Performance has a name
Many automotive manufacturers have separate arms for their performance oriented vehicles. Mercedes has AMG, BMW has M, Audi has RS and so on. With Toyota, for many years, it was TRD (Toyota Racing Development) which dealt with all their motor sports and performance modification activities globally. TRD now only exists in North America as they have an established name in their market and don't want to adopt the Gazoo Racing name, There is still a small TRD presence in Japan, but they specialise more in the domestic racing series and are not globally active.
Related: Gazoo Racing: Toyota rediscovers their fun side
With Gazoo Racing now being the principle performance arm of Toyota, it made sense that developments made on the track would trickle down into their road cars. For a number of years there was talk of resurrecting a number of their highly desirable 90's sports cars such as the Ceilica and Supra. It would be the Supra that would eventually win out in 2018.
With the triumphant return of the nameplate, it was plain to see that Gazoo was going to have to offer more than just the Supra and thus we now have a line up of GR branded cars to choose from.
GR Parts Line
The GR Line treatment is the entry into the GR lifestyle. This usually entails body and aero kits that lend an air of sportiness to the overall styling of the vehicle. These are purely aesthetic add-ons that have no discernible performance advantages but do look very cool.
Most of the GR vehicles that we have seen thus far in South Arica, have been a mix of the GR and GR S packages.
GR S
This is where things begin to get interesting. The GR S vehicles get suspension upgrades which greatly increase the performance and handling of the vehicle that they are fitted too. In the case of the GR S Hilux, it sees the off-road capability and handling improved. Toyota has revealed plans that will see many of their popular models being given this particular treatment, perhaps hoping to appeal to a wider audience of buyers.
GR
The GR tier sees the engine and associated components being fettled with. GR spec vehicles boast increased horsepower and torque figures as well as the styling and suspension mods. Examples of this are performance oriented vehicles such as the Supra in which most of this is standard but many of Toyota's more standard fare vehicles are being painted with this brush. We are now beginning to see examples slowly emerging from the factory, vehicles such as the C-HR and Corolla, albeit only in Europe for now.
GR MN
GR MN is the top of the pyramid. The vehicles bearing this badging are going to be the most sought after models as they will represent the peak of Toyotas performance offerings. These vehicles benefit from decades of motorsport development and will offer the most dynamic drive and feedback, as we found with the mind bending little GRMN Yaris that we manhandled around a race track .
Wrap it up
Although this information has been available for some time now it would appear that many SA car buyers are still somewhat unsure of what the designations offer and represent. We hope this helps and guides you on your next buying excursion for an upgraded Toyota.
Recommended next:
Celebrating 50 years of Toyota Hilux in South Africa – The Legend 50 and Hilux GR-Sport
