Toyota has done a U-turn and now says hybrid or electric technology is coming to its GR performance-car range – eventually.
Toyota says hybrid or electric power will eventually be added to its Gazoo Racing (GR) performance range – after previously saying the fast-car division was exempt from the rollout of the technology.
The Japanese car giant previously said there would be “electrified” versions across its entire model range except Toyota’s GR performance models.
However, in a major U-turn, Toyota Australia sales and marketing boss Sean Hanley told local media attending the launch of the GR Corolla this week: “We’ve made an exception for our GR performance cars, when saying that by 2030 we’ll have an electrified version for every model in our range.
“[But] that doesn’t necessarily mean forever. At some point in the future, Toyota GR cars will embrace the instant torque of electrification and meet the other requirements of enthusiasts – perhaps before 2030, perhaps even after.
Mr Hanley did not specify whether hybrid or electric power would be adopted first in the GR performance-car range.
Reports out of Japan have indicated Toyota is developing a purely-electric GR sports car for launch in Japanese showrooms in 2025 – which could adopt the Supra name, after the current model is phased out mid-decade.
Toyota’s lead engineer for the GR Corolla, Naoyuki Sakamoto, revealed the brand is experimenting with synthetic fuels for its GR performance products, as well as hydrogen as a fuel for existing internal combustion engines.
The news comes as Toyota prepares to roll out hybrid power across its commercial-vehicle line-up, including top-secret plans reported by Drive earlier this week to introduce ‘mild-hybrid’ technology to Australia’s best-selling vehicle, the Toyota HiLux ute.
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