JAKARTA - Toyota's corporate umbrella is widening after separating Century as an independent brand a few months ago. Now, the Japanese automotive giant has inaugurated a major move by making Toyota Gazoo Racing a separate entity with the name Gazoo Racing.
This step has actually been hinted at by Toyota for a long time. For years, the difference between regular Toyota models and the GR performance line has been emphasized.
Now, the strategy has been officially realized with Gazoo Racing positioned above Toyota and Daihatsu core brands. But still below Lexus and Century, which have also stood as independent brands, as reported by Motor1, Friday, January 9.
Century itself is aimed at the ultra-luxury segment, with ambitions to challenge big names such as Rolls-Royce and Bentley. With this new structure, Toyota seems to be building a more segmented and focused brand empire.
The Gazoo Racing separation signal was actually visible before the official announcement. When the GR GT supercar concept was introduced, none of the Toyota logos were visible, both on the exterior and interior.
In fact, the V8-engined model is reportedly not sold through Toyota dealers, but through a number of selected Lexus showrooms. In the future, Gazoo Racing is clearly not just about GR GT.
If the rumor of the MR2 revival becomes a reality, it is likely that the legendary sports car will be born without the Toyota badge. The new generation of Supra, which this time is said to no longer have any connection with BMW, is also projected to enter the GR family.
Meanwhile, the next generation Toyota 86 is rumored to be the entry-level model of Gazoo Racing. In terms of motorsport, the "Racing" identity is still maintained through Gazoo Racing, which will continue to appear in top racing events such as the World Rally Championship, while expanding its focus to customer racing based on production vehicles.
This statement opens up the possibility of the birth of special homologation cars and a more extreme range of performance cars. From a technical point of view, the 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 engine will be exclusive to the GR GT.
However, other GR models are expected to rely on a new 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder engine code-named G20E, which is claimed to be able to produce more than 400 hp. Interestingly, this engine is designed to be flexible and not limited to a front engine configuration.
The concept of the GR Yaris M with a central engine layout is further heating speculation about the return of the MR2. Not to mention the news that dealers in the United States are said to have received a secret preview of the new generation Celica.
If combined with the GR Yaris and GR Corolla, the Gazoo Racing portfolio has the potential to become one of the most exciting performance car lineups before this decade ends. Not stopping at internal combustion engines, Gazoo Racing is also looking at the electrification era.
The concept of a dual-motor FT-Se with all-wheel drive is said to be ready to launch after 2026. In fact, the successor project of the LFA is rumored to be present as a pure electric sports car, without a conventional engine at all.
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