As motorsport lovers around the globe accelerate their preparations for the absolute highlight of the 2026 WEC season, Toyota Racing is bringing a massive dose of nostalgia to the grid. Both official TR010 Hybrid Hypercars will sport a stunning red livery. It is a breathtaking tribute to a legendary model that etched an indelible mark in racing history: the spectacular, edgy Toyota GT-One (TS020).
While the GT-One never officially stood on the top step of the podium in the late 90s, it became a cult icon that symbolises, still today, the Japanese firm’s absolute obsession with winning the world's most unforgiving endurance race.
The Birth of a Shooting Star
In late 1996, Toyota launched a dedicated programme focused solely on conquering Le Mans. Designed by Toyota Team Europe in Cologne under the guidance of André de Cortanze—the brilliant French engineer behind the Peugeot 905—the GT-One was a masterpiece of rule-bending. With just one road-legal version produced to meet strict homologation requirements, she was, in fact, a purebred prototype disguised as a GT car.
Her sculpted, radical body concealed a ferocious 3.6-litre twin-turbo V8 engine developing between 600 and 650 horsepower. Matched with a six-speed sequential gearbox, the GT-One could fly down the iconic Mulsanne Straight at speeds exceeding 340 kph. Its aggressive, futuristic appearance immediately elevated the car to legendary status before it even turned a wheel in anger.
1998–1999: Blistering Speed and Heartbreak
The GT-One's history is a poignant tale of immense promise and tragic racing luck. In 1998, three cars were entered. They easily stood up to the heavyweights from Mercedes and Porsche in qualifying, but Le Mans is a beast that demands perfection. Mechanical failures forced two cars out, leaving only the #27 car driven by the iconic Japanese trio of Ukyo Katayama, Toshio Suzuki, and Keiichi Tsuchiya to see the chequered flag in 9th place.
In 1999, a regulation shift saw the car adapt into the LMGTP prototype class. Once again, three cars took the start. After the sister cars retired, it was up to the same legendary trio to fight a thrilling, nose-to-tail battle against BMW for the ultimate victory. Tragically, as the race entered its final hours, a high-speed tire blowout deflated all hopes, forcing a long, agonizing crawl back to the pits. Toyota finished in second place, just one lap in arrears.
Yet, the unforgiving nature of that defeat only heightened the car's mythos. Thanks to its striking looks and powerful performances, the GT-One became a global superstar, cemented forever in the hearts of millenials and Gen-Z petrolheads as the ultimate "boss car" in video games like Gran Turismo.
Carrying the Obsession Into 2026
Toyota had to wait until 2018 to finally conquer Le Mans and break the curse, but the obsession with engineering perfection never faded. This year, Toyota Racing revives that beautiful, tragic chapter by cloaking both TR010 Hybrid Hypercars in that emblematic red-and-white livery—reflecting a continuous drive to triumph at the limit of technology.
Wear the History: The Official TR010 Tribute Socks
To celebrate this historic crossover of past and future, we are thrilled to introduce our newest release. Designed in official collaboration with Toyota Racing, these premium socks carry the iconic livery and the relentless engineering obsession of a programme that has spent decades turning motorsport into road car R&D.
The GT-One may have won hearts instead of trophies back in the 90s, but today, you don't have to wait to celebrate its legacy. Step into your passion, support the team, and bring Toyota’s pure racing DNA straight to your feet.
