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A new V8 Lexus supercar that will rival the likes of the Aston Martin Vantage and Mercedes-AMG GT has been officially shown for the first time.

The GT Concept is the homologated variant of the incoming GT3 GR hardcore racer – itself revealed in concept form in 2022 – and both took to the hillclimb at Goodwood’s Festival of Speed.

The road-going GT3 GR – spotted by spy photographers over the past few months – is likely to wear a Lexus badge, rather than a Toyota one, in keeping with the premium brand’s history of large-engined sports cars, including the LFA, LC 500 and RC F.

As such, it is thought to preview what could be the spiritual successor to the acclaimed LFA – and may take the LFR name.

A production version of the GT Concept (previewed below by Autocar) is likely to hit showrooms at the end of 2026 and will be created because FIA homologation rules dictate that any GT3 racer shares its basic body design with a related road car. Aston Martin, BMW, Ferrari, Ford, Lamborghini, Lexus, McLaren, Mercedes-AMG and Porsche all currently sell GT3 customer cars.

Toyota has previously said it will continue “commercialising motorsports cars rather than simply adapting production vehicles for use in motorsports”, as it did with the rally-honed GR Yaris hot hatchback.

Running up the Goodwood hill, the soundtrack of the GT3 prototype - with a huge rear wing - is unmistakably that of a highly strung V8, but the quieter road car mule suggests it will add some type of hybrid assistance, most likely  to meet ever-stringent emission regulations.

Currently, no GR models use a hybrid powertrain, but the performance division is extensively testing the technology. Speaking to Autocar last year, Hiroyuki Yamada, a GR engineer working on the project, said: “We can use hybrid for future cars. We will use it in our motorsport activities in the future, because of emissions.

“We will apply [this technology] to both motorsport and passenger [car] engines. In the future, we want a more fuel-efficient engine [for GR cars].”

The plan to fit GR models with hybrid power has been long mooted by Toyota. In 2023, chief technology officer Hiroki Nakajima told Autocar: “Hybrid systems are always a good solution for environmental cars, not just for passenger cars but for sporty cars as well.” 

No specifications of the road car have been released yet but the race car will produce around 500-600bhp and weigh no more than 1300kg, in line with GT3 regulations. With the addition of a hybrid system, the road car is expected to produce closer to 700bhp as it vies with with the recently revealed 671bhp Aston Martin Vantage S.

Gazoo Racing boss Masahito Watanabe recently told Autocar that Toyota is pursuing a “multi-pathway” approach for sports cars, rather than investing in all-out electrification. He said: “We still think the internal combustion engine has some potential and, as we do so, we will of course be trying to comply with all the applicable rules according to the regions in each country.

“But we don’t want to give up. It’s not over just yet, because if you look at the internal combustion engine, there’s still hydrogen combustion that can be a part of that zero-emission line-up. So I think that’s going to continue.”

Lexus has retired its RC and LC coupés in Europe and hasn’t officially commented on plans for any replacements, although the outlandish Electrified Sport concept that it revealed in 2021 emphasises its continued commitment to performance cars.

That concept, which is due to reach production by the end of the decade, is electric rather than V8-powered. But it has been confirmed to share its carbonfibre monocoque underpinnings with Toyota’s GR GT3 concept and has a similar cab-rearward silhouette, which suggests the possibility for Lexus to offer two closely related supercars – based on the same chassis but using totally different powertrains – within the next five years.

The Maserati MC20 supercar has a new look and a new name: MCPura.

The Modena firm has subtly revised the design of its five-year-old V6 flagship to keep it up to date with newer rivals like the McLaren Artura, and range-mates including the Grecale and Granturismo.

Revealed at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, the supercar has a new badge that reflects its 'pure' character, according to Maserati. The company said: "We have achieved energy in its purest form: pure speed, pure luxury and pure Italian passion."

While the Ferrari 296 and McLaren Artura use their V6 engines as part of a plug-in hybrid system, the MCPura remains a pure-combustion proposition, with its 3.0-litre Nettuno engine still sending 621bhp and 531lb ft to the rear axle through a Tremec eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox.

Maserati pegs the 0-62mph time at 2.9sec and says it will go from rest to 186mph in just 8.8sec.

There are no significant mechanical changes, but the MCPura has a new front end with a reshaped grille and diffuser modelled on the hardcore MCXtrema track car. A cleaner diffuser design at the rear is in keeping with the model's broadly understated styling – an attribute that, designer Klaus Busse says, has been at the heart of the MC20's appeal

"Its design is not decorative," he said. "It's purposeful. Every line, every element, serves aerodynamic efficiency, cooling and performance - wrapped in elegant restraint."

He added: "This is purity realised."

Meanwhile, there is a new twin-spoke wheel design reminiscent of those fitted to the 1953 Maserati A6 GCS, and new colour options including the flagship Aqua Rainbow - a triple-layer blue-green that changes hue according to light.

There are also subtle updates to the cabin, which now makes much more liberal use of Alcantara and features a new steering wheel inspired by that used in the MC20 GT2 racer - with a flat top and bottom, and the option of LED gearshift indicators.

Both the fixed-roof coupé and Cielo convertible have been revealed ahead of production beginning in September for customer handovers the following month.

Maserati says the MCPura will not be limited in production but emphasises that it will be built to order, with a high level of personalisation meaning no two examples are likely to be the same.

The company will confirm prices nearer to the launch, but the MCPura will command a premium over the previous car, which started from around £230,000.

Maserati will launch extended-range versions of its electric Grecale crossover and Granturismo sports car later this year as part of a push to keep developing and improving its EV line-up.

The Italian firm launched its first two electric cars in 2024, offering EV power in those model lines as an alternative to mild-hybrid and pure-petrol ICE options. It was due to launch an electric Quattroporte this year but delayed that car until later this decade and now says improving its existing EVs and increasing uptake is the priority over launching new models.

Speaking at the unveiling of the new MCPura – the renamed and lightly restyled replacement for the V6-powered MC20 supercar – Maserati engineering boss Davide Danesin said the firm has adjusted its strategy in light of declining demand for premium electric cars and will continue to invest in its existing EVs rather than branching out into new segments.

He said: “Maserati has invested a lot in an electric roadmap in the past years and we produced two wonderful products: the Grecale Folgore and the Granturismo Folgore. Unfortunately, the acceptance from the market of BEV cars is low, so we are also affected, like all the other brands, by the low demand.

“But we developed great technologies in the past years for electrification and I think many of them are going to last. For example, this year, we are releasing the Grecale Folgore in an extended-range version, with additional kilometres of range, and we're going soon to do the same for the Granturismo. We are still developing our battery-electric vehicles to improve performance.”

He did not disclose any details about these extended-range EVs. The Grecale Folgore is currently offered with a 105kWh pack under the floor, giving an official range of 311 miles, while the electric Granturismo’s T-shaped battery has a usable capacity of 83kWh for an official 280 miles.

It remains to be seen whether Maserati will boost the capacity of these batteries to eke out more miles per charge, or whether the duo’s respective range figures will be extended by virtue of efficiency improvements elsewhere. 

Danesin said Maserati will continue to update its electric cars to keep pace with rivals and new technologies: “Of course, on the other side, we need to follow the roadmap of the technology. We know the technology is evolving and we are evolving. 

"We are going to follow the roadmap of cell evolution in the next years to continuously improve our products. Some other technologies that we developed on the current Folgore we are going to further refine and bring on. We are following our internal roadmap of continuous improvement.”

However, there are no plans to resurrect the cancelled MC20 Folgore project for the latest generation of the supercar, now called MCPura. Danesin said: "For the MC20, we took the decision already some time ago to stop the battery-electric version of it because of the situation of the market. 

“We think the current propulsion we are selling on the MC20 is fulfilling perfectly the real request from the market. So I think that we will not go on with any electric roadmap [on the MCPura] for the next few years. Then about the future we will see."

Performance specialist Lanzante has created an homage to the iconic McLaren F1 with its own three-seat supercar, which produces an uncompromising 700bhp per tonne.

Called the 95-59, the limited-run model is a tribute to the Lanzante-run #59 McLaren F1 GTR that won the 1995 Le Mans 24 Hours. The Petersfield-based firm's new three-seat supercar packs 850bhp and 649lb ft from a mid-mounted 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8.

The car is based on the McLaren-built Monocage carbonfibre chassis used by the P1, 720S and Senna, but it has been adapted by Lanzante to accommodate three seats.

Weight has been pared back to 1250kg, aided by the fitment of carbon body panels and, as part of the optional LM30 Pack, a host of weight-reducing features such as forged aluminium wheels, titanium tailpipes and gold-plated heat-shielding.

This gives the three-seater a power-to-weight ratio that is just 39bhp per tonne shy of the new 1183bhp Ferrari F80. It betters the original McLaren F1 by 158bhp per tonne.

The 95-59 sends its 850bhp to the rear wheels via a seven-speed sequential gearbox. An large active wing helps to keep the rear planted at speed and in corners.

While full technical details have yet to be confirmed, the 95-59 is expected to hit 62mph from rest in around 2.5sec.

The supercar, which is making its world debut at this week’s Goodwood Festival of Speed, has been shaped by former McLaren designer Paul Howse.

The Briton oversaw the exterior design of the P1, 570S, 720S and Artura, and many McLaren-esque design elements are evident on the 95-59, especially at the rear.

Key to the design was controlling air flow to improve the aerodynamics, said Howse, which gives the car a “bullet-like” appearance from the side.

Howse said: “I like to think we have created something that is unlike anything else, building its own legacy.”

In keeping with its exclusive positioning, it has been fitted with dihedral doors, similar to those found on hypercars such as the Koenigsegg Jesko.

Inside, the centrally sited driver's seat is positioned in front of a cockpit layout that features physical buttons around and even above the steering wheel. The driver’s display shows only key information.

The two passenger seats are positioned either side of the driver's.

Founder Dean Lanzante said the car “is the result of everything I personally and we, as a business, have learned and experienced over three decades since winning Le Mans”. 

The 95-59 is limited to 59 examples, each priced at £1.2 million (including UK VAT).