Toyota stands out in the global automotive landscape, offering four models under its GR performance banner, each equipped with a six-speed manual gearbox. This commitment to manual transmissions is a rarity, especially as other performance brands are phasing them out. Fortunately, Toyota’s dedication to this driving experience appears unwavering.
An Australian Toyota executive, Sean Hanley, recently indicated to CarSales that the GR division intends to maintain its focus on internal combustion engines and manual transmissions “will be around for a long, long time.” Hanley added that GR will be “about the sounds, about the smells and the feel of a combustion engine – that snap, crackle and pop we all love so much.”
While Toyota hasn’t formally announced any GR expansion plans, speculation continues about potential successors to the Celica and MR2, with internal discussions dating back to 2018. There are also whispers of a collaborative project with Mazda to develop a car with an inline-six engine.
Regardless of Toyota’s chosen path, the introduction of new GR sports cars would be met with enthusiasm.