Toyota's NEW GR Racing lineup *YAWN*
 

more non-exciting stuff from the worlds most boring auto maker... guess they didn't bother badging it as Toyota Retarded Development (TRD)


https://jalopnik.com/toyotas-new-jap...lin-1818550202

Akio Toyoda is a man who lives for speed. He’s an amateur racer. He’s the patron saint of the rear-drive 86 coupe. He’s the driving force behind Lexuses that are fast and powerful. He secretly takes old race cars out of the Toyota vault and challenges teens to illegal drift contests. (Okay, not the last one, but I bet he’s considered it.) But he runs Toyota, the most boring automaker around! He has long wanted Toyota to get sexy and thrilling, and the new GR Performance line in Japan is part of that.

And it’s fine! It’s just fine, I guess. If you were expecting Dodge Demon levels of madness, look elsewhere.

In Japan today Toyota unveiled the GR Performance line, short for their in-house motorsports division Gazoo Racing, comprised of tweaks to various models that range from extremely mild to just mild. They come in three levels: the base GR Sport, middle GR, and top-trim GRMN. Parts can also be bought a la carte.

These improvements to cars like the 86, Prius (seriously), Harrier, Mark X, Vitz (the Yaris here) and more include exhaust, brakes, suspensions, interior bits and cosmetic details, but no extra power. Several of these enhancements come to cars not sold in the U.S.

Thrilling stuff! I guess. I can’t be the only one who’s a bit disappointed we didn’t get the full-on hot hatch Toyota Yaris yet, the one we’ve been promised for a while. As it stands here, I’m having a hard time caring about most of this lineup, and even if I did it’s not like I could buy any of them anyway.

No word yet on whether this line of “performance” cars will come to the U.S. market, either as factory or dealer add-ons. I suppose it’s an okay start if Toyota’s serious about making cars more interesting and fun for younger buyers, but this could have gone a hell of a lot better.

We still have the new Supra coming out soon. Let us put our faith in that; let us pray to the speed-gods that it is not bad, but in fact, good.

https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media...dz46sgjjyp.jpg

https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media...btqlg4mq8j.jpg

https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media...np3uwcilt6.jpg

https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media...adnket0epm.jpg

https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media...gvk1yq16oq.jpg

https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media...a1ff3dco9p.jpg

Too bad the Mark X will never exist here because of Lexus, and the fact that the Avalon exists in all its geriatric glory to keep a Toyota badged RWD sedan out of the lineups.

it just looks like a grown-up Scion tC

i prefer the GR bumper on the Vitz over the current facelifted Yaris front bumper. Kinda cool

i saw a bunch of GR stuff at megaweb this past fall. Even though it's basically all just cosmetics, they really set the cars apart from the normal models.

Isn't this kinda like Tom's? But they did super charge stuff

Today I drove a 2017 Corolla and a 2018 Honda CR-V back to back. Oh my god Honda is so far beyond Toyota in terms of design, materials, quality, and what I would perceive as engineers/designers who were passionate. So disappointed in Toyota, hey have fallen a long way

Too bad that Supercharged Yaris is only limited production and in Europe.

Sounds like it would have been a fun lightweight car to toss around.

the Noah looks so cool

Keep in mind though that the 2017 MY design has been out since 2012 and the 2018 CR-V is a whole new generation

This.

There's a six year design gap between the Corolla and CR-V.

be that as it may, i just drove a 2015 civic and 2017 corolla today. and what do you know, the civic still feels way way way better designed and built.

not being bias, ive owned one 1991 integra and a 1990 toyota pickup. family has owned an equal amount of toyota and honda. never really had a bias between them. but the industry i work in allows me to drive 30 different cars a day and the gap between the two brand is as obvoious *as democrats and republicans

I can't be the only one who loves how the GR bodykits make the cars look, especially the vans :badpokerface:

I quite like the aesthetics on the Yaris

https://s3.amazonaws.com/carmudi-blo..._37_s-min1.jpg

they even have dedicated races on this specific trim

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DQ6ll_wXUAAVYzZ.jpg

that last image brought up horror movie level memories of driving the damn vitz in gran turismo on the oval test track.

Would be cool if the GR Yaris was a production model here in NA. Looks pretty nice, and the suspension, interior, and braking package are a bonus.

More FWD 4 cylinder NA "sporty looking" cars? No thanks

https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media...a1ff3dco9p.jpg

Not gonna lie, the best looking one from the line up is the Prius

Something I would never have thought I would say: That Prius and Yaris look really nice.

The Yaris reminds me a lot of the Peugeot 206 GTI.

http://www.evanshalshaw.com/images/e...?view=Standard

I miss the old Toyotas. The 70s,80 and 90s Toyotas were awesome. Anything from 2000 and up is boring. I was at the new Accord launch and I drove the new Camry to compare to the new Accord and it literally felt the same as driving a 2005 Camry. Reliable, Quiet but boring. And if you buy a white one people will flag you down thinking your a Bonny's Taxi.

The Scion brand was a neat idea in the sense of adding a bit more flare to the Toyota brand but it was executed horribly.

now: the Subaru-ish 86, RC-F under Lexus
very soon: Supra successor, with a next-gen MR2/S not that distant it seems

i think Gazoo Racing is replacing TRD?

http://www.evo.co.uk/toyota/13960/ne...latest-details

If only they brought the GRMN Yaris over, I would snag that up so damn quickly.

Basically a FWD Elise drivetrain, same supercharger at least.

Bring back a new IS-F and re-do the Star Trek seats in the GS-F.

Adding trim packages to cars and calling them performance is just a waste of time and effort.