Toyota’s GR GT3 will initially remain exclusive to the brand’s factory-linked squads for its inaugural full season of competition next year, with non-factory buyers not being able to purchase until the 2028 season begins.
Unveiled at the end of last year, the manufacturer’s new flagship GT3 model is slated to debut in several championships next year, and the car is presently undergoing homologation after an extensive testing program spanning multiple continents.
Plans are underway for entries in the FIA World Endurance Championship, the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, the Nürburgring 24, and SUPER GT in 2027.
Akkodis ASP and Vasser Sullivan will operate the WEC and IMSA programs respectively as they transition from the Lexus RC F GT3, while Rookie Racing and KCMG are set to mount a two-pronged assault on the Nürburgring 24, with the latter returning to the Nordschleife with factory Toyota talent this year.
Rookie Racing is also poised to enter an additional GR GT3 in SUPER GT’s GT300 class.
However, it has now been confirmed that the car will only be offered to prospective customers outside this select group from 2028 onward.
Toyota’s new GT3 flagship has endured a lengthy gestation period, extended further by issues surrounding the production of the chassis for its road-going sibling, which threatened to push back the race debut and were only resolved earlier this year.
Since then, the car has been showcased to the press in greater detail at events such as the Goodwood Festival of Speed and the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion.
Although not yet homologated, the GR GT3’s aerodynamics are now believed to be finalized, with no significant visual changes anticipated ahead of its race debut, which could still come before the end of this year.
Nevertheless, sources have indicated that any early debut would likely occur in either SUPER GT or Super Taikyu, with a start in one of the remaining NLS rounds now considered unlikely despite multiple public test appearances on the Nordschleife this year.
In either scenario, the program would rest with the Akio Toyoda-owned Rookie Racing outfit, which campaigns a Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo in SUPER GT’s lower GT300 division for Hiroaki Ishiura and Tokiya Suzuki, with an aim toward eventually switching to the GR GT3.
K-tunes Racing and Shade Racing, operators of the RC F GT3 in SUPER GT, have signaled an intention to move to the new model once it becomes available to customers, while GT500 titan TOM’S is also said to be evaluating a purchase.
