GReat news! More Toyota sports cars hinted to join Corolla, Supra, Yaris and 86 as former CEO has more time to help with development - report

The Toyota GR86, Supra, GR Corolla and GR Yaris could all be joined by even more go-fast siblings as Toyota’s new boss has hinted that his predecessor has the time to remain involved in developing sports cars.

Toyota’s new President and CEO, Koji Sato, spoke to media about the direction the brand will take under his leadership, but assured his audience that the brand would not abandon the GR sports car sub-brand.

“The Gazoo brand will be acknowledged for the future, and maybe we can even speed it up,” he told UK publication Autocar.

Since its inception, the GR brand has not only grown to include the models mentioned above, but also has become a badge even ‘conventional’ passenger cars wear when fitted with sporty styling or given a slight adjustment over base models.

Toyota has teased that other models could be on the way, and Sato has now suggested that the former CEO Akio Toyoda, known as ‘Master Driver’ among Toyota personnel for his driving ability and passion for sports cars, could now further help with their development.

“Our Master Driver was also President of the company at the same time as he had a steering wheel in his hand for Gazoo. Now he is only Chairman, maybe he will have a lot more time to develop cars for them?”

One possibility is that Toyota is still planning to bring a spiritual successor to the MR2 to market, an electric two-seater with up to 370kW. A model that could fit this was revealed as part of the brand’s EV rollout plan for between 2022 and 2030.

Akio Toyoda seen testing an Australian-modified rally 86 during a visit several years ago.

When Sato stepped up from leading Lexus and the Gazoo Racing brand to lead the company overall, he replaced Toyoda as his predecessor saw him most fit to both continue the company’s trajectory, but also make the necessary changes to survive in the electrified mobility era.