The Toyota GR GT is set to launch in 2027, with the US being one of its first markets outside of Japan. But before customers can get their hands on the Gazoo Racing supercar, Toyota wants to make sure they’re actually going to drive it, not store it only to sell it for a premium later on.
In an interview with Gazoo Racing sports car program director Jeff Bal, through a report by Autoblog.com, he said that the instruction to find the right customers came directly from Toyota chairman Akio Toyoda himself. No surprise, as this is the same chairman who competed at the Nürburgring 24 Hours and famously tests his own cars.
Bal didn’t disclose Toyota’s criteria for vetting customers, but if we could guess, the brand will likely look at ownership history, participation in track events, and signs that the customer has a genuine passion for cars and driving in general. “We have a long and detailed process of identifying the best qualified customers that fit the task, and place them with one of our ‘GR Meisters’ to start a relationship,” said Bal.
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“It’s not just household income or demographic. It’s not an influencer, so we see the car on their feeds,” he added. “There is going to be a lot of vetting. It’s going to feel like an interview process for a customer.”
The GR GT isn’t looking to be a collector’s car sitting in a garage; the team at Toyota Gazoo Racing has worked too hard for it not to be driven. Besides, with its aggressive seating position and 4.0-liter V8 crackling at the end of every hard acceleration, wouldn’t you want to drive it?
