- Toyota’s US GR GT allocation sold out before a public order was possible.
- America gets between 200 and 250 examples, and Toyota picked the buyers.
- Buyers faced a vetting process, and flippers are the reason it exists.
Have you been toying with the idea of upgrading from your Toyota GR 86 or Supra and buying the new GR GT instead? Well, if you have, we have some bad news for you: the Japanese brand says that all examples heading to the US have already been accounted for.
Toyota has revealed that it will intentionally not build enough GR GT models to meet demand, aiming to ensure they end up in the hands of enthusiasts who will actually drive them, rather than being quickly sold for a profit. The US will receive between 200 and 250 examples, and they’ve already been sold.
Read: Toyota’s GR GT Supercar Could Lose Its Roof And Revive A ’90s Name
Photos Toyota
“We’re not going to have enough to meet demand, and that’s by design,” Toyota senior vice president of Automotive Operations Andrew Gilleland told The Drive. “It’s a passion project and was made because Akio [Toyoda] wants a world-class performance car. We don’t want to sell cars to flippers, we only want people who are going to drive it. The first allocation is already sold.” He added that Toyota has yet to say how many GR GTs will be built globally.
According to Gilleland, over 150 would-be buyers sat down with Toyota staff at The Quail to spec out cars, and that happened without the company officially opening the order books. “The interest is huge,” he told the outlet.
Earlier this year, Gazoo Racing Sports Car Program Director Jeff Bal said customers have to go through a vetting process before being given the green light to place an order. There’s no word on whether customers will have to sign a contract agreeing not to flip their vehicle within a certain timeframe, but we wouldn’t be shocked if this is one of the many hoops buyers will have to jump through to get behind the wheel.
Photos Toyota
Serving as the halo of Toyota’s performance-focused GR range, the supercar uses a new 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 with hybrid assistance, promising to produce over 641 hp and 627 lb-ft (850 Nm) of torque, mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. Recent reports suggest the car will start at in excess of $220,000, and while that’s a lot of money for a Toyota, it’s not excessive for a limited-run, high-performance sports car like this. The first customer cars are reportedly due to arrive next year.