Toyota is a brand that was reborn on June 23, 2009, when Akio Toyoda, great-grandson of the company’s founder, took over as president.
Although Toyota did design and produce a number of iconic sports cars in the late 1990s and earlier (Celica GT4, multiple generations of the Supra, and the sensational 2000GT back in 1967 to name a few). some), it is said to have lost its soul in the 2000s.
Produce an endless line of Camry, RAV4 and HiLux Focusing on numbers above all else, the world’s largest auto company has become synonymous with producing extremely reliable but unattractive vehicles. Oh what a feeling… reliability.
Exceptions such as the Australian-developed TRD Aurion and Hilux are mostly noted.
That all changed when Akio Toyoda took over as president, starting with the Lexus LFA V10 (arguably the best Japanese car ever made) launched in 2011.
It was quickly followed by the first generation Toyota86 in 2012, the superand of course Yaris GR – Toyota’s first fully self-developed sports car in years.
Since taking over, Toyoda has brought the Gazoo Racing division (formerly a skunk production project started in 2007) internally, and the entire company performance division is now racing and producing models under the GR brand. Gone are the days of TRD.
With all that said, did the Toyota of the 2000s manage to shake off its conservative image? Is it really a company of car enthusiasts again?
“Gazoo Racing products help showcase Toyota’s rich heritage in motorsport and racing car development, and create a halo effect for the entire brand,” said vice president of sales, Toyota Australia marketing and franchising Sean Hanley told CarExpert at the recent local launch of the GR Corolla in Melbourne.
“Our company is comprised of car enthusiasts, which is reflected in the cars we sell,” he said.
“The introduction of GR products in Australia demonstrates Akio Toyoda’s vision of bringing fun and exciting cars to life.”
Hanley highlights the fact that Toyota has a rich history in motorsport and performance cars, from its feats in Formula 1 to its current success at the World Racing Championship.
“Our GR cars show that we are a company that is looking to push boundaries and provide the most engaging driving experience possible for our customers,” said Mr. Hanley.
“The GR styling and enhancements have also found their way into our broader model lineup, providing visual enhancements and enhancements to off-road and off-road driving.”
It’s fair to say Toyota Australia underestimated the demand our market would have for GR products, with the original Yaris initially selling for an extremely low price (call it smart marketing, if you will).
The GR Yaris is so popular, Toyota has struggled to keep up with demand. In October of this year, the company announced that it has resumed ordering for the next GR Yaris allocation, which begins on November 10.
At the time of publication, more than 160 examples of this vehicle have been secured to our market for the next 12 months, but still not enough to meet demand. This is a complement to the Corolla 500 GRs due out in 2023.
So the question remains, is Toyota once again a company founded and made for car enthusiasts? Tell us in the comments below.
