- Toyota is limiting the GR GT on purpose to keep flippers out.
- America is expected to get only 200 to 250 examples in total.
- A twin-turbo hybrid V8 sends over 641 hp to an eight-speed auto.
Update: Toyota has contacted Carscoops to clarify that Andrew Gilleland’s “sold out” comment referred to the level of interest at The Quail, not a closed allocation. The company says “we have not presold any of the GR GTs,” adding that it recently opened a handraiser page and remains “a ways off from making any decisions about who will be able to buy one.” The story below has been revised to reflect that no cars have been sold and that interested buyers still have a shot at an allocation.
Have you been toying with the idea of upgrading from your Toyota GR 86 or Supra to the new GR GT? Well, if you have, know that the Japanese brand isn’t planning to build enough of them for everyone who wants one, and it says so openly.
Toyota will deliberately undersupply the GR GT, aiming to put cars in the hands of enthusiasts who will drive them rather than speculators who will list them at a markup. The US is expected to get between 200 and 250 examples. Orders have not opened, and no cars have been sold yet.
Read: Toyota’s GR GT Supercar Could Lose Its Roof And Revive A ’90s Name
Photos Toyota
“We’re not going to have enough to meet demand, and that’s by design,” Toyota senior vice president of Automotive Operations Andrew Gilleland told The Drive. “It’s a passion project and was made because Akio [Toyoda] wants a world-class performance car. We don’t want to sell cars to flippers, we only want people who are going to drive it. The first allocation is already sold.” He added that Toyota has yet to say how many GR GTs will be built globally.
According to Gilleland, more than 150 would-be buyers sat down with Toyota staff at The Quail to spec out cars, all before the company opened the order books. “The interest is huge,” he told the outlet. Toyota has since launched a handraiser page to gather names, though it says it remains some way from choosing who gets an allocation.
Earlier this year, Gazoo Racing Sports Car Program Director Jeff Bal said customers have to go through a vetting process before being given the green light to place an order. There’s no word on whether customers will have to sign a contract agreeing not to flip their vehicle within a certain timeframe, but we wouldn’t be shocked if this is one of the many hoops buyers will have to jump through to get behind the wheel.
Photos Toyota
Serving as the halo of Toyota’s performance-focused GR range, the supercar uses a new 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 with hybrid assistance, promising to produce over 641 hp and 627 lb-ft (850 Nm) of torque, mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. Recent reports suggest the car will start at in excess of $220,000, and while that’s a lot of money for a Toyota, it’s not excessive for a limited-run, high-performance sports car like this. The first customer cars are reportedly due to arrive next year.
