Brand-new Toyota GR GT3: What are the chances of it competing in the DTM in 2027?

Toyota’s new GT3 racing car is set to make its racing debut soon: what the plans are for the GR GT3 and whether DTM fans can get their hopes up

Following intensive testing over the past few years, the new Toyota GR GT3 will make its racing debut on 7 and 8 November in the Japanese Super GT series and will succeed the Lexus RC F GT3 in 2027. This has been officially confirmed, as the car appears on the entry list and will be competing in a sort of test run outside the main competition.

But what about races in Europe and in the DTM? As early as 31 July, the KCMG team completed a Nordschleife test ahead of NLS7 with the new car, which is powered by a four-litre V8 twin-turbo engine. The Hong Kong-based team will field the car at the Nürburgring in 2027.

Fans can also look forward to seeing the new turbocharged car in the World Endurance Championship (WEC): the experienced ASP team, which has fielded the Lexus for the past two years, will be entering two new Toyota GR GT3s.

“Not until 2028 at the earliest”: Why the car won’t be racing in the DTM

In the DTM, however, it does not look as though the car will be competing in the coming season. “From what I’ve heard from Toyota and Mercedes, it won’t be until 2028 at the earliest,” says ADAC motorsport boss Thomas Voss when asked by Motorsport-Total.com about potential new cars. “There may be test runs in 2027, but probably not in the DTM.”

Toyota’s new GT3 car was homologated by the FIA a month ago and is likely to have reached a very advanced stage of development. This is also evident from numerous images, which point to a technically sophisticated vehicle that is also designed to be user-friendly for customers.

Originally, it seems they had intended to have delivered more cars by now.

What are the prospects for a DTM campaign in 2028?

The Toyota GR GT3 is not expected to be entered in 2027, not only in the DTM but also in the GT World Challenge Europe. However, it looks as though the Vasser-Sullivan team will be fielding it in the US IMSA sports car series.

But is there a chance that the Toyota GR GT3 will be entered in the DTM in 2028? Rumour has it that the Japanese are certainly interested in entering the long-established series with a customer team, but financing will be a key factor.

This is because the total cost of acquiring the new car is not expected to be particularly low. Financial support from Japan is also likely to be limited.