Toyota turns Gazoo Racing into an independent brand
The division of Toyota responsible for high-performance cars is officially moving to a new level within the company. Toyota Gazoo Racing drops the name Toyota and will operate under the name Gazoo Racing or GR for short — a move many expected after the debut of the GR GT supercar.
What is known
Initially, Gazoo Racing was a sub-brand focused on motorsports, but over time it has become a full-fledged division with its own line of sports models. In the updated structure, Gazoo Racing is positioned above mass-market and economy-oriented brands like Daihatsu and Toyota itself, but in status and price, it still lags behind Lexus and the flagship Century.
Toyota explains the rebranding as a return to Gazoo Racing's roots. The company wants to simplify the exchange of technology between motorsports and mass production, as well as accelerate the development of engineering and design teams.
At the same time, the direction of Gazoo Racing will retain its key tasks: customer racing programs, participation in rallies, and the development of road sports cars. More specialized projects, including factory endurance racing, will be spun off into a separate company called Toyota Racing.
The first model to completely drop the Toyota emblem was the GR GT supercar (pictured below). A racing version, which they plan to launch in the GT3 series, is also under development.
The new corporate style is expected to eventually appear on updated versions of the GR Yaris and GR Corolla, as well as on future successors of the GR86 and GR Supra sports models.
Additionally, Toyota has officially confirmed the revival of the GR Celica model — a name not used for almost twenty years. Simultaneously, the company's trademark activity and marketing are fueling rumors about a possible return of the GR MR2, presumably with a mid-engine layout.
The complete transition to the new identity will occur in stages. According to Toyota, the process will be completed by January 2027. During this time, the company plans to synchronize the logo changes with model updates and redesigns, replacing the Toyota emblem with the GR badge across the model line.
Source: Toyota
