The Names “TOYOTA” And “GAZOO” Are Removed From Toyota’s “GAZOO RACING”

You could already see it coming when Toyota presented the GR GT: ‘GR’ is being separated from Toyota. The GR GT doesn’t have a visible Toyota logo anywhere, but it does carry all the ‘GR’ and ‘GT’ logos. So you can be sure this car will be marketed as a GR (brand), not as a ‘Toyota GR.’ The department responsible for it, Toyota Gazoo Racing, is now also officially renamed ‘Gazoo Racing.’ That name was originally conceived for a racing team that wasn’t officially approved by Toyota and therefore wasn’t allowed to use that brand name. Since 2015, Toyota has proudly displayed its own ‘Toyota Gazoo Racing,’ with the GR logo adorning the GR Supra and the equally legendary GR Yaris, among others. That logo may remain, but the ‘Toyota’ logo is no longer required. When asked if we can indeed expect GR products without the Toyota logo in the future, the importer says that’s quite possible. Read: yes.

So far, the Toyota sporting news has been easy to follow, especially for those who know what happened previously with Seat and Cupra. However, things are getting more complicated because Toyota also maintains a division in Germany called Toyota Gazoo Racing Europe. While the aforementioned Gazoo Racing focuses primarily on sporty road cars, the European branch focuses specifically on motorsports. It develops drivetrains and other technology for rallying and circuits, and will now be known as… ‘Toyota Racing.’ Correct: without Gazoo. We’ll just take note.