Toyota Took a Step Back to Allow GR to Evolve Beyond Toyota | Carscoops
The GR brand is becoming an independent entity, removing Toyota from its name.
This rebranding will commence with the GR GT and is expected to be finalized by January 2027.
The GR Celica and GR MR2 are anticipated to completely eliminate any Toyota branding.
Toyota’s performance division is finally operating independently from the parent company. What started as an internal motorsport initiative has now officially transformed into a separate brand. Toyota Gazoo Racing will now be known simply as Gazoo Racing or GR, a move that has been anticipated since the introduction of the GR GT supercar.
Originally a racing-focused sub-brand, it has evolved into a distinctive high-performance division with its own production portfolio. Gazoo Racing now ranks above the budget-oriented Daihatsu and the main Toyota brand, yet below the luxury Lexus and flagship Century in terms of positioning and pricing.
A New Identity with a Familiar Purpose
According to Toyota, this rebranding reflects a return to Gazoo Racing’s origins, aimed at integrating motorsport engineering with street car development more efficiently. The company views this change as a means to accelerate talent cultivation and facilitate a smoother transfer of technology from the racetrack to consumer vehicles.
Despite the shift, Gazoo Racing will continue to manage customer racing programs, rally entries, and performance road vehicles. More specific initiatives, like factory endurance racing, are being set up as a separate operation under the name Toyota Racing.
The new Gazoo Racing logo will not include the Toyota lettering.
The GR GT supercar will be the first model to completely shed the Toyota badge. A competition variant of this vehicle is also in development, intended for entry into GT3 racing series.
We anticipate that the new branding will be applied to future iterations of the GR Yaris and GR Corolla hot hatches, as well as the future replacements for the GR86 and GR Supra sports cars.
Upcoming Models
In addition to the aforementioned vehicles, Toyota has officially announced the revival of the GR Celica, bringing back a nameplate that has been inactive for twenty years. Furthermore, recent trademark filings and teaser promotions have sparked speculation about a brand-new GR MR2, likely featuring a mid-engine configuration.
According to Toyota, the complete transition of the logo will occur gradually, with the goal set for January 2027. This timeline allows the company to implement updates, facelifts, and refreshed model years that will replace the Toyota emblem with a more notable GR badge across the entire range.
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Toyota Took a Step Back to Allow GR to Evolve Beyond Toyota | Carscoops
The GR brand is now an independent entity, removing Toyota from its name.