When it comes to factory-fitted performance enhancements for Toyota vehicles, the Toyota Racing Development (TRD) sub-brand has been well established. Having built engines for the Japanese manufacturer’s racing exploits in its earlier days, TRD has gone on to stamp its name on various passenger vehicle models such as the Camry, Avalon and numerous others.
With the arrival of the Gazoo Racing nameplate on Toyota’s latest performance models such as the GR Supra and the GR Yaris, where does that leave TRD? Both will operate side by side as performance sub-brands for the automaker, said Toyota group vice president for marketing Ed Laukes to Automobile magazine.
Toyota believes that the TRD brand is here to stay with TRD versions of models such as the aforementioned Avalon and Camry, and the addition of the GR brand means that Toyota will be the only major brand in the United States with two distinct performance divisions, Laukes added.
Both performance sub-brands will have to be sufficiently distinguished from each other if this strategy is to work, Automobile noted; where TRD applied developments and refinements to existing models in Toyota’s line-up, models under the GR line-up will remain bespoke, and the GR Supra and the GR Yaris are two examples of building the sub-brand without crossing into TRD territory.
Though the Supra has already entered the US market, the GR Yaris hasn’t followed suit, although Toyota’s product planners are thinking about if it makes good business sense to sell it in the market, Laukes said. One GR model that appears likely to join the brand’s US line-up is the 2.0 litre GR Supra, which has been certified for sale in California, according to Motor Trend.
This four-cylinder Supra will use the B48 engine used in BMWs, and which produces 258 hp between 5,000 rpm and 6,500 rpm, and 400 Nm of torque between 1,550 rpm and 4,400 rpm. These are sent to the rear wheels via an eight-speed ZF 8HP51 automatic gearbox, and offers a 100 kg weight saving over the 3.0 litre GR Supra, says Toyota.
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So to take care of Toyota USA kemaluan terbesar, they separated TRD functions and will be the ‘sporting’ arm of Toyota USA while GR doesn’t exist. Meantime TRD for rest of the world is a joke, a sticker and bodykit maker, and a syiok sendiri own make racing organiser needlessly increasing pollution by burning rubber at empty parking lots turning into ‘race tracks’. And GR in Asia is starting to fall into this category, such kemaluan terbesar from Toyota, TRD, and GR.
Nothing malu. people all around the world look up to those who drive these beautiful toyotas with those TRD stickers.
Nope. People will literally look down upon your car. Hahahaa
In Malaysia, TRD products have been mostly marketed as “add-on visual enhancement” such as bumper, colour scheme trims, kits, stickers. Very little about increase real performance of car.
Toyota is doing shortcuts these days.
I am old school. I prefer the venerated TRD brand rather than the childish and no meaning “gazoo” nonsense.