Toyota’s Gazoo Racing sub-brand is set to expand with the names of the first GR-badged variants of the GT86 and Toyota Yaris being trademarked across Europe, and a Toyota Gazoo-honed GT86 being shown in a social media preview video by Toyota's Spanish arm.
If the trademarks and preview video signify production performance variants, the limited-run Yaris GRMN will be followed by a more mainstream hot hatch offering tweaked by Gazoo Racing, as well as a more hardcore version of Toyota’s GT86 sports car.
Todo es cuestión de la pasión por la velocidad. #GT86 by TOYOTA GAZOO Racing. pic.twitter.com/LYc5OqZo9r
— Toyota España (@Toyota_Esp) September 24, 2018
This development fits with Toyota’s aim to spread the influence of its Gazoo Racing division, with the upcoming Supra being honed by the motorsport sub-brand. Also forthcoming is a GR Sport-badged warm Yaris fitted with sporting styling elements inspired by the limited-run GRMN hot hatch.
It’s almost certain that both GT86 and Yaris models would get uprated power over their cooking variants. It is likely that the Yaris would be slightly tamer than the £26,296, 209bhp and 184lb ft Yaris GRMN. The new preview video's "passion for speed" caption suggests that the GT86 variant would be quicker than the standard model.
The GR-badged GT86 variant trademark comes near the end of the car’s current life cycle. The GR version could therefore be introduced in the second-generation GT86, due soon if the usual seven-year cycle is any guide. This will help to differentiate the car from the mechanically identical Subaru BRZ, produced in a joint venture between the two brands.
Toyota presented a hint at what the next GT86 could look like with a Gazoo Racing influence in the GR HV concept, revealed at last year’s Tokyo motor show. The brand also showed a hypercar concept using the GR badge, named Gazoo GR Super Sport, which is mooted for a motorsport entry after the introduction of the Le Mans hypercar class.
A Toyota spokesman couldn't comment on the trademarks.
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Let’s get things clear a bit...
There are 3 different child companies that are directly responsible for Toyota motorsport.
TRD
TMG
Toyota GAZOO Racing
TRD resides in Yokohama city, developing race cars, (mostly domestic races like Super GT) aftermarket performance parts, body kits and tuned complete models such as GT86 14-R60. They are also secretly responsible for Lexus CCS program
TMG or Toyota Motorsport Gmbh resides in Cologne Germany. Formally known as TTE, they develop exclusively racing car. All Toyota WRC cars and Le Mans cars ever made ared developed in here. All race cars are currently named “GAZOO Racing”, but in reality it’s done by here. As of 2018, they only made one road car, The Lexus LS TMG TS650.
Toyota GAZOO Racing resides in Toyota, Aichi, Founded by Akio Toyoda himself, the GR has kept the closest distance to parent company Toyota than any of the above two. Their racing cars are built by TMG, while the GR road cars are developed by themselves with both feedbacks from TMG and team of Toyota racing drivers.
To sum it up, GR and TRD are completely different companies, with completely different visions, and both have given somewhat of freedom to do whatever they want. It’s like if M and Alpina owned by BMW. That’s why there are both TRD and GRMN GT86, each tuned differently.
P.S Tom’s is not part of the Toyota group, they’re outside tuner specialized for Toyota and Lexus.
Restyle the boring things please
And while they’re at it change the name Gazoo - kind of ridiculous name even Vauxhall's appalling marketing couldn’t come up with.
About time?
Yeah, the GT86 is ripe for some juicy fettling!.
Peter Cavellini wrote:
Please do take the time to read the story behind the development of the GT86/BRZ cars and you will discover why they were never intended to have such treatment meted out to them...
FMS wrote:
please take time to understand that some will want more power, a different suspension setup, there’s nothing wrong with that is there?, the purist will want it as is out of the Box as the maker intended, and that’s fine too, surely you can understand both views....?
Peter Cavellini wrote:
Your original point was to encourage changing the originality of this car and my point is to reiterate that was/is going against, etc, etc. If you want more power, buy something else...more powerful. Do you own a current model, so that your point can be substantiated as an owner?. Understanding your point, as illogical as it is, does not mean it cannot be logically argued against, does it?.