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.
“I’d love to see that car come to Australia, it is going to be unbelievably great for the brand,” Mr Pappas told media, including CarExpert.
“So, nothing to announce today, but we’ll definitely look at it if it becomes available for Australia.”
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After demonstrations of heavily camouflaged test cars at last year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed in England, the road-going GR GT was revealed last December alongside a racing model as the brand’s global halo car.
The showroom model, set to launch around 2027, is powered by a 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 hybrid powertrain and uses a lightweight aluminium chassis and wind-tunnel-tuned body to reach a top speed of 320km/h.
It’s set to be the most capable Toyota sports car in the brand’s history, following in the footsteps of the V10-powered Lexus LFA produced between 2010 and 2012.
The GR GT and its track-bound counterpart were unveiled the same day as Lexus pulled the covers off a sports car of its own, this time using 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. MORE: Explore the Toyota showroom
