Toyota will embark on an electric vehicle offensive under new CEO Koji Sato in the late 2020s, but it hasn’t forgotten its enthusiasts either. The company has announced that investing more resources in EVs does not mean the end of its performance-focused Gazoo Racing (GR) sub-brand.
“The Gazoo brand will be recognized in the future. Perhaps we can even speed it up,” Sato told the British magazine. auto car Spectators at the World Endurance Championship (WEC) race at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Belgium. “Our master driver was at the wheel of Gazoo as well as president of the company. Can we spare the time?” he added. , referring to now-retired CEO Akio Toyoda, who spearheaded the launch of the sub-brand.
One thing to note is that his comment contradicts what Yasunori Suesawa, chief engineer of GR86, said last October. there is ” [sic] Since there was nothing left, [the GR86] It’s the last time,” he declared.
It’s too early to say how Toyota will expand its range of GR branded sports cars. A true rally homologation special), the GR Corolla (shares the basic drivetrain with the Yaris; pictured), the GR86 (note the Gap), and the GR Supra. It covers more segments than most of its rivals.
It’s not official, but it’s hard to imagine a Toyota sports car sitting on top of a Supra, and one blank spot in the GR range is the track. Demand for high-performance, off-road-ready pickups is high, and GR could be well-positioned to bring Toyota into this segment. What about his GR development version of the next-gen Tacoma to take on the upcoming Ford Ranger Raptor?Another option is the reborn MR2, but we’ve been hearing rumors outlining the car for over a decade. But it never materialized. And market buyers seeking a relatively affordable high-performance crossover won’t find it in Toyota’s showrooms. This is another hole that must be filled.
GR could also develop battery-powered models or create its own variation of its upcoming EV. An unconfirmed rumor announced in February 2023 claims that the next-generation Supra will switch to battery power. And yet another possibility is a GR-branded model with a hydrogen-burning three-cylinder engine that Toyota has been testing on and off the track for the past few years.
This is all speculation and more details about Toyota’s future plans are expected to emerge in the coming months. In the meantime, one thing is seemingly certain. It’s that the brand, which has unexpectedly become the darling of an enthusiastic community, has no intention of relinquishing this position.
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