Does Lexus make race cars?
Lexus does participate in racing, but the race cars are built and run under the Toyota Gazoo Racing umbrella rather than as a completely separate Lexus factory team. The brand develops and supports racing cars such as the RC F GT3 and LC500 GT500, and it participates in endurance events through Toyota’s motorsport program.
To understand the question in context, Lexus is the luxury arm of Toyota, and its racing involvement operates within the broader Toyota Gazoo Racing ecosystem. While Lexus-branded road cars inspire performance engineering, the actual race cars are produced and fielded by Toyota’s motorsport division. This article outlines the current racing cars associated with the Lexus name and how they fit into the overall racing program.
Current race cars and programs
Key racing platforms where Lexus has a presence today include GT3 competition with the RC F GT3, the GT500 class in Super GT with the LC500 GT500, and the top-level endurance prototypes run by Toyota Gazoo Racing (GR010 Hybrid) in the World Endurance Championship. These programs show how Lexus participates in both international and domestic racing through the Toyota Racing umbrella.
- RC F GT3 — A dedicated GT3 race car developed for customer teams, built by Toyota’s motorsport operations to compete in major GT championships around the world. The car is sold to and run by private teams, with official Lexus branding often used in marketing and branding materials.
- LC500 GT500 — The GT500-class racing variant used by Toyota/Lexus teams in Super GT in Japan, representing a factory-level commitment to domestic motorsport and highlighting Lexus branding in one of the world’s premier touring-car series.
- GR010 Hybrid (Toyota Gazoo Racing LMH) — The top-level endurance racer fielded by Toyota Gazoo Racing in the World Endurance Championship and at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. This car is part of the Toyota Gazoo Racing program; it is not branded as a standalone Lexus factory car, but it sits within the broader Lexus/Toyota performance ecosystem.
These entries illustrate that Lexus is actively involved in racing through the broader Toyota Gazoo Racing structure, with distinct race cars for GT3 and GT500 competition and a separate LMH program for endurance racing.
Historical context and notable moments
Beyond current machines, Lexus’s motorsport footprint has grown through collaboration with Toyota Gazoo Racing, producing racing platforms that transfer technology to road cars and elevate the brand’s performance image. The following milestones reflect the brand’s ongoing commitment to racing under the Toyota umbrella.
- Development of the RC F GT3, enabling customer teams to compete in international GT championships with a Lexus-branded machine supported by Toyota’s engineering.
- Entry of the LC500 GT500 into Super GT, marking a sustained factory-like presence of Lexus in Japan’s premier touring-car series.
- Participation of Toyota Gazoo Racing in endurance racing with LMH-class prototypes (GR010 Hybrid) at Le Mans and in the World Endurance Championship, demonstrating the broader performance collaboration across Toyota’s racing programs.
These milestones show how Lexus leverages the Toyota Gazoo Racing framework to compete at the highest levels of sportscar racing while maintaining its distinctive brand identity on road cars and in marketing.
Summary
In short, Lexus does make race cars in the sense that it participates in motorsport through Toyota Gazoo Racing, develops and supports race cars such as the RC F GT3 and LC500 GT500, and competes in endurance racing via the LMH program under the Toyota umbrella. The top-tier prototype machines are built by Toyota’s racing division, with Lexus branding primarily associated with GT racing and road-car performance technology rather than as a standalone independent Lexus factory team.
