Toyota's GR Sub-Brand Is Committed to Gasoline and Stick Shifts
Toyota currently sells four cars with its relatively new GR performance badge globally, and all four are available with a six-speed manual transmission. That makes Toyota an oddity even among brands selling performance cars — good news for enthusiasts in an era where even BMW's manual transmissions are not expected to be long for this world. Better still, that plan is apparently not going to change any time soon.
According to quotes from Australian Toyota executive Sean Hanley shared by Australia's CarSales, 'combustion engines and manual transmissions will be around for a long, long time' at the performance division. Hanley added that GR will be "about the sounds, about the smells and the feel of a combustion engine – that snap, crackle and pop we all love so much."
This does not necessarily mean that GR will not get into more modern technologies. The CarSales report notes Toyota's idea of internal combustion could eventually mean hydrogen-powered internal-combustion motors rather than typical gasoline-powered engines. Hanley also suggests that the brand could build an EV in the future, too.
Toyota still has not officially announced any plans to expand its GR lineup, but persistent rumors, teasers, and hopes shared by employees have suggested that the brand has wanted to add successors to both the Celica and MR2 since at least 2018. Recent rumors have also suggested that Toyota could be working alongside Mazda to develop another car with an inline-six engine. The brand also presented an EV concept in 2023 and a GT3 concept in 2022, both of which could hint at a future production car.
No matter what path Toyota chooses to take, the arrival of one or more new GR-branded sports cars may be imminent. The internal combustion options could also come with the manual transmissions mentioned by Hanley. All would be welcome.
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