Today it’s all about GR Yaris, GR Corolla and GR 86 - but soon they’ll be gazumped.

LOCAL synching by Toyota into Japan’s decision to make the Gazoo Racing arm a standalone sports car brand has occurred just as current GR models here seem set to be bumped by a pair of reborn old-timers.

GR currently offers three dedicated models here: GR Yaris, GR Corolla and GR86.

The Yaris and Corolla are totally Toyota and the last was co-developed with Subaru; all are well into their production lives.

Toyota in Japan has signalled all three are set to stay in availability in 2027, all with minor updates and improvements to keep them sharp. The updated GR86 has just been revealed in Japan and is pictured today (below).

But that’s as far as it goes.

Even by then they might be B-team players in the GR squad, as that’s also when it is likely to relaunch two big nameplates of yesteryear - the MR2 and Celica - as future GR stars.

The new evolutions of those products are, along with the new GR GT supercar, considered even more important to Gazoo’s transformation into a full stand-alone performance that Toyota has resolved will stand as an equivalent to BMW M and Mercedes-AMG.

Motorsport credential has raised the profile of GR Yaris and - in New Zealand - GR86.

But from next year the Celica will be Japan’s priority road car in international racing, as it has been cited as the replacement choice for contesting the World Rally Championship.

That speaks to a brilliant return to a contest in which the nameplate has proud history.

As much as the GR Yaris has given Toyota a huge presence in in motorsport - aside from WRC, it competes in Japan’s Super Taikyu endurance series and the Nurburgring 24 Hours - the make has told overseas media its development is at zenith.

It says characteristics inherent in the baby hatchback’s drivetrain layout ultimately limit its performance potential.

Accordingly, plans are fast progressing to expand the line-up at the bottom end and create a new family of dedicated sports cars.

The strategy has been outlined by Britain’s Autocar magazine but didn’t appear to have been discussed when TNZ gathered media at Hampton Downs for a event that also timed with a first look at the latest GR single seater racing car.

Talk then appeared to mainly be about how TNZ will provision additional performance parts for the current GR models and how it will work to create a stronger foundation for performance enthusiasts and to lay the foundation for “a more connected GR community” in NZ.

According to Autocar, GR’s aim is to create more enthusiast-focused models under the guidance of company chairman and keen racer Akio Toyoda, who has long made clear his "no more boring cars" mantra and commitment to performance models - particularly those powered by combustion.

It says the Celica, MR2 and GT are being developed in parallel with Gazoo Racing's motorsport activities.

The Celica is well advanced but still low profile whereas the mid-engined MR2 is being developed in plain sight, with a GR Yaris M concept (top photo) - the letter standing for mid-engined - development mule actively competing in one of Japan's biggest race series.

Tomoya Takahashi, president of Toyota's motorsport division, is quoted as saying the move indicates a shift in the company's mindset that places more emphasis on niche models that play a halo role, rather than one of particular commercial significance.

The reborn MR2 will be one of very few mid-engined sports cars on the market by the time it arrives and is expected to use a new 2.0-litre engine that Toyota is developing specifically for hybrid sports cars.

The firm has been trialling its new 'G20E' four-cylinder engine in the Yaris M, including entering it in Super Taikyu to gauge its performance and reliability.

The G20E is based on the 1.6-litre unit that powers today's GR Yaris and GR Corolla and is said to “push the limits of performance and efficiency.”

It has been designed to take up as little space as possible, to enable compact vehicle dimensions and a low centre of gravity - crucial attributes for a mid-engined sports car.

It is said to produce in the region of 298-335kW in standard tune and upwards of 447kW in the race car, making it potentially one of the most powerful four-cylinder engines yet created. The current Yaris/Corolla GR unit makes 221kW.

Autocar says while the mid-engined GR Yaris M prototype is powered purely by petrol, the engine will be compatible with hybrid and PHEV powertrains, taking advantage of a shorter piston stroke than today's engine, which means it takes up less space.

GR’s separation leaves TNZ with three distinct showroom operations, the others being for Toyota and Lexus. In Japan, Toyota also has Century and Daihatsu.