Glam GT coupe with more kapow than Toyota’s previous ultimate offer, the Lexus LFA, is set to take on NZ roads - and tracks, too.

KIWIS will get to lay hands on the most extreme and most expensive Gazoo Racing car yet, a massively powerful two seater V8 coupe unveiled in Japan today.

The Toyota GR GT road car with a 4.0-litre twin turbo V8 which the make has previously indicated is targeted to deliver a 478kW/850Nm output was revealed in Tokyo today.

Alongside what stands as the first two-seater out of Japan’s biggest brand since the mighty V10-engined LFA that was in production from 2010 to 2012 was a GT GR developed for racing in the FIA GT3 class.

Also shown was a Lexus concept on the same platform, but dropping the internal combustion engine for an electric drivetrain whose details, outputs and potential range remain a mystery.

That car is still being called a design study, rather than a production-bound certainty.

The cited outputs for the GR GT’s engine a 66kW/370Nm more than the 412kW/480Nm on offer from the 4.8-litre petrol run by the first LFA.

Toyota New Zealand chief strategy officer Andrew Davis was at today’s event, and comment shared to media from TNZ headquarters in Palmerston North, suggests the GR models are definitely coming.

However, TNZ is not yet prepared to say when they might arrive and for how much, with a spokesperson saying: “It is early days on this as the cars have just been announced. We are working through the pricing and timing. We will provide these details as they become available.”

Davis sys details on how the GR GT will be sold and serviced are yet to be determined.

But he has suggested the Toyota Gazoo Racing facility at Hampton Downs Motorsport Park could also come into the mix, especially if advance driver training is required.

“We are well established in New Zealand with GR and have a custom facility at Hampton Downs with world class engineering and development talent as well as access to professional driver training.

“Whatever the GR GT customer needs whether it be car set up or getting the most out of their vehicle we have a team that can meet their needs right here in NZ,” he has related in supplied comment.

The new platform is slightly larger in LFA concept form that with the GR GT. At absolute it measures 4690mm long, 2040mm wide, 1195mm tall, and features a 2725mm wheelbase. That makes it larger in all dimensions, but lower, to the first gen LFA.

TNZ has suggested the GR GT arrives as the performance brand’s new flagship for the road, designed to further Toyota’s mission to make ever‑better, motorsports‑bred cars with obsessive tuning for response, balance and feel.

It says the GT3 will carry that DNA onto the grid as an FIA GT3‑spec customer race car that is “accessible, competitive and built for those who want to win.”

The Lexus LFA Concept points to a BEV sports car designed to exceed expectations, marrying electrification with the tactile purity enthusiasts demand and keeping the spirit of LFA alive for the future.

Davis says the spirit of Toyota’s sports car heritage roars back to life with these cars.

“We are excited to see the race-focused GR GT3 circuit racing against some amazing global GT3 competition, and we are thrilled to bring the GR GT here for customers who want to experience it both on and off the track.

“The GR GT is that raw, untamed energy we’re always chasing. It’s a driver-centric machine, engineered for that perfect dialogue between driver, car, and road.

“This isn’t about passive driving; it’s about a visceral connection, a bond forged by pushing the limits together and it just loos super cool – it’s a privilege to be able to bring this car to NZ enthusiasts.”

As for the LFA concept? Davis seems to be ready to accept it into the fold here, as well.

“As a brand, we’ve entered a pivotal stage. We’ve just achieved record growth here in New Zealand, and this concept shows how Lexus will continue to lead by combining innovation, craftsmanship and driving engagement. LFA Concept is not just about the future of a car. It’s about the future of Lexus.”

He says the car shows electrification and emotion are not opposites.

“It shows how performance, craftsmanship and sustainability can progress together. This is a car created to move people, both literally and emotionally.”