Toyota to Launch New Sports Car Sub Brand in September
Toyota is planning to launch a new sub-brand for sporty models in September, but it’s not clear if the cars offered under the performance brand’s umbrella will arrive in North America.
According to Automotive News, Toyota will launch a new series of sports cars during a special event in Japan next month, but the automaker declined to provide any more info. The brand, which could be the Toyota equivalent of Lexus’ F or BMW’s M performance divisions, will spearhead Toyota’s effort to introduce more exciting cars and be seen as a more enthusiast-focused brand in the eyes of consumers.
Two new performance models, which are likely sporty variants of existing cars, are set to arrive before the new Toyota Supra does sometime next year. For enthusiasts, the new Supra is the most anticipated Toyota in years, if not ever. It’s currently being co-developed with BMW and will share a platform and engines with the next-generation BMW Z4. Leaked internal documents indicate the car will be offered with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder and a 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged inline-six at the top of the range. The interior should borrow heavily from BMW’s parts bin, while the exterior will adopt styling cues first previewed by the Toyota FT-1 concept.
SEE ALSO: 2018 Toyota Supra Shows Off Production Cues in Latest Spy Photos
Just recently, Toyota launched a performance version of the Yaris hatchback abroad called the Yaris GRMN, which stands for Gazoo Racing tuned by Meister of the Nurburgring. The 205 horsepower supercharged hot hatchback is the first model to come from Toyota after it shifted development of performance cars over to its Gazoo Racing division. Following the Yaris GRMN’s debut in Geneva earlier this year, Toyota expressed a desire to offer more GRMN models going forward.
More information on the performance lineup will be available following the official announcement next month. We’ll update this story if we hear anything about the potential arrival of Toyota’s new sports car division in North America.
[Source: Automotive News]
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Sam McEachern holds a diploma in journalism from St. Clair College in Windsor, Ontario, and has been covering the automotive industry for over 5 years. He conducts reviews and writes AutoGuide's news content. He's a die-hard motorsports fan with a passion for performance cars of all sorts.
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Oh my! I wonder if it's nothing more than a replacement for TRD though.
Hopefully with manual transmissions. Otherwise no reason to start another brand just use the Lexus name.