The Toyota GR GT distinguishes itself from most vehicles, even other sports cars. It was developed with aerodynamic considerations as the foundation before any design elements were introduced. The GT3 race car, which Chairman Akio Toyoda is determined must triumph on the racetrack, is modeled after the street version.
At the launch of the Toyota GR GT this Thursday near Fuji, Japan, Koichi Sugg, the head of Lexus design, shared with The Drive that the GR GT was conceived using a “reverse engineering approach.”
Koichi, via a translator, explained that in the case of a conventional car, the design team starts with a blank canvas and begins creating sketches. Engineers usually provide specifications and dimensions linked to various segments of the vehicle. However, this was not the case with the GR GT.
The aerodynamics engineers approached the design team with a 3D model and a scaled package for dimensions, stating this was the framework they had to work with. The design of the GR GT emerged after the aerodynamic specifications were already established. Koichi noted this required a “reverse engineered approach” that shaped the team’s design lines to guide the air appropriately around the vehicle. The design proportions were also dictated by these requirements due to the engine’s placement behind the front axle and low within the chassis.
“By the time we started, the engineers already had drag and downforce metrics, but those weren’t shared with designers,” Koichi mentioned. The aerodynamics engineers sought to have test drivers operate the prototypes and provide insights without prior knowledge of the specific targets set.
Koichi pointed out that “achieving the airflow into the rear transaxle was incredibly challenging.” The design team utilized feedback from the engineers to rework the airflow to ensure it directed in the right way for effective cooling.
The 2022 Toyota GR GT3 prototype, which previewed the GR GT, featured an enormous rear wing. The current street-legal GR GT has removed this element in favor of a more understated profile, according to Koichi. Aerodynamic requirements still called for a spoiler, prompting the addition of a ducktail, but the design team “integrated the spoiler into the body” for a compact, low appearance, Koichi explained.
That sizable spoiler might return or resemble the spoiler of the GR GT3 race car when another variant of the GR GT becomes available in the future.
Beyond aerodynamics, the team constructed the entire vehicle to ensure it stays low. This includes how occupants are positioned. The H-point for occupants is low, presenting a more race-inspired seating arrangement than any current production Toyota. The digital gauge cluster was even tailored for track use, with brightness and layout refined for optimal visibility. Digital numerical readouts for temperature gauges are easily readable at a glance.
The guiding principle for development? “Drive, break, and fix,” as per GR GT Project general manager Takashi Doi.
Toyota covered travel, accommodation, and raw fish, which I definitely did not consume, to provide you with this firsthand account.
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