- Toyota confirmed a new V8 powertrain now in active development.
- The twin-turbo V8 will power future GR and Lexus performance cars.
- Toyota’s powertrain boss said it will come in multiple versions.
Toyota isn’t quite ready to say goodbye to gasoline. The brand that made hybrid tech mainstream still has a soft spot for the mechanical rhythm of pistons and exhaust notes. Now it’s doubling down, confirming development of a brand-new V8 engine that will sit at the core of its next performance flagship, the Toyota GR GT3 supercar.
And that’s not all, as a closely related version of the same engine will also feature in the production model of the Lexus Sport Concept, tying together two of Toyota’s most ambitious projects in recent memory.
It’s A Brand New V8
From the early stages of development, it was suspected that the GR-branded flagship model would be powered by a hybrid V8. Toyota recently teased us with an audio clip of the engine’s rumble, and a senior executive has now confirmed what many enthusiasts were hoping to hear: it’s definitely an eight-cylinder.
More: The Lexus LS Has Just Morphed Into A Bizarre Six-Wheeled Minivan
Speaking to media at the Japan Mobility Show, Takashi Uehara, Toyota’s powertrain president, told CarExpert that a new V8 is indeed in development. It will join Toyota’s upcoming lineup alongside turbocharged 1.5-liter and 2.0-liter four-cylinder engines.
According to Uehara, the V8 was chosen for its ability to deliver maximum performance, with a combustion chamber tuned for high revs rather than low-end torque.
Uehara explained that the new powertrain shares its basic architecture with Toyota’s forthcoming turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder. This connection supports earlier reports suggesting a twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 is on the way, one that could deliver more than 800 horsepower.
The output sounds pretty doable, as the four-cylinder engine slated for the new GR Celica promises to deliver up to 400 hp (298 kW / 406 PS) in non-electrified form.
In a separate interview with Road & Track, Uehara noted that while Toyota has experience with electrification in motorsports, he personally prefers non-electrified engines with manual transmissions for road-going sports cars.
Even so, the GR GT3 boasts an automatic gearbox and will most likely employ hybrid assistance to the V8. Unlike the plug-in hybrid setups found in Lamborghini, Mercedes-AMG, and BMW, Toyota is expected to adopt a self-charging solution.
Lexus Will Also Get A Piece Of The Pie
Toyota’s V8 revival won’t be limited to the GR GT3. Uehara confirmed that the same engine, in a different configuration, will also power the production version of the Lexus Sport Concept.
Review: Ten Years On, The V8 Lexus LC500 Still Makes The Future Look Overrated
The low-slung sports car that carries the spirit of the LFA is believed to preview a successor for the soon-to-be-discontinued LC. It was originally unveiled at the Monterey Car Week in California, but a slightly evolved prototype with a full interior was exhibited at the Japan Mobility Show in Tokyo.
Inside, the two-seat cabin features a curved digital cluster and a yoke-style steering wheel. The layout hints strongly at hybrid technology, with the central display showing battery and charge indicators. Initially thought to be all-electric, the production version now appears likely to blend electric assistance with that new V8.
Which One Will Roar Louder?
According to Uehara, there will be multiple versions of the V8: one described as “gentle” and another as “muscular.” Expect the former to power the refined Lexus, while the latter will likely sit under the hood of the hardcore Toyota GR GT3 racer.
More: Toyota Just Put A Date On The Supra’s Goodbye
All eyes are now on December 5, when Toyota will finally lift the curtain on the GR GT3 supercar and, presumably, the full story behind this next-generation V8.
Lexus
