It’s no secret that Toyota has developed a simulated manual transmission for EVs. The automaker showed off a prototype version of the tech fitted to a Lexus last year and this month announced its plans to put the fake gearbox into its next-generation range of EVs, which are scheduled for launch in 2026.
But the story got more exciting today when comments from Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda revealed that Toyota’s Gazoo Racing performance arm had already developed an electric GR fitted with the tech and that he had personally driven the prototype.
“The biggest difference to other BEVs we are developing is that, when you are in the GR BEV, you can actually hear the engine noises, even if you can’t smell gasoline,” Toyota chairman said to Autocar.
“There is also a manual transmission and also a clutch. If you put someone in the car and asked them to drive it and guess the powertrain, they probably wouldn’t be able to tell you.”
Related: Toyota To Debut Manual Gearbox For EVs In 2026
Although Toyoda claimed the GR team was handling the development work, he said the car looked like a regular EV. This means we’re more likely to see the manual technology in an electric equivalent to something like the GR Corolla, or a GR-tuned bZ4x, than a new Supra, 86 coupe, or a new MR2, at least initially.
Toyota engineers have previously said that the fake transmission could even be mapped to simulate a combustion engine stalling if the driver was clumsy with the clutch and gas pedal. And patent documents revealed that the automaker is also planning to use the technology in hybrids as well as full EVs.
Toyota has come under fire for being late to the EV market, and their electric cars that have come through, like the bZ4X, have hit the headlines for their disappointing driving range. They’re also not much fun to drive compared with rivals, but maybe that’s going to change with the next-generation EVs. Being able to offer enthusiast drivers something approaching the experience of piloting a traditional manual car when no other brand can, would undoubtedly give Toyota an edge, especially if the GR team is involved with the engineering.