Toyota Gazoo Racing
Corporate brand
UnclaimedToyota Motor Corporation's global motorsport division and performance-vehicle brand.
Last updated August 26, 2026
Overview
Toyota Gazoo Racing, commonly abbreviated TGR, is Toyota Motor Corporation's global motorsport division and the umbrella brand for the company's sports, performance and competition-related activities. It operates across circuit racing, rallying, rally-raid, endurance racing, customer competition, driver development, virtual motorsport and the development of road cars designed or tuned with competition-derived engineering. The name is also used by Toyota's performance-oriented GR product family, including the GR Supra, GR Yaris, GR86, GR Corolla and GR GT. The brand's roots lie in Toyota's informal Nürburgring activities during the 2000s. In 2007, a small Toyota team of employees, mechanics and test drivers entered the 24 Hours Nürburgring under the name Team Gazoo. The group was associated with Toyota test driver Hiromu Naruse and Toyota executive Akio Toyoda, who competed under the nickname Morizo. The name Gazoo originated from Toyota's image-focused online portal and initially helped distinguish the amateur project from an official Toyota works team. These early activities emphasized learning through racing, practical engineering and the development of people as well as vehicles. After Toyoda became Toyota's president in 2009, the motorsport program expanded. Gazoo Racing supported Nürburgring development work, Japanese circuit events and the creation of performance derivatives. Toyota also used related labels such as G's, GR Sport and GRMN, the latter referring to vehicles tuned by the Meister of the Nürburgring. In April 2015, Toyota consolidated previously separate Toyota, Lexus and Gazoo Racing competition activities under the Gazoo Racing identity. This created a common global platform for motorsport and performance-car development. The organization was strengthened in 2017 through the creation of the Gazoo Racing Company as an internal Toyota company. Its remit included improving Toyota's racing competitiveness, transferring lessons from competition into road-car engineering and building a more sustainable performance business. The road-car portfolio was reorganized around GR, GR Sport, GR Parts and GRMN labels, while GR Garage locations were introduced through Toyota's dealer network. TGR's international competition programs include the Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team, based in Finland; Toyota Gazoo Racing Europe, headquartered in Cologne, Germany, with additional facilities in the United Kingdom and Finland; Toyota Gazoo Racing South Africa's rally-raid operation; and Toyota-affiliated teams in Super GT, the British Touring Car Championship and other national series. Toyota has achieved major results in the World Rally Championship, the FIA World Endurance Championship, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Dakar Rally and the FIA World Rally-Raid Championship. The road-car side began with the GR Supra in 2019, followed by the Toyota-built GR Yaris in 2020, the jointly developed GR86 in 2021 and the GR Corolla in 2022. These cars differ in configuration and market availability, but share TGR's emphasis on driver involvement, motorsport-inspired chassis development and performance usability. Toyota has also used the GR identity for sport trims and accessories applied to regular production models. In October 2024, TGR entered a technical partnership with Haas F1 Team. The arrangement was presented primarily as a way to provide experience and development opportunities for Toyota drivers, engineers and mechanics, rather than as an immediate return by Toyota as a factory Formula One constructor. TGR therefore combines a competition organization with a product-development philosophy: racing is treated as a means of training people, refining vehicles and supporting Toyota's broader objective of building increasingly capable road cars.
History
Toyota Gazoo Racing developed from Toyota's employee-led Nürburgring activities and later became the company's unified global motorsport and performance-car organization. The earliest widely identified activity occurred in 2007, when a team of Toyota test drivers, mechanics and employees entered the 24 Hours Nürburgring as Team Gazoo. Hiromu Naruse, a Toyota test driver, played a central role in the project, while Akio Toyoda participated as a driver under the name Morizo. The team used relatively modest resources and older vehicles, reflecting its initial role as a practical learning project rather than a conventional factory racing operation. Toyota's previous factory Formula One program operated from 2002 through 2009 under the Panasonic Toyota Racing name. Toyota Motorsport GmbH in Cologne engineered the cars and supplied engines to several teams, but the factory team did not win a Grand Prix. Toyota withdrew after the 2009 season, citing the effects of the global financial crisis on the automotive industry. The Cologne organization later became part of Toyota Gazoo Racing Europe and continued to provide an important technical base for Toyota's motorsport programs. From 2009, Gazoo Racing's activities increasingly connected racing with road-car development. Toyota used the Nürburgring as a test environment for projects including the Lexus LFA and the 86 sports-car program. The stated approach was to train both people and vehicles under demanding conditions, with engineers, mechanics and professional drivers working together. Toyota also created related performance labels, including G's or G Sports and GRMN, while organizing customer and enthusiast events such as 86/BRZ racing and the Toyota Gazoo Racing Festival. In April 2015, Toyota consolidated its Toyota, Lexus and Gazoo Racing motorsport activities under the Gazoo Racing name. The new structure provided a common identity across rally, endurance, touring-car and other programs. In 2017, Toyota created the Gazoo Racing Company as an internal organization, giving the program greater autonomy and a clearer commercial role. Toyota reorganized its performance products around GR, GR Sport, GR Parts and GRMN, and introduced GR Garage locations through dealers. Toyota returned to the World Rally Championship in 2017 with the Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team. The team initially used the Yaris WRC and later adopted the hybrid GR Yaris Rally1 under the championship's new technical regulations. It secured manufacturers' titles and drivers' and co-drivers' championships during the late 2010s and early 2020s. TGR Europe's purchase of the assets of Tommi Mäkinen Racing in 2020 brought the rally operation more directly under Toyota control. In endurance racing, Toyota Gazoo Racing became a major FIA World Endurance Championship entrant. Its TS050 Hybrid achieved multiple 24 Hours of Le Mans victories, followed by the GR010 Hybrid in the Hypercar era. Toyota also competes in the Nürburgring 24 Hours and other endurance events. Rally-raid activities are operated largely through Toyota Gazoo Racing South Africa, working with the company known as Hallspeed, and have produced Dakar Rally and World Rally-Raid Championship success. The GR road-car line began with the GR Supra in 2019. The GR Yaris followed in 2020 and was built at a dedicated production area in Toyota's Motomachi plant, using more manual assembly and experienced technicians. The GR86 arrived in 2021 through Toyota's collaboration with Subaru, and the GR Corolla followed in 2022, with production connected to the GR Factory. Toyota later presented the GR GT as another standalone GR performance model. TGR also expanded into lower formulae and virtual racing. It supports Super GT teams, British touring-car entries, national programs and the Toyota Gazoo Racing GT Cup using Gran Turismo. In October 2024, Toyota and Haas announced a technical partnership covering design, engineering, manufacturing and personnel development. The arrangement was framed as a learning and talent-development initiative rather than an immediate return to Formula One as a Toyota works team. Across these activities, TGR's defining principle remains the use of motorsport to develop people, improve vehicles and strengthen Toyota's performance identity.
- 2024
Haas Formula One technical partnership announced
[1]TGR and Haas agreed to cooperate on technical services and the development of Japanese drivers, engineers and mechanics.
- 2022
GR Corolla unveiled
[1]Toyota presented the GR Corolla, a performance-focused Corolla model aimed primarily at North America.
- 2021
GR86 launched
[1]The second-generation 86 sports car was introduced as the GR86 through Toyota's joint development with Subaru.
- 2020
GR Yaris launched
[1]Toyota introduced the GR Yaris, built at the dedicated GR Factory in Motomachi.
- 2019
GR Supra launched
[1]The GR Supra became the first exclusive GR-branded production car.
- 2017
Gazoo Racing Company is established
[1]Toyota created an internal company dedicated to motorsport, performance vehicles and the transfer of racing knowledge into vehicle development.
- 2017
Toyota returns to the World Rally Championship
[1]The Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team re-entered the championship with the Yaris WRC.
- 2015
Toyota unifies its motorsport identities
[1]Toyota brought Gazoo Racing, Toyota Racing and Lexus Racing activities together under the Toyota Gazoo Racing umbrella.
- 2009
Gazoo Racing expands its development role
[1]Gazoo Racing broadened its Nürburgring testing, motorsport and performance-road-car activities after Akio Toyoda became Toyota president.
- 2007
Team Gazoo enters the Nürburgring 24 Hours
[1]An employee-led Toyota team associated with Hiromu Naruse and Akio Toyoda competed at the Nürburgring under the Team Gazoo name.
Products and positioning
A motorsport-bred performance brand focused on competition, driver engagement, technical learning and the transfer of racing knowledge into production vehicles.
Performance sports car · 2019
GR Supra
The GR Supra is a two-seat sports car and the first production vehicle marketed as an exclusive GR-branded model. It was developed with BMW and shares its basic platform with the BMW Z4. Toyota positions it as a rear-wheel-drive performance car combining modern powertrain and chassis technology with the heritage of the Supra nameplate.
Performance hatchback · 2020
GR Yaris
The GR Yaris is a compact performance hatchback developed with direct influence from Toyota's rally program. It is Toyota-built and assembled at the GR Factory in Motomachi, where more manual production processes and experienced technicians support the model's specialized construction. The car is not sold in every Toyota market.
Sports coupe · 2021
GR86
The GR86 is the second generation of Toyota's 86 sports car. It was jointly developed with Subaru and is produced at Subaru's Gunma manufacturing complex. The model retains a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive sports-car layout and is intended to provide accessible driver engagement rather than the extreme positioning of limited-production GRMN vehicles.
Performance hatchback · 2022
GR Corolla
The GR Corolla is a high-performance Corolla derivative developed primarily for the North American market. It extends Toyota's rally-influenced GR philosophy into a familiar compact-car body style and is produced at the GR Factory alongside the GR Yaris, although the two models have different market footprints.
Performance sports car · 2025
GR GT
The GR GT was presented as a standalone GR-branded performance model. It represents the expansion of the GR identity beyond derivatives of existing Toyota nameplates and is positioned as a flagship expression of Toyota's racing-derived road-car strategy.
Sport trim
GR Sport
GR Sport is the sport-oriented treatment applied to selected existing Toyota vehicles. Depending on model and market, it can include styling changes, chassis tuning, wheels, interior details and other performance-oriented equipment without turning the vehicle into a bespoke GR model.
Limited-production performance conversion · 2009
GRMN
GRMN, derived from Gazoo Racing and Meister of the Nürburgring, denotes highly tuned and generally limited-production Toyota performance vehicles. GRMN products sit above ordinary sport trims and are intended to showcase more extensive chassis, powertrain and driving-dynamics development.
Performance parts and accessories · 2017
GR Parts
GR Parts comprises performance and appearance accessories for Toyota vehicles. The range allows customers to apply motorsport-inspired components and styling to existing models without purchasing a full GR vehicle.
Competition vehicles
Motorsport vehicles
TGR develops and operates competition vehicles including the GR Yaris Rally1 hybrid for the World Rally Championship, the GR010 Hybrid for endurance racing and Toyota-based rally-raid vehicles used in Dakar and the World Rally-Raid Championship.
Marketing campaigns
- 2020Toyota Gazoo Racing GT Cup
Global
TGR used Gran Turismo as a platform for an online competition series that connects Toyota performance branding with esports and virtual motorsport.
Outcome. Expanded TGR's audience beyond physical racing and road-car ownership.
- 2017GR Garage dealer network
Japan · Selected international markets
Toyota introduced GR Garage locations through its dealer network to provide a regional base for performance products, parts, events and enthusiast engagement.
Outcome. Created a retail and community channel for the GR brand.
- 2016Toyota Gazoo Racing Festival
Japan
Toyota used the annual festival and related circuit activities to engage owners, fans and motorsport participants with racing demonstrations, competition vehicles and the GR product identity.
Outcome. Helped build consumer visibility for Gazoo Racing and connect Toyota's motorsport programs with enthusiast activities.
- 2016TGR Corner at Fuji Speedway
Japan
TGR acquired naming rights for the first corner at Fuji Speedway and used the renamed TGR Corner as part of its motorsport branding.
Outcome. Extended the brand into a prominent physical motorsport venue.
Brand decisions
2024
Technical partnership with Haas F1 TeamStrategyBackground
Toyota had left Formula One after 2009, but wanted to provide practical Formula One experience to its people and develop technical and driver talent.
Action taken
TGR and Haas agreed to cooperate on design, technical services, manufacturing and the development of drivers, engineers and mechanics.
Aftermath
The agreement returned Toyota branding and personnel-development activity to Formula One without immediately creating a Toyota factory team.
2017
Creation of the Gazoo Racing CompanyStrategyBackground
Toyota sought to give its expanding motorsport and performance-car work a stronger internal structure and clearer connection to road-car development.
Action taken
Toyota established the Gazoo Racing Company as an internal company and reorganized its performance labels around GR, GR Sport, GR Parts and GRMN.
Aftermath
The organization gained a more independent role and became a major contributor to Toyota's global performance-car strategy.
2015
Unification of Toyota motorsport brandsStrategyBackground
Toyota's motorsport activities had previously operated under several identities, including Toyota Racing, Lexus Racing and Gazoo Racing.
Action taken
Toyota consolidated these activities under the Gazoo Racing umbrella and adopted common visual and organizational branding.
Aftermath
The change created the global Toyota Gazoo Racing identity used across competition, product development and performance vehicles.
Recent events
- 2024
Toyota and Haas announce Formula One technical partnership[1]
M&A
TGR and Haas F1 Team agreed to cooperate on technical, design, manufacturing and personnel-development activities.
- 2022
Toyota unveils GR Corolla[1]
Product launch
Toyota unveiled the GR Corolla, a high-performance Corolla derivative developed primarily for North America.
- 2021
Toyota launches GR86[1]
Product launch · Product generation
The second-generation 86 sports car entered the market as the GR86, developed jointly with Subaru.
- 2020
Toyota launches GR Yaris[1]
Product launch
Toyota introduced the GR Yaris, the first GR-branded model produced by Toyota and assembled at the dedicated GR Factory in Motomachi.
- 2019
Toyota launches GR Supra[1]
Product launch · Product generation
The GR Supra became the first production vehicle marketed as an exclusive GR-branded model.
- 2017
Gazoo Racing Company established[1]
Other
Toyota established an internal Gazoo Racing Company to strengthen the independence of its motorsport and performance-car operations.
- 2015
Toyota Gazoo Racing consolidates Toyota and Lexus motorsport activities[1]
Other
Toyota unified its previously separate Gazoo Racing, Toyota Racing and Lexus Racing activities under the Gazoo Racing umbrella.
Sources4 sources
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