Just in time for the 2022 Tokyo Auto salon later this month, Toyota has given us a bit of a teaser, and if the past few years of Toyota teasers are anything to go on, perhaps we should lend them our ears? With exciting products on the horizon such as the new GR 86, the Corolla GR and even an electric sportscar, one wonders what the Japanese brand has in store for us…
The first of the teasers is a side profile of the GR GT3 and all that Toyota has said thus far is that it’s a “racing-dedicated concept car that incorporates the knowledge and refined technologies TGR has gained in the field of motorsports.”
It’s quite difficult to put a finger on this one – the silhouette doesn’t exactly scream Supra or 86, but rather Mercedes-AMG GT. 991 GT3 RS-like front fender vents and the rather large rear wing hint at its racing intentions and while we have no idea what sort of powertrain is likely to be featured here, there’s a good chance that it’ll be a hybrid sort of setup, perhaps borrowed from the GR Super Sport or the GR010 Hybrid.
The other teaser gives us a glimpse into what Toyota call a “fully tuned” GR Yaris, which is hardly a birthday sparkler to start with, something which we confirmed at the 2022 CAR Performance Shootout, too. From the image, we can see what looks like a ventilated carbon fibre hood, a beefy rear wing and a widebody kit.
We know that Gazoo Racing are hardly the sort to make empty promises, so whether it’s more power, less weight, a little more aero or a smidgen more balance, Toyota has our attention and we’re excited to see what they have planned.
And of course, something which cannot be overlooked is Toyota’s GR Heritage Parts division which we have previously reported on in relation to the AE86 Corolla Levin and Trueno, as well as the legendary 2000GT. Their catalogue of new parts for classic cars shas now been extended to include models such as the Land Cruiser 40 Series, expanding the offering to more than just Toyota’s sportscar models.
The 14th to the 16th of January will see the 2022 Tokyo Auto Salon take place in Chiba at the Makuhari Mess convention centre, and we’ll be reporting on all manner of exciting things to surface over the three days.
