head out of the road. The digital gauges are made in such a way that you can read them in a flash even when running at high speed in a track. It is an ideal combination of sports luxury and race track intentions.
From Street to Track: The GR GT3 Race Car
It is not just the end of the road car story. Toyota unveiled the GR GT and its racing counterpart simultaneously, the GR GT3 racing car. This reveals the actual racing blood of the car even at its inception.
GR GT3 is designed in a manner that it competes in FIA GT3 motor sport one of the most popular professional forms of motorsports in the world. This is the category that you find in such a high-profile race as 24 Hours of Le Mans and 24 Hours of Daytona. It is the place where Porsche, Ferrari, Mercedes-AMG, and Chevrolet cars compete.
The basic front-engine, rear-wheel-drive design of the race car and the basic V-8 engine in the road car are the same. It is naturally adjusted to racing: it is lighter, there is an enormous rear wing, roll cage, and racing tires. Toyota constructed these two cars collectively, thus guaranteeing that the exhilarating experience of the race car is frozen into all the GR GTs that can be purchased to drive the street.
Carrying the Torch: The GR GT’s Special Heritage
GR GT is not coming out of thin air. It is the second chapter in the history of Toyota when it comes to production of incredible sports cars. It is the direct sequel of such classic models as 1960s Toyota 2000GT and 2010s Lexus LFA.
Toyoda refers to this process as the Shikinen Sengu of Toyota, similar to a traditional Japanese ceremony in which a shrine is being rebuilt in order to transmit building knowledge to the generation. In this case, it refers to the old school engineers who were involved in the construction of the legendary LFA transferring their experience to the team that construct the GR GT. They are preserving the secret formula of car-making.
Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda also headed this project and is an excellent driver; he is also a master driver because of his racing name of Morizo. The whole development was driven by his driver-first philosophy. The professional race drivers were also present throughout, as they would test prototypes on some of the most famous world racing tracks such as the Nurburgring in Germany and Fuji speedway in Japan in order to ensure the car is flawless.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the Toyota GR GT hit the sale?
It is still developing the car. Toyota is set to release it in the year 2027. Specifications and prices will not be finalized till near that date.
What will the Toyota GR GT cost?
The price is still a mystery. Nevertheless, it is assumed by the experts to compete with such cars as Mercedes-AMG GT and expensive Porsche 911, which provides a hint that it is going to be an exclusive and high-performance car.
What is Gazoo Racing (GR)?
Gazoo Racing Toysota has its own performance and motorsport division called Gazoo racing. It is like what M would mean in case of BMW or AMG in the case of Mercedes. GR also makes high-performance road cars (such as theGR Yaris andGR Supra) and operates the Toyota racing programs. GR GT is their new flag ship with all the things that they have learnt.
Do you actually drive the GR GT on a daily basis?
Yes! Although it is a track-capable super-car, Toyota made it a grand touring car that can be used on a daily basis. The interior has been crafted around comfort on longer journeys and the company has even taken the car through some tests on the open roads to make it easy to handle and also to be pleasant in normal driving.
What is the received wisdom regarding the GR GT?
Car reporters are thrilled. Top Gear writes that it is its driver involvement, fun and interaction that appears to be high on the list of priorities of Toyota, which is music to their ears. MotorTrend boasts of the recipe of deliciously smoky donuts, burnouts, and drifts on demand courtesy to its rear-wheel drive and huge torque.
