Lexus preparing new GT3 model

Fans of the championship-winning Lexus RC F GT3 model have one more season to enjoy the rumbling V8-powered sedan before its replacement, the dynamic Toyota GT3 GR-based coupe, is expected to take the baton starting in 2026.

Formal confirmation from Toyota’s luxury and performance brand is the final step in the process.

“We’re working to develop the next generation of sports cars, including a new GT3 race car,” Lexus Motorsports senior manager Jeff Bal told RACER. “At this point in the development stage, we are unable to provide any further details.”

In partnership with the former 3GT team, the RC F GT3 arrived in 2017 and struggled in the hands of Michigan’s 3GT which eventually folded. In the hands of its new and ongoing partner Vasser Sullivan, the sizable car has earned wins at every major IMSA event -- from the Rolex 24 At Daytona to Petit Le Mans -- and captured the GTD PRO title in 2023.

The RC F GT3 also ranks as the oldest model competing in the WeatherTech SportsCar championship, which makes the planned switch to the sleek GT3 GR a timely development. Private videos of the car testing in Europe have been posted in recent months, and while no timetable for the machine’s American testing debut is available, the low-slung supercar -- which is rumored to carry a turbocharged V8 -- is said to be headed to the U.S. early this year to start its IMSA-related development ahead of its racing debut next January in Daytona.