Fans of the Toyota Gazoo Racing division will be delighted to learn that more sportscars are coming in the future. Toyota’s new CEO Koji Sato, known for intensifying the role of EVs in the automaker’s range revealed that his predecessor – Akio Toyoda – will now have more time to focus on developing new GR-branded models.
Sato said during an interview with Autocar: “The Gazoo brand will be acknowledged for the future – and maybe we can even speed it up. Our Master Driver (Akio Toyoda) 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?”
Those comments show that the new boss agrees with Akio Toyoda’s strategy towards driver-oriented offerings by the Japanese automaker. After all, Toyoda who is nicknamed “Master Driver”, was the one who initiated the special division, utilizing the motorsport expertise of Toyota engineers to create exciting road cars.
Read: Toyota bZ4X Could Get A Full-Blown GR Variant
Currently, the full-blown GR lineup is limited to the GR Yaris and GR Corolla hot hatchbacks, plus the GR86 and GR Supra sportscars. While Sato didn’t get into specifics about future additions to the range, there are some rumors floating around.
The GR Sports Concept that debuted in December 2021 could preview a lightweight production roadster, either in fully electric form or with a small combustion engine. It has also been reported that Toyota is working on a spiced-up variant of the bZ4x electric SUV with GR badges. Finally, we shouldn’t forget the company’s experimental yet promising projects with hydrogen-fueled combustion engines which are being tested in Yaris and Corolla prototypes.
Last month, the automaker announced its revised electrification plan which brings a lot more emphasis to battery electric vehicles. During that presentation, Hiroki Nakajima, Executive Vice President of Toyota, revealed that the design and driving performance of the next-generation EVs coming after 2026 will “set hearts racing”. This could mean that some will bear the Gazoo Racing emblems, continuing the legacy of the motorsport sub-brand.
