Remember that announcement made by Toyota a few weeks back about launching a new sports car line? Well, the Japanese brand has made good on this promise and recently unveiled the Toyota GR sports car series in Japan.
Taking a page from the G Sports (G) conversion series that transforms Toyotas into sportier road-going machines, the GR Series will not only introduce a new line of enthusiast-worthy models, but will offer these in different levels of tune. Just like Goldilocks and the Three Bears, there will be a sporty Toyota that will be mild (GR Sport), just right (GR), and all-out (GRMN).
The GR Sport is for those that want the look and feel of the G Series, with aesthetic upgrades inside and out, plus a few suspension tweaks for a sporty drive. Moving up the ladder, one can opt for the GR, which tunes the suspension even further, along with a few minor powertrain updates. Not too powerful or stiff, though.
Those who want the full monty can go straight for the GRMN treatment. The top-spec GR Series lineup will take the best bits of the lower variants and combine them with engine modifications to give owners the driving pleasure and experience taken from know-how attained from the vaunted Gazzo Racing Masters of the Nurbirgring.
Using the knowledge gained from years of experience in events line the 24 Hours of the Nurbirgring endurance race and the All-Japan Rally Championship, the GR Series will even feature GR Parts to allow current Toyota owners to upgrade their rides. These can be done at GR Garages that aim to give car enthusiasts the true tuning car culture experience.
To kick things off, the GR Series will offer a whole host of Toyotas tuned to suit various tastes. The GR Sport, for instance, will be available for the Prius PHV, Harrier, Mark X, Voxy, and Noah. Folks who know their Toyotas are aware that these are essentially a hybrid, luxury car, and people carrier, respectively.
The Vitz (or Yaris in markets like ours), meanwhile, gets both the GR Sport and mid-spec GR touch. These will be followed next year by the 86 GR, Aqua GR, Sport, and Prius c GR Sport, as well as the hot Vitz/Yaris GRMN that was also unveiled recently in Frankfurt.
The Toyota GR Series will initially be offered in Japan. Good news, however, as the Japanese carmaker plans to market it in other countries as well.
