Toyota could introduce GR sedan, electrified sports models

Toyota’s Gazoo Racing skunkworks could be fettling a sedan future, and has still left the door large open for electrification just before 2030.

Bob Carter, executive vice president of sales at Toyota Motor North The usa, informed Motor Trend to “stay tuned” when asked about the risk of a GR-badged sedan.

As for electrification, Toyota claims there’s practically nothing imminent but it’s assessing the likely of potential electrified GR types, with Mr Carter indicating an electrified GR auto could “quite possibly” come in five many years.

“Electrification coming to GR is some thing we’re speaking about. In the lengthy phrase, what is the ideal way to supply what GR is and what does electrification have to do with that,” mentioned Cooper Ericksen, group vice president of solution arranging and strategy at Toyota.

“The crucial is fun to push, lightweight, monitor overall performance, so if we can produce that with an EV, we may well search into that.”

Toyota at present offers each GR and GR Sport-badged versions.

GR vehicles are enthusiast-oriented, dedicated functionality equipment, and include things like the GR 86, GR Supra, GR Corolla and GR Yaris. Toyota claims this year’s GR GT3 principle is also shifting into the progress stage.

In distinction, GR Activity versions element aesthetic and mechanical tweaks but don’t supply any more energy.

Toyota sells GR Sport versions of everything from the Yaris and Prius up to the HiLux and LandCruiser 300 Sequence. It’s also previewed a GR Activity edition of its forthcoming bZ4x electrical crossover.

In contrast, Mr Carter advised the US publication very last calendar year there had been no designs for GR-badged SUVs.

“I never want to reduce everything, but in the beginning no,” said Mr Carter very last yr.

“The significance is exhilarating driving. When you go to SUVs you have greater centre of gravities and it’s just not conducive. Very little is off the table, but initially you can hope it to be a motor vehicle-centered motor vehicle. There is nonetheless a market for that.”

As to what this mooted GR sedan could be, a GR Corolla sedan seems an evident recommendation.

The GR Corolla hatchback, thanks listed here by year’s finish, utilizes the GR Yaris’ turbocharged 1.6-litre a few-cylinder engine but with a lot more ability (220kW) and the very same torque (370Nm), mated with Toyota’s GR-Four variable 4WD procedure.

It’ll be readily available only with a six-speed manual transmission – for now.

Toyota has been testing an 8-pace torque-converter computerized transmission in a GR Yaris, which could give the GR Corolla much more volume charm.

When American fans have been known to appreciate a stick change, incredibly hot hatches are considerably less typical there and a sedan body type could resonate far better.

Motor Pattern also noted the GR sedan could be a GR Camry.

There is precedent for a incredibly hot Camry. In Australia, TRD designed a hotter, supercharged version of the Aurion, as the V6-powered Camry was identified in this article for two generations.

The blown V6 manufactured 241kW of electric power and 400Nm of torque, up 37kW and 64Nm on the already punchy Aurion V6.

Tweaks for the TRD Aurion bundled much larger brakes, stickier Dunlop SP Sport Maxx tyres, stiffer springs and firmer damping, and a 12mm reduced experience peak, even though there was no minimal-slip differential or all-wheel drive method.

Even though the TRD Aurion was unsuccessful, a TRD-badged Camry appeared in North The united states in 2019.

Though its 224kW 3.5-litre V6 is unchanged, it capabilities a cat-back twin exhaust, thicker underbody braces, stiffer coil springs, and specially tuned shock absorbers, among the other mechanical tweaks aimed at supplying it “track tuning”.