Toyota Gazoo Racing is taking a different approach compared to the industry’s shift towards electrification. They plan to focus on internal combustion engines for their performance cars.
GR, Toyota’s motorsport division, builds exciting vehicles under three labels:
- GR: Bespoke performance models.
- GR Sport: Enhanced versions of existing Toyota models.
- GRMN (Gazoo Racing Masters of the Nurburgring): Limited-edition, flagship variants.
While GR Sport includes hybrids like the Corolla Cross and C-HR, there are no pure electric GR models, and electrification hasn’t touched the full-fledged GR range.
Hybrid technology might appear in future hot Toyotas, but according to GR president Tomoya Takahashi, there’s no current plan for an electric GR.
“We want to use internal combustion engines as much as possible,” Takahashi told Australian media.
“There may be a time in the future when engines are banned, but internal combustion engines aren’t bad, the enemy is carbon.
“We are investing in future engines.”
Takahashi highlights that GR prioritizes enjoyment over pure speed, responding to the recent influx of fast electric vehicles.
“Our target is not to make fast cars, it’s to make fun cars,
“There is a difference between a fast car and a good car. We want to make better cars” he concluded.