Here's What GR Means on a Toyota

The Japanese automaker's Gazoo Racing sub-brand may sound strange, but it delivers big driving thrills to the street and the track.

Benjamin Hunting | 

Apr 19, 2024 | 3 min read

Toyota

It's unusual for an automaker to create an all-new performance sub-brand in the modern era — particularly if that company already has an in-house tuning division with a long and distinguished history. And yet, that's precisely what happened with Toyota's Gazoo Racing (GR), which debuted in 2007 as a complement to Toyota Racing Development (TRD).

Toyota's GR is aimed specifically at racing fans and street performance enthusiasts. Here's a look at the origins of the division, the cars that wear the GR badge, and how it compares to Toyota's existing TRD operations.

Toyota

The History of Toyota Gazoo Racing

Unlike other factory-backed performance brands, Toyota's GR has grassroots origins. In 2007 Akio Toyoda — prior to his term as CEO of Toyota — assembled a group of like-minded racing enthusiasts from within the company to compete for the first time at the 24 Hours of Nürburgring. Dubbed Gazoo Racing, or GR, the effort sparked a series of sports-car racing entries under the GR banner, eventually unifying with several other racing teams operated by Toyota and its Lexus luxury brand.

Toyota GR's next step was to form a pipeline to funnel the lessons learned on the race track into the actual production of sports cars sold to customers. By 2017, Toyota GR had become an in-house development center for performance vehicles. Two years later, the GR sub-brand was unveiled to the public with the Toyota GR Supra, which became the standard bearer for a new chapter in Toyota's enthusiast history.

Toyota

Current Toyota GR Models

Introduced as a 2020 model, the two-seat Toyota GR Supra — which shared development with the BMW Z4 — serves as the halo car for Gazoo Racing models.

Originally known as the Scion FR-S, the Toyota GR86 2+2 coupe — and its Subaru BRZ twin — arrived as a 2022 model. GR followed with the turbocharged all-wheel-drive Toyota GR Corolla hatchback for the 2023 model year.

A fourth GR family member, the Toyota GR Yaris, is available in Europe and Asia. Sizewise, the subcompact hatch slots in below the GR Corolla, but it shares many of its mechanical details and was actually unveiled two years before the larger hatch debuted.

Toyota

Toyota Gazoo Racing vs. Toyota Racing Development

Toyota is unique among major automakers in that it divides its motorsports operations along two distinct lines. Gazoo Racing and Toyota Racing Development have operated competitive programs in different series for many years, with TRD dating back to the 1970s. This distinction has continued into the showroom, where current Toyota TRD models are sold alongside GR-badged vehicles.

Where Toyota GR looks to improve the performance of sporty cars, TRD primarily focuses on trucks and SUVs. Popular models such as the Tacoma TRD Pro and the 4Runner TRD Pro are joined by TRD Off-Road and TRD Sport versions, and the Tundra pickup and Sequoia SUV also offer TRD-tuned models. One notable exception is the Toyota Camry TRD, which transforms the mild midsize sedan into a much sportier ride.

Benjamin Hunting

Benjamin Hunting is a writer and podcast host who contributes to a number of newspapers, automotive magazines, and online publications. More than a decade into his career, he enjoys keeping the shiny side up during track days and always has one too many classic vehicle projects partially disassembled in his garage at any given time. Remember, if it's not leaking, it's probably empty.