Toyoda Halts Production of EV Sports Cars, Prefers the Aroma and Sounds of Gasoline | Carscoops

      Toyota GR emphasizes gasoline-powered performance as the brand’s 'Master Driver' resists the shift to electric sports cars, at least for the time being.

      Akio Toyoda indicated that the future GR lineup will probably not include electric sports cars. The chairman and master driver prefers the experience of gasoline engines over electric vehicles. An electric GR model may only be feasible if Toyota can offer it at a reasonable price.

      Toyota GR is poised to present an exciting lineup of sports cars among mainstream manufacturers, but it seems they will not be entirely electric. Chairman Akio Toyoda has stated that his idea of a sports car is “something with the smell of gasoline and a noisy engine”, indicating that electric powertrains are not being considered for Gazoo Racing in the immediate future.

      Toyoda, the grandson of Toyota Motor Corp. founder Kiichiro Toyoda and informally known as the “master driver”, has the final say on the defining characteristics of Lexus and Toyota vehicles. Under his direction, the company has evolved into a brand that genuinely prioritizes driving enthusiasts.

      He has reinstated Toyota's prominence in motorsports while incorporating elements of rally cars into models like the GR Yaris and GR Corolla. With new models like an MR2 successor, a revived Celica, and a GR-branded supercar on the horizon, Toyoda recently expressed his views on the future of electric performance vehicles.

      No Electric Aspirations, For Now

      In a conversation with Auto News, Toyoda was asked if he could envision Toyota developing an electric sports or race car in the future. His answer was predictably traditional: “There will always be people inside Toyota passionate about developing electric sports cars. But for me as the master driver, my definition of a sports car is something with the smell of gasoline and a noisy engine.”

      These remarks largely extinguish hopes for a production version of the electric Toyota FT-Se concept from 2023, which many believed could signal a new wave of the discontinued MR2. Toyota has kept the dream of reviving the MR2 alive with a mid-engine GR Yaris prototype, which, instead of utilizing an electric powertrain, is equipped with an upcoming turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine.

      An Electric Sports Car Must Be Affordable

      Even with his preference for gasoline engines, Toyoda has not entirely ruled out electric vehicles. He acknowledged that if the right circumstances align, an electric sports car could eventually be viable. However, it must be affordable. “Toyota is a mass-production brand, so we also need to consider affordability, even with BEVs,” he noted. “Once Toyota can offer affordable BEVs, that might be the time when I, as a master driver, will consider introducing a BEV sports car.”

      The master driver is not yet fully convinced about electric race cars, remarking that they are “not exciting,” particularly because they cannot complete a circuit for more than an hour. “The types of races I participate in are primarily endurance races, so with current BEVs, the focus shifts from racing the cars to competing in terms of charging time or battery exchanges,” he explained to Auto News.

      Consequently, he has assigned the responsibility of developing EV race cars to the next master driver, stating that it will be “their job” to take it on.

      Regarding a potential successor, Toyoda admitted that his son, Daisuke, is the better driver. Nevertheless, Akio believes he has the advantage in terms of “seasoning” production models. After refining his driving skills under chief test driver Naruse at the age of 40, Toyoda expressed eagerness to see what his son, who started at a younger age, will contribute. “I look forward to seeing what will happen with someone who began young like Daisuke,” he shared.