Toyota’s Motorsport Division Announces 2024 GR Models

NEW YORK — Toyota Gazoo Racing announces GR Supra, GR86 and GR Corolla special editions for the ’24 model year lineup.

“We really want people to get in these vehicles and drive them, and enjoy them,” says Joe Moses, general manager, Toyota vehicle marketing and communications, Toyota Motor North America.

“These vehicles are born on the track,” he says at a press introduction here.

The June 21 event kicks off a marketing and advertising campaign that relies heavily on online and social media, as well as in-person events. Those include dealership customer events and promotions at races, including a Formula Drift event June 22-24.in Englishtown, N.J.

“It’s going to be more targeted than mass-marketing campaigns we do for other vehicles,” Moses says.

U.S. Toyota dealers should start taking deposits on the new special editions immediately, he says. “We hope that after tonight, that’s exactly what happens,” Moses tells Wards in an interview.

Toyota says supplies will be strictly limited.  

The 45th-anniversary edition GR Supra, a tribute to the MkIV Supra, is available in Mikan Blast (Mikan is Japanese for “orange”) or Absolute Zero (white). The 900-unit production run will be evenly split between the two colors and goes on sale this fall, probably in October.

The GR Supra comes with matte black 19-in. finished wheels, black GR brake calipers and black Supra side-panel graphic. It has an oversized, manually adjustable rear spoiler rising about 3 ins. (76 mm) above the rear decklid for added rear stability. Its 3.0L 6-cyl. makes 382 hp at 5,800-6,500 rpm and 368 lb.-ft. (499 Nm) of torque at 1,800-5,000 rpm and is available with paddle-shifted 8-speed automatic or 6-speed manual transmission.

The GR86 Trueno Edition (pictured, below) plays homage to the 1980s-era AE86, featuring an AE86-inspired two-tone black hood and side panel graphic with “Trueno,” as well as a black painted duckbill spoiler and Trueno badge on the rear decklid and front bumper lip. It includes black metallic finished 18-in., 10-spoke aluminum alloy wheels that are unique to the Trueno Edition, as well as black door handles and mirror caps.

Toyota gr-86-trueno

U.S. sales are expected to begin around January 2024, Moses says. Trueno” is Spanish for “thunderclap, the company says.

The Trueno Edition’s naturally aspirated 2.4L engine, generating 228 hp at 7,000 rpm and 184 lb.-ft. (250 Nm) of torque at 3,700 rpm, is mated to a 6-speed automatic or 6-speed manual transmission. Acceleration from 0-60 mph (97 km/h) comes in 6.1 seconds for the manual or 6.6 seconds for the automatic.

Toyota’s GR86 Active Safety technology is now standard on models equipped with manual transmission. Available in Halo or “Track bRed,” it goes on sale in a limited run of just 860 units for the U.S. market.

A newly available performance package with ZF Sachs dampers and Brembo brakes comes standard on the Trueno Edition and will be available as an upgrade package across the GR86 lineup.

The GR Corolla Circuit Edition (pictured, below), returning for the ’24 model year, also goes on sale in a limited run of 1,600 units. The 1.6L 3-cyl. produces 300 hp at 6,500 rpm and 273 lb.-ft. (370 Nm) of torque at 3,000-5,000-rpm.

Toyota gr-corolla-circuit-edition

Moses says volume for the GR Corolla Circuit Edition is sufficient so that theoretically, every U.S. Toyota dealer could be allocated at least one. The brand has nearly 1,500 U.S. dealers.  

“Obviously, some markets will be more excited than others,” he says, so actual dealer orders may not be that evenly spread out. U.S. sales are expected to begin around December, Moses says.

He says historically, sales of GR special editions pretty well match sales of the Toyota brand in general — that is, U.S. sales are concentrated in the “smile” states, through the Sunbelt and both coasts.   

The centerpiece of the GR Corolla Circuit Edition is the GR-FOUR All-Wheel-Drive system that Toyota says provides high levels of traction and control by optimizing drive power to each wheel. With the turn of a dial, the system can adjust all-wheel drive performance to a front/rear torque distribution of 60:40 for everyday driving, 30:70 distribution for a fun-to-drive quality on winding roads and 50:50 setting for equal power to front and back for maximum grip on the circuit.

The Circuit Edition will offer a choice of Blue Flame or Ice Cap paint finishes. Black forged-aluminum 18-in. wheels are standard, as is JBL Premium Audio. The special-edition Corolla also features a forged carbon-fiber roof, large rear spoiler, black exterior accents and blue accents on the shift knob and interior stitching.

The GR Corolla will make its virtual debut in the Gran Turismo video game.

Pricing will be announced closer to launch, but as a point of reference, current models of the GR-equipped Toyota 86 start at around $28,400 suggested retail; the GR-version Corolla, around $35,900; and the GR-edition Supra, at $44,640, Moses says.

Options can add a lot to the final price, but Toyota tries to keep the average transaction price relatively “affordable and attainable,” Moses says. He acknowledges it’s difficult for automotive brands to sustain demand for sports cars. That’s exactly why Toyota keeps coming out with special editions.

“We don’t start at $45,000 and then immediately go to $70,000,” Moses says. “Sure, we could create a $150,000 sports car and get everybody excited,” but the excitement and the halo effect on the brand would be more limited.

– Jim Irwin contributed to this report.