Toyota president and CEO Koji Sato has suggested that the Gazoo Racing (GR) sub-brand of high-performance will continue to expand its offerings under his leadership, and the pace of development may even increase, reported Autocar.
Sato assumed the role in April this year from Akio Toyoda who took the helm of the company in 2009; Toyoda, who is the grandson of the carmaker’s founder Kiichiro Toyoda, moved to become chairman of the carmaker’s board of directors.
“The Gazoo brand will be acknowledged for the future, and maybe we can even speed it up. Our Master Driver [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?”, Sato said. At present, GR-branded Toyota models include the GR Yaris, GR Corolla, GR86 and GR Supra.
Exact details on future high-performance models to join the GR line-up have yet to be forthcoming, though Autocar reports that the manufacturer is considering a sportier version of its fully electric bZ4X crossover. On the renewable energy front, Toyota has publicly tested hydrogen combustion power in a Corolla that was entered into endurance racing, as well as in a hydrogen GR Yaris demonstrator.
Towards the end of 2021, Toyota presented a range of lifestyle and commercial EV concepts, among these a low-slung sports car of the rear-mid-engined mould akin to the MR2. Bringing this model to life would complete the return of the trio dubbed the “Three Brothers”, the other two models being the Supra and the 86.
Should Toyota’s sports car concept see production reality, it could serve as the brand’s contender in the sports car space among the likes of the upcoming, fully electric Porsche 718 range as well as the upcoming Alpine EV sports car that is being jointly developed with Lotus.
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Make sure GR model doors are safe
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Why don’t promise oil filter that doesn’t leak?
old uncle brand Toyota should adopt CHANGE asap. Japanese car makers are already trailing behind. Still stubborn and refuse to adapt change. The internal combustion engine is DEAD. follow the rest of the world, or be prepared to get oudated, and become obsolete. EV is here, and it will be the major tech for moving consumer vehicles. Fossil burning inefficient engine is dying off. accept that. HURRY UP.
How about recalling Vios and Axia and put the should be there door trim’s notch first.