- Toyota plans extensive buyer vetting process to prevent GR GTs being flipped immediately.
- Lexus dealers will sell GR GT while specially trained GR experts guide customers personally.
- Hybrid V8 supercar packs over 640 hp and could cost more than $220,000 before options.
Buying Toyota’s upcoming GR GT won’t be as simple as walking into a dealership waving a large checkbook around. Judging from comments made by a Gazoo Racing chief, purchasing the company’s new halo supercar will involve something closer to a cross between a job interview and a therapy session.
The Japanese automaker is preparing launch plans for the 2027 GR GT, a hybrid-powered supercar expected costing well over $220,000. While that price sounds shocking for a Toyota badge, it’s not wildly out of line anymore in today’s performance market. A Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X already starts above $200,000, while Ford’s Mustang GTD is almost twice the price.
Related: Does Toyota’s GR GT Sound Good Enough For A Car That Looks This Wild?
Still, Toyota knows this car occupies entirely new territory for the brand, so it has spent significant time figuring out exactly how the GR GT should be sold and, more importantly, who should actually get one.
Lexus Showrooms And A Friend For Life
“We’ve been studying, and we had to do a lot of homework because, frankly, it’s a customer we’ve never seen in our stores, whether it’s a Toyota or Lexus showroom,” Gazoo Racing Sports Car Program Director Jeff Bal told Autoblog.
The GR GT won’t even be sold through normal Toyota dealerships in America. Instead, Lexus showrooms will handle sales, supported by specially trained “GR Meisters” tasked guiding owners throughout the entire experience.
“The Meister will be the first point of contact; they will hold their hand from start to finish, not just delivery of the car,” Bal said. “They’re a friend for life as long as you have the car.”
Flippers Not Welcome
And Toyota clearly wants owners to have their cars for a long, long time, rather than try to flip them for a huge profit the moment they take delivery.
“There is going to be a lot of vetting,” Bal admitted. “It’s going to feel like an interview process for a customer.”
Also: Toyota GR’s Secret Texas Garage Has Been Preparing Lexus Dealers For Its New Supercar
Bal wouldn’t reveal Toyota’s exact criteria, or whether buyers would be forced to sign a no-flip contract. But he stressed getting the keys will involve more than simply being rich or famous. Apparently influencers hoping to snag one purely for social media content shouldn’t get too excited, but enthusiasts who actually like to put miles on their cars stand a good chance.
A Hybrid V8 Worthy Of The Hype
Underneath all this exclusivity sits an extremely serious machine. The GR GT is expected to produce at least 641 (650 PS) and 627 lb-ft (850 Nm) of torque from a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 paired with hybrid assistance.
It’ll be like nothing Toyota has offered since the V10 LFA so the company has been quietly preparing dealers through its secret Texas-based GR Experience Center, where Lexus retailers learn how selling a six-figure Toyota supercar actually works.
