TOYOTA GAZOO Racing (TGR) launched today nationwide in Japan “THE OVERTAKE”—a new GR-brand television commercial depicting the GR GT*1—a new GR flagship that was unveiled today—overtaking successive Toyota flagship sports cars. The commercial follows on the heels of the “THE OVERTAKE -NIGHT-” teaser commercial, which had aired since November 27. The new commercial can also be viewed from today on TGR’s YouTube channel.
The GR GT is positioned as a flagship sports car in the footsteps of the Toyota 2000GT and Lexus LFA. It was born from the conviction of Toyota Motor Corporation Chairman Akio Toyoda, aka Master Driver Morizo, that certain car-making skills must be preserved and passed on to the next generation as a symbol of “Toyota’s Shikinen Sengu*2”. The two models are the result of veterans of the development of the Lexus LFA transferring skills and techniques to younger members, the active adoption of new technologies for enhanced vehicle performance, and the taking on of numerous unprecedented challenges.
“THE OVERTAKE” aims to express “Toyota’s Shikinen Sengu”. The television commercial’s production involved filming using a high-speed drone as it pursued in extreme proximity three cars driving together and overtaking one another at high speeds: the Toyota 2000GT “Speed Trial”, which set a new world record*3 for the highest average speed over a distance of 10,000 miles (roughly 16,000 kilometers) in October 1996; the Lexus LFA Nürburgring Package, which is the same-spec vehicle as the Lexus LFA that recorded the fastest time for a production car at the time on the Nürburgring Nordschleife in Germany in 2011; and the GR GT.
Filming also had professional driver and development team member Hiroaki Ishiura behind the wheel of the GR GT.
Furthermore, to create a unique worldview, Takkyu Ishino, who is a leader and innovator in electronic sounds, was commissioned to produce an original score. The result is a musical and visual expression of the spirit of inheritance and innovation being passed down through the ages, embodying the commercial’s theme of Shikinen Sengu. The music was created with a focus on fusing the “wild and energetic groove” of the GR brand and a “powerful rhythm for propulsion into the future”.
A look at the various efforts that went into creating the commercial is presented by “THE OVERTAKE—BEHIND THE SCENES”, which is another video on TGR’s YouTube channel.
*1 The GR GT in the commercial is a prototype. For more information on the GR GT, please see the press releases below.
“TOYOTA GAZOO Racing and Lexus Hold World Premiere of GR GT, GR GT3, and Lexus LFA Concept”
:https://toyotagazooracing.com/pressrelease/2025/1205-02/
“TOYOTA GAZOO Racing World Premieres GR GT & GR GT3”
:https://toyotagazooracing.com/pressrelease/2025/1205-03/
*2 Shikinen Sengu: A ritual in which a Shinto shrine is periodically rebuilt
*3 The Toyota 2000GT set world records in three events (72-hour driving, 15,000-kilometer driving, and 10,000-mile driving) and new international records in 13 events.
The YouTube link for the “THE OVERTAKE” television commercial is as follows:
URL: https://youtu.be/eYfnNoIWvCU
The YouTube link for the “THE OVERTAKE—BEHIND THE SCENES” video is as follows:
URL: https://youtu.be/cGqDpe0wdxk
