Report: More Toyota GR performance cars coming soon

MANILA: High-performance Gazoo Racing (GR) cars will continue to be released under the direction of new Toyota CEO Koji Sato, hinting that the pace of development may even pick up.
In January, Sato replaced Akio Toyoda, the corporation's founder's grandson, who was promoted to chairman, as president and CEO of Toyota Motor Corporation.

Toyoda formed GR and was a steadfast backer of the company's world endurance and rallying efforts in an effort to bolster its technological know-how and demonstrate his abiding passion for automobiles. His job title at the company was "Master Driver," as he was privy over production, development, and production of the brand's performance models he himself was an avid competitor and driver.

Speaking to UK automotive publication Autocar in an interview, since taking the leadership post and following Toyota Gazoo Racing’s one-two finish in the World Endurance Championship race in Spa, Belgium: Sato was quoted as saying: “The Gazoo brand will be acknowledged for the future - and maybe we can even speed it up. “Our Master Driver was also president of the company at the same time as he had a steering wheel in his hand for Gazoo. Now he is only chairman, maybe he will have a lot more time to develop cars for them?”

Current Toyota GR Models

The GR86, Supra, and Yaris are among the Toyota GR models available in the UK, the Philippines, and other international markets, while the company also offers the GR Corolla hot hatch in the US.

Possible Upcoming Toyota Models

The company has been coy about its ambitions for new models in this performance lineup, but it has acknowledged that it is thinking about creating a sportier version of the electric Toyota bZ4X crossover and has openly tested using hydrogen to power combustion-powered sports cars.

 

If given the green light for showrooms, Toyota's 2021 idea for a small, two-seat electric sports vehicle with the GR logo may serve as the halo model for a family of electric sports cars that will rival models like the impending MG Cyberster.

Toyota bZ4X

The vehicle combines bold, contemporary aesthetics with tech-laden features in a highly capable platform, ready to create a whole new impact on the battery electric vehicle (BEV) category. The Toyota bZ4X can travel up to an EPA-estimated range of 252 miles (405 km).

The bZ4X is the first Toyota car to be released under the global bZ series, and more bZ vehicles are planned for the future, with the goal of elevating the BEV category for many years. "bZ," which stands for "Beyond Zero," was created with a human-centric approach in mind, with the goal of providing customers with more than just a mobility solution.

Toyota GR Electric Roadster

A compact, two-seat electric sports car being developed by Toyota may be the first custom-built EV from its Gazoo Racing performance division.

The unnamed coupé, shown alongside 14 other Toyota and Lexus ideas, is comparable in size to Toyota's MR2 sports car, which made its debut in 2007. Former company president Akio Toyoda announced 15 of the 30 new EVs from the brands by 2030.

It is unknown whether Toyota's e-TNGA EV platform, which is used by the bZ4X SUV, might support such a layout. Toyota will undoubtedly choose a rear-driven arrangement in an entry-level electric sports car, according to Autocar, as that platform has only been used in four- and front-wheel-drive configurations thus far.

Given that Toyota has made it clear that its entry-level EVs would prioritize affordability over range, as well as the need to reduce weight, the sports car may be among the first of the company's EVs to acquire a more energy-dense solid-state battery.

Photos from Toyota

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