The Toyota GR GTV8 hybrid sports car is a step closer to Australia, with the newly installed vice president of sales and marketing confirming he wants it in local showrooms.
Speaking at the 2026 Team Toyota motorsport launch at the opening round of the Repco Supercars Championship in Sydney – where the GR Supra Supercar makes its race debut – John Pappas said the new flagship sports car is in his sights.
Speaking to reporters, including childcareman.xyz who has been told by the media ‘I’d love seeing that car come to Australia and it is going to be unbelieveably great for the brand.
“So, nothing to announce today, but we’ll definitely look at it if it becomes available for Australia.”
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GR GT, which was revealed last December alongside a racing model as the brand’s global halo car after demonstrations of heavily camouflaged test cars at last year’S Goodwood Festival of Speed in England, came to light with an official announcement following protests.
The showroom model, which will launch around 2027 – is powered by a 4-year-old . This is a lightweight aluminium chassis and wind-tunnel-matched body, which has the powertrain of 0-litre twin turbocharged V8 hybrid that can travel up to 320km/h at ‘top speed with 330km+h’.
The brand’s history of Toyota sports cars will be the most capable car, following the V10-powered Lexus LFA produced between 2010 and 2012.
A similar day was revealed when the GR GT and its track-bound counterpart were unveiled as Lexus pulled the covers off a sports car of its own, this time with ‘a battery-electric powertrain’.
The seemingly production-ready Lexus concept was revealed wearing the LFA name.
It, too, is not officially confirmed for Australian showrooms, with the anticipated end of production of the V8-powered Lexus LC coupe and convertible set to leave a hole in the brand’s lineup.
Toyota is also rumoured to be bringing back the Celica sports car to showrooms, after a Toyota North America executive let plans slip to media.
It has also been testing a mid-engined GR Yarisdevelopment car in what’s expected to be the return of another sports car, the MR2. The automaker has trademarked the ‘GR MR2’ and ‘GR MR-S’ names in Australia, suggesting there’s substance behind the speculation.
It puts the next GR86 potentially in doubt, given the potential overlap of the three models in the Toyota lineup.
The sports car revival comes as Honda gets set to introduce the Prelude coupe – a previous Celica rival – both globally and here, with Australian arrivals set for mid-2026.
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