Toyota’s upcoming GR GT is shaping up to be one of the most difficult new performance cars to get your hands on, and the company appears perfectly happy with that situation. The first allocation of GR GT models headed to the United States is already spoken for, with Toyota planning to bring just 200 to 250 examples stateside during the initial run. Rather than scrambling to increase supply, Toyota says the shortage is intentional. The idea is to keep the GR GT special while putting cars in the hands of enthusiasts who actually plan to use them.

That approach is especially interesting in a supercar market where limited-production models can sometimes become investment pieces before their engines are properly broken in. Toyota Senior Vice President of Automotive Operations Andrew Gilleland has made it clear that the company is trying to avoid buyers who simply want to flip the GR GT for a quick profit or park one in a climate-controlled collection. Gilleland even indicated that he intends to personally speak with GR GT customers before purchases are finalized. It is an unusually hands-on approach for Toyota, but this is also far from an ordinary Toyota.

The GR GT is being treated as a true halo car and a passion project closely tied to Akio Toyoda’s push to give Toyota and Gazoo Racing serious performance credibility at the highest level. Under its long hood sits a newly developed 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 paired with a hybrid system and a rear-mounted eight-speed automatic transmission. Toyota is targeting at least 641 horsepower and 627 lb-ft of torque, placing the GR GT firmly in modern supercar territory. An aluminum-intensive structure, carbon-fiber components, carbon-ceramic brakes, and development closely connected to the GR GT3 race car further reinforce that this is not simply an expensive grand tourer wearing a GR badge.

Pricing remains another piece of the puzzle. Toyota has not announced an official figure, although early expectations have placed the GR GT well into six-figure territory, potentially somewhere around the $300,000 mark or considerably higher depending on final specifications and positioning. At that level, the GR GT will be playing in a neighborhood filled with established exotic brands, making Toyota’s decision to carefully select buyers even more notable. The company is not just selling horsepower here. It is attempting to build a community and reputation around a car that represents the upper limits of what Gazoo Racing can create.

Of course, telling enthusiasts that a desirable performance car is deliberately scarce will not make the buying process any less frustrating. There is at least some hope in Toyota referring specifically to the “first allocation,” which leaves the door open for additional GR GT production later. Global production numbers have not been disclosed, either. Still, anyone hoping to stroll into a showroom and casually order Toyota’s new hybrid V8 supercar may be in for a disappointment. The GR GT was built to be driven hard, and Toyota seems determined to make sure its rare new flagship actually gets the chance to do exactly that.