The new GR GT will pack around 641hpPhoto by Peter LyonIn early 2024, this writer first broke the story about Toyota announcing that the Century would evolve from a single flagship limousine into a standalone ultra-luxury marque and sit above Lexus as Toyota's ultra-luxury brand. This move coincided with the unveiling of the Century SUV in mid-2023, and signaled a significant shift in the company's branding strategy. Rather than simply selling a premium Toyota, Century would stand on its own, much like Lexus had done three and a half decades earlier. After going on sale in Japan, the brand new Century SUV is now on sale in China and the United Arab Emirates.Now Toyota appears to be repeating that playbook—this time at the opposite end of the automotive spectrum.Gazoo Racing, better known simply as GR, is rapidly evolving from Toyota's in-house performance division into what increasingly resembles an independent performance brand. GR was founded by Akio Toyoda, now Toyota's Chairman, in 2007 although it would be more accurate to say it was co-founded by Akio Toyoda and Toyota's legendary master test driver Hiromu Naruse, who became Toyoda's mentor. Their goal wasn't simply to go racing—it was to fundamentally change the way Toyota developed cars.Toyota's chief branding officer, Simon Humphries speaks at the GR GT's launch in Japan in December 2025.Founder of Gazoo Racing, Akio Toyoda, who is the firm's current chairman, spoke at the GT's debut.Gazoo Racing will rival with AMG and BMW's MThe unveiling of the new GR GT flagship supercar is more than the launch of another halo model. It is the clearest indication yet that GR is becoming Toyota's equivalent of Mercedes-AMG, BMW M—or perhaps something even more ambitious.AdvertisementAdvertisementThe clues have been accumulating for several years.Toyota's GR lineup already consists of dedicated enthusiast models such as the GR Yaris, GR Corolla, GR86 and GR Supra. Yet unlike traditional Toyota models with performance variants, these cars are marketed first and foremost under the GR identity. Buyers don't simply say they own a Toyota Corolla—they say they own a GR Corolla.The latest step goes much further.At its December 2025 world premiere, Toyota introduced the GR GT, describing it as the flagship of the GR brand rather than simply another Toyota sports car. Interestingly, the GR GT was devoid of any Toyota badging, pushing the narrative that Gazoo cars are now a standalone brand.AdvertisementAdvertisementDeveloped alongside the GR GT3 customer race car, which debuted alongside its road-going brother, the GR GT embodies chairman Akio Toyoda's long-standing philosophy of creating "ever-better cars" through motorsport. The road-going coupe employs an all-aluminum space frame chassis and an all-new 650hp 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 hybrid powertrain with a single electric motor, as well as aerodynamics developed directly from racing.Equally revealing is Toyota's recent branding decision.In January, the company announced it would officially shorten Toyota Gazoo Racing back to simply Gazoo Racing, explaining that the move reflected a return to its founding principles while strengthening the identity of GR as a motorsport-driven organization responsible for both vehicle development and talent cultivation. That subtle removal of "Toyota" from the division's official name may prove more significant than many initially realized.The parallels with Century are difficult to ignore.The GR GT3 race car (left) and the GR GT supercar (right).GR to follow in Century's footstepsAs mentioned above, Century is no longer marketed as merely Toyota's most luxurious vehicle. It has become an exclusive brand in its own right with its own design language, dedicated showroom spaces and carefully managed customer experience. Likewise, Gazoo Racing is steadily building its own ecosystem—its own logo, motorsport programs, engineering philosophy and increasingly, its own products.AdvertisementAdvertisementToyota has long maintained that motorsport is its ultimate proving ground. GR's mission extends well beyond building fast cars. Engineers rotate through the World Rally Championships, World Endurance Championship, Nürburgring endurance races, Super GT and customer racing programs before applying lessons learned directly to production vehicles. This philosophy has become central to Toyota's corporate identity under Akio Toyoda's leadership. Over the last 19 years, GR has proved its mettle by winning no less than six World Rally Championships, seven World Endurance Championships and four Dakar Rallies.The GR GT features a 4.0-liter V8 twin turbo.The GT's interior gets a sporty two-toned treatmentExpect GR to expand to hybrids, EVs and fuel cell modelsThe obvious question is: what comes next? The GR GT almost certainly won't remain alone for long.Industry observers expect Gazoo Racing to continue expanding its portfolio above today's GR Corolla and GR Supra. The production GR GT3 customer race car will spearhead Toyota's next-generation global GT racing program, while a family of high-performance electrified sports cars appears increasingly likely. Toyota has also hinted that future GR models will embrace multiple powertrain technologies—including hybrids, hydrogen combustion and potentially battery-electric performance cars—provided they deliver the emotional driving experience that defines the brand.There is also persistent speculation that Gazoo Racing could eventually broaden beyond sports cars into high-performance SUVs and trucks, following a path similar to AMG and BMW M. This move would certainly help their brand perception in the US. While Toyota has not confirmed specific future models, the commercial success of performance SUVs elsewhere suggests GR's expansion is unlikely to remain confined to coupes and hatchbacks.The GT will be GR's halo modelPerhaps the biggest difference between GR and many rival performance brands is that it wasn't created by marketing executives.AdvertisementAdvertisementIts DNA was forged on the WRC's muddy rally stages, at Le Mans and the Nürburgring and during all-night endurance races by engineers working alongside professional drivers—and often alongside Akio Toyoda himself under his racing pseudonym, "Morizo." That authenticity has become one of GR's greatest assets.Lexus elevated Toyota into the luxury-car business. Century is redefining ultra-luxury through Japanese craftsmanship. Gazoo Racing now appears poised to become Toyota's global performance marque.If that strategy succeeds, the GR GT may one day be remembered not simply as Toyota's newest supercar, but as the moment Gazoo Racing officially graduated from performance division to a brand in its own right.This article was originally published on Forbes.com
