The Breakdown:
- Gazoo Racing has teased it could reveal a mid-engine sports car at the Tokyo Auto Salon.
- Toyota recently spun off GR as a standalone brand after the launch of the GR GT.
- The Tokyo Auto Salon kicks off this weekend.
Toyota officially spun off Gazoo Racing as a standalone brand this week, following the reveal of the GR GT late last year. The Tokyo Auto Salon kicks off this weekend, and GR is holding a press conference where, rumor has it, the company might unveil a special mid-engine sports car.
Gazoo Racing teased the vehicle on social media, and the two-seat mid-engine sports car is one that Akio Toyoda himself bought. It’s unclear exactly what he bought, but it sounds like Gazoo customized the vehicle specifically for the show.
There are rumors that the nascent brand will resurrect the MR2, which would serve the new GR brand quite well. We also know the automaker is preparing a next-generation Supra—and without BMW's help. But, we don't expect to see the Supra return this soon.
Toyota’s decisions to elevate Gazoo Racing to a full-fledged brand means it’ll need several cars to justify its existence—and a certain amount of hype to draw in buyers. A customized mid-engine car owned by the CEO might be the perfect way to show the world what GR intends to become.
We'll know for sure when the Tokyo Auto Salon kicks off very soon.
Motor1’s Take: Toyota has officially launched Gazoo Racing as a standalone brand, and it’ll likely reveal a customized mid-engine sports car owned by Akio Toyoda at this year’s Tokyo Auto Salon. Hopefully, that drums up interest for the company’s latest endeavor.
