Toyota Plans To Expand New GR Sport Series Lineup Outside Japanese Market

Toyota might be launching its lineup of sport-tuned models only in the Japanese market, but that doesn’t mean it’s forgotten about the rest of the world.

The new GR Series — short for Gazoo Racing — was unveiled in Japan on Tuesday, but Toyota says it will “gradually” introduce the range in other markets — though it didn’t specify which ones.

Aimed at “cultivating a sense of excitement around the car culture,” the GR Series will be comprised of three performance tiers — GR Sport, GR and the most performance-oriented, GRMN — and will include go-faster versions of everything from the rear-wheel-drive 86, to the subcompact Yaris and even the hybrid Prius. In addition, the automaker is rolling out a range of GR Parts, which are aftermarket performance upgrades — similar to TRD Parts — for owners of standard Toyota models.

The GR Sport level will be the most tamed of the three, adding extra chassis bracing, stiffer suspension and a sports steering wheel. At the GR tier, cars also will receive aerodynamic enhancements, forged wheels, upgraded shocks, improved brakes and limited-slip differentials, and are fitted with Recaro seats on the interior.

As for the GRMN-badged models, as we saw on the Yaris GRMN, Toyota will not only improve their handling characteristics, but also give them a decent boost in power.

There’s no word yet on when Toyota will reveal the other markets that will get the GR Series.

Thumbnail photo via Toyota