TOYOTA’S V8 THUNDER AWAKENS
GR GT and GT3 Unleashed
Image © TOYOTA
In a bold declaration of intent, Toyota Gazoo Racing has unveiled prototypes of the GR GT and GR GT3, twin racers that signal the brand’s commitment to performance engineering. Echoing the legendary Toyota 2000GT and Lexus LFA, these machines embody a “driver-first” philosophy, honed under the direct oversight of Chairman Akio Toyoda, alongside professional racers and gentleman drivers.
At their core lie three uncompromising principles: an ultra-low centre of gravity, lightweight construction paired with exceptional rigidity, and aerodynamics that dictate form.
For the first time in a Toyota, an all-aluminium body frame underpins both models, combined with carbon-fibre elements for optimal strength-to-weight balance. Power comes from a bespoke 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8, compactly designed with a “hot-V” turbo layout and dry-sump lubrication, allowing the engine to sit low in the chassis.
The road-going GR GT is designed as a street-legal race car, blending track-honed dynamics with daily usability. Its hybrid system integrates a single electric motor and rear transaxle, targeting power output of over 470 kW and 850 Nm torque, with a near-ideal 45:55 weight distribution.
Aerodynamicists shaped the body first for efficiency and cooling before designers refined the aesthetics. The result is striking: a sleek, low-slung silhouette with purposeful intakes and a rear optimised for high-speed stability. Inside, the cockpit prioritises intuition. Controls are clustered around the wheel, displays optimised for rapid glance, and the seating position aligns the driver’s gravity with the car’s for profound unity.
The GR GT3, built to FIA GT3 regulations, strips away compromises for outright competition. Sharing the GR GT’s foundations, it amplifies rigidity and downforce to deliver predictable, confidence-inspiring handling for pros and privateers alike. Toyota promises comprehensive customer support to ensure victories.
Developed through relentless simulation, track testing at venues like the Nürburgring, and real-world road refinement, these prototypes embody Toyota’s tradition of renewal by passing on irreplaceable craftsmanship to the next generation.
Slated for launch around 2027, the GR GT and GR GT3 embody the promise to deliver exhilaration on the street and victory on the track. Toyota’s performance soul burns brighter than ever.
ELECTRIC RESURRECTION
Lexus LFA Concept
Image © LEXUS
Lexus has reignited the legendary LFA name with a stunning battery-electric vehicle (BEV) concept, unveiled alongside Toyota Gazoo Racing’s GR GT and GR GT3. Championed by Chairman Akio Toyoda, this BEV flagship embodies the company’s “Shikinen Sengu” tradition: preserving and evolving irreplaceable car-making craftsmanship for future generations.
Sharing core pillars with its Toyota Gazoo Racing siblings, including a dramatically low centre of gravity, lightweight high-rigidity construction, and aerodynamics-led design, the LFA Concept leverages an all-aluminium frame for exceptional responsiveness.
Its timeless silhouette, first teased as the Lexus Sport Concept at Monterey Car Week and Japan Mobility Show 2025, blends sculptural elegance with purposeful proportions, evoking the original LFA’s sensual grace while embracing BEV packaging freedoms.
The minimalist cockpit prioritises unity with an ideal seating position that fosters instinctive control, and is enhanced with a bespoke steering wheel that allows inputs without hand shifts. Ergonomics concentrates essential functions for blind operation, creating an intuitive extension of the driver’s intent.
This electric successor promises to exceed expectations, fusing motorsport-honed dynamics with emotive design that transcends eras. As Lexus accelerates toward electrified performance, the LFA Concept heralds a thrilling new chapter in which silence amplifies exhilaration, proving the soul of a supercar endures beyond combustion.
REINVENTING THE WHEEL
Peugeot Polygon
Image © PEUGEOT
Peugeot has unveiled the Polygon Concept, a compact, drivable prototype under four metres long that boldly previews the brand’s future from 2027 onward. At its core is the revolutionary Hypersquare, a rectangular steering control paired with steer-by-wire technology, ditching the century-old circular wheel for hyper-agile handling.
No mechanical linkage means effortless low-speed manoeuvres with the slightest of steering input, while high-speed precision comes from variable ratios and filtered feedback. Controls cluster in four corner pods for fingertip access, keeping hands planted on the wheel, or more correctly, the rectangle.
The evolved i-Cockpit projects information onto the windscreen via Micro-LEDs, creating an immersive 31-inch-equivalent display visible externally for animations. Geometric, feline styling features horizontal three-claw lighting signatures, vibrant accents, and endless customisation, from swappable Hypersquare finishes to laser-engraved Goodyear tyres with intelligent SightLine tech.
3D-printed seats with single-piece foam, fewer parts, and modular elements for easy updates complement ample use of recycled materials. Showcasing Urban, Player, and Explorer configurations, the Polygon shows that one car can have multiple personalities.
Debuted first in Fortnite’s Polygon City, Peugeot’s Polygon represents a creative manifesto for driving pleasure, blending agility, personalisation, and innovation in a package that feels refreshingly audacious.
