If you’ve found yourself growing confused over the number of Toyota models getting the Gazoo Racing (GR) treatment, the automaker is giving it a rest for now, at least as far as the performance releases are concerned.
Australian motoring website Drive quotes Toyota GR 86 chief engineer Yasunori Suezawa as saying that the GR-branded offerings will stop with the second-generation sports car. “There is none left actually, so this [the GR 86] is the last.”
The declaration bucks rumors of a GR sports sedan or a comeback of the iconic MR2. With no additional performance cars in the works for the time being, the GR 86, GR Supra, GR Yaris, and GR Corolla will be carrying the banner for the GR sub-brand’s mid-range tier.
These cars are slotted above the GR Sport range that brings aesthetic and mild suspension updates to standard models, while being just below the GRMN series that are exclusive, track-focused limited-edition offerings.
The current GR 86 could follow its predecessor's 10-year life cycle
Suezawa did mention that Toyota will still beef up its GR Sport range with models such as the Corolla, Yaris Cross, and C-HR.
But the halt in subsequent GR performance releases for the foreseeable future makes rumored models in Japan and the U.S. dubious at best. These include a possible Corolla-based sedan and a compact sports car co-developed with Suzuki and Daihatsu. Even a GR performance SUV has been written off.
As Toyota has not confirmed if the GR performance range is truly complete at this point, there’s still a chance for more models to emerge from its assembly lines by 2025, such as a rumored new electric sports car.
The prospect of a Camry-based Toyota GR sedan is now off the table
The automaker expects the GR Supra to still sell by 2026, at which time the model’s Australian production comes to an end alongside its BMW Z4 platform twin. For the GR86, it could follow the same 10-year life cycle of the first-generation 86, while the GR Corolla and GR Yaris are seen to bow out in their current guises by 2025.
Catch more automotive industry updates at Philkotse.com.