With the discontinuation of its Celica and Supra sports cars at the beginning of the millennium, Toyota gave the starting signal for the end of its motorsport activities, which ultimately culminated in its Formula 1 withdrawal in 2009. However, with its boss Akio Toyoda installed at the same time, the Japanese automaker began to rethink its strategy, which was accompanied by a further change in strategy with regard to its motorsport activities. From then on, Toyota again focused more strongly on sports models, which were increasingly associated with the new Gazoo Racing label. After almost a decade and a half, Akio Toyoda, who played a key role in shaping Gazoo Racing, has now placed Toyota's future in new hands. In times of increasing electrification, this naturally raises the question of how this decision is likely to affect the future of Toyota's sports label. But, fans of the GR models can rest easy, because the new Toyota boss will probably have little to shake about the brand's sporty future.
Gazoo Racing Has Deep Roots In The Toyota Group
Two years before Akio Toyoda took over as chairman of Toyota, he founded Gazoo Racing together with in-house racing driver Hiromu Naruse. In the beginning, the team primarily participated in motorsport activities such as the Nürburgring 24-hour race, but was not yet an active part of the Toyota brand universe. This only changed when Toyoda also took over the reins at the Japanese automaker itself in 2009 and from then on increasingly integrated the Gazoo Racing label into the company. This strategy finally culminated in 2015, when Gazoo Racing took over the racing activities of both Toyota and its premium subsidiary Lexus. At this point at the latest, the firm integration of the GR brand into the manufacturer's brand universe started, which could not be reversed so easily. For this reason, it seems more than unlikely that the new Toyota boss could shake this integration of the brand. Gazoo Racing is therefore likely to continue to manage the Group's motorsport activities in the future and thus contribute to the positive development of the brand image.
GR Has Developed Successful Sports Cars
When GR took over the group's motorsport activities, Toyota had virtually no sporty models left in its range that would have been capable of making a lasting impression on the image of the Japanese manufacturer with its long sporting history. From then on, however, Gazoo Racing was given this new role. For the development of road vehicles, the label supplied not only racing data but also feedback from its motorsport activities and thus made a significant contribution to the development of new sporty road models within the Group. This increasing contribution to the Group's success finally culminated in Toyota's decision to elevate GR to its own sporty sub-brand and henceforth to market its own sporty models under this label. The first model from that year was accordingly the GR Supra, followed by the GR86 in 2021 and GR Corolla by the end of 2022. All these models have already contributed to a considerable image boost for the Japanese manufacturer in their short careers to date. So from this perspective, too, it seems unrealistic to part with the successful sporty models and abandon the Gazoo Racing brand again. GR models are therefore likely to contribute to the company's success even in the age of electrification.
The Future Of Gazoo Racing Lies In Electrification And Hydrogen Combustion
The new Toyota boss Koji Sato is now to lead Toyota into the future. In contrast to his racing predecessor, the engineer is clearly more inclined toward electro-mobility. Nevertheless, the two are likely to share a love of motorsport, as Sato was already head of Gazoo Racing in addition to his presidency of Lexus. For this reason, too, GR's electrified future should be secure. Sato also wants to transform the group into a mobility company based on the pillars of electrification, intelligence and diversification. Even if Toyota wants to focus primarily on purely electric vehicles, the manufacturer is also keeping other carbon-neutral drive concepts open for the future. Gazoo Racing could ultimately also benefit from these, as it would not be forced to rely solely on BEVs.
In the sports car sector, in particular, battery-powered drive concepts have one major disadvantage - weight. Although the battery installed in the underbody ensures an extremely low center of gravity, which can significantly increase driving dynamics, it also pushes the weight of sports cars into completely new spheres. What would still be halfway acceptable for models like the Corolla could become an Achilles' heel for new sports cars. A hydrogen combustion engine, such as the one Toyota presented in an AE86 restomod at the Tokyo Auto Salon 2023 at the beginning of the year, could provide a remedy. Alpine took a similar route last year with its Alpenglow concept, which could well indicate a future for this new drive concept. In parallel to the Restomod with hydrogen combustion engine, Toyota also presented the same model as a BEV. For sure. At the latest with this two-pronged approach to future drive options, Gazoo Racing should also be well-equipped for a future in electro-mobility.