Toyota Poised for New Performance Lineup Prior to Supra Successor
Despite having a rich history in motorsports, Toyota is one of the last automakers that springs to mind when you think about present-day performance. But Toyota has been rebranding itself with edgier designs and additional attitude lately. It says it’s ready to bring forth a fully-fledged performance lineup for later this year — perhaps something akin to Lexus’ F cars.
The automaker already offers a performance lineup under its Toyota Racing Development label in North America and Gazoo Racing in Europe and Japan. However TRD has focused largely on off-roading, while Gazoo has trickled in from legitimate racing to develop small G-badged road cars with more moxie and a few extremely limited edition Gazoo Racing Meister of Nurburgring (GRMN) units with engines to match the aggressive visuals.
According to Automotive News, Toyota plans to announce what it calls a “new sports car series” at an event next month in Tokyo. But whether that’s to yield a more hardcore lineup under the Gazoo badge or something entirely new is unknown. The brand has already admitted it would bolster its GRMN offerings earlier this year, meaning September’s announcement could be a showcase of what that will look like.
Presently, Gazoo Racing Meister of Nurburgring has produced limited runs of the 86, Mark X, IQ, and Yaris with performance-enhanced suspensions, wheels, transmissions, engines, seats, and aerodynamics — none of which never made it to North America. That’s a shame because we wondered if a Toyota Yaris with double its current horsepower would have found a niche for itself here.
Granted, what works in the East doesn’t necessarily work in the West and the GRMN vehicles are expensive alternatives to the base equivalent. But, with TRD existing as little more than a way to place factory accessories onto your Tacoma, Tundra, or 4Runner, Toyota’s lack of a true sporting division in the region has become glaring and obnoxious.
The brand’s new line of sports cars will arrive sometime next month, ahead of the much-anticipated successor to the Toyota Supra. Hopefully, one or two of them will make it into America.
[Images: Toyota]
A staunch consumer advocate tracking industry trends and regulation. Before joining TTAC, Matt spent a decade working for marketing and research firms based in NYC. Clients included several of the world’s largest automakers, global tire brands, and aftermarket part suppliers. Dissatisfied with the corporate world and resentful of having to wear suits everyday, he pivoted to writing about cars. Since then, that man has become an ardent supporter of the right-to-repair movement, been interviewed on the auto industry by national radio broadcasts, driven more rental cars than anyone ever should, participated in amateur rallying events, and received the requisite minimum training as sanctioned by the SCCA. Handy with a wrench, Matt grew up surrounded by Detroit auto workers and managed to get a pizza delivery job before he was legally eligible. He later found himself driving box trucks through Manhattan, guaranteeing future sympathy for actual truckers. He continues to conduct research pertaining to the automotive sector as an independent contractor and has since moved back to his native Michigan, closer to where the cars are born. A contrarian, Matt claims to prefer understeer — stating that front and all-wheel drive vehicles cater best to his driving style.
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The grille shape is just nasty. Okay, rectangular has been done before, but this alternative is look-away ugly. What are they thinking?!
Ok I didn't know the GRMN iQ Supercharger existed and that's pretty awesome, that tiny box with 120+ hp and handling enhancements. The G's trim solely seems to be applied to ridiculous vehicles in Japan, such as Priuses, Harrier (Lexus RX analogue) and mini-MPVs with lowered suspension and "sport seats". First course of action should be a Juke Nismo-rivalling ~200hp C-HR with an LSD except without the body kit and preferably without the seats that are somehow even less comfortable than Recaros. Then an iM with the same engine and upgrades.