Lexus will rebrand to Gazoo Racing in IMSA next year to run the GR GT3

It may be long overdue, but Toyota is about to field the coolest GT3 car, if you ask me. Execs have said the GR GT should be on the grid in Daytona in 2027, and the Lexus factory program will be rebranded Gazoo Racing.

When I talked to the Vasser Sullivan Lexus drivers at the Daytona 24 last week, they all seemed rather ready to dispense with the Lexus RC F GT3, which is a platform nearly as old as the DW12 Indy car. I don’t blame them. The success of GT3 as a category is almost impossible to exaggerate, and that has led to a long reign for some of its most glorious examples, as well as compounding gains through multiple evolutions from several OEMs. But it’s time for some new race cars, and we’ll see if it’s Toyota or Lamborghini that kicks off the avalanche.