Raptor-fighting Toyota HiLux GR firms

The Toyota Supra GR is the first global vehicle from the 'Big T' to wear a GR badge – but it won't be the last.

In fact, it opens the floodgates for a glut of new go-fast vehicles as Toyota attempts to erase its ultra-conservative cardigan-wearing reputation of the recent past.

Most sought-after in ute-loving Australia will be the Toyota HiLux GR – a Dakar-inspired pick-up to rival the Ford Ranger Raptor, as previewed by Toyota Brazil’s HiLux GR Sport late last year.

However, unlike it and Australia’s Toyota HiLux Rogue and Rugged X, which top the current range at more than $60,000, the Toyota HiLux GR is finally expected to bring more engine performance and a pricetag closer to the Raptor’s $75K.

Also in the works from Gazoo Racing are two hot hatches – the Golf GTI-rivalling Toyota Corolla GR and a replacement for the smaller all-wheel drive Toyota Yaris GRMN, based on the new Yaris due next year.

Evidently, however, Toyota has seen how Volkswagen and Hyundai have leveraged their go-fast sub-brands and Toyota is now flexing its own high-performance muscles with hotted-up versions of its entire passenger car range on the horizon.

Toyota Europe's sales and marketing boss, Matthew Harrison, told Automotive News the brand has an aggressive new plan for its GR (GAZOO Racing) brand, which in Europe and Australia replaces TRD, or Toyota Racing Development.

"We are trying to build more of an obvious link to the GR brand, which is why we are establishing for each of our core models a GR Sport derivative," said Harrison.

Although he didn’t specify which vehicles are Toyota's "core models", the Toyota Europe exec did reveal that hybrid models will get the GR treatment as well.

Therefore other core Toyota models that could be in line for the GR treatment include the Prius and Camry, plus the C-HR, RAV4 and Kluger SUVs, and possibly even the Fortuner, Prado and next-generation LandCruiser 300 Series.

However, confusing matter is news that three GR flavours are tipped for Australia and overseas, starting with GR Sport models that Harrison mentioned. These are likely to get added eye-candy – body kits, bigger wheels etc – and potentially minor chassis tweaks, not unlike Hyundai's N-Line offerings.

Toyota GR models like the Supra will offer serious performance while the GRMN models (like the all-wheel drive Yaris GRMN), will be the most hardcore models in the GR sub-brand.

Speaking to Australian media in 2018, Toyota Corolla chief engineer Yasushi Ueda said he and his colleagues were "…discussing naming [of the] brand… currently it’s GR, but depends on market."

And Toyota Australia’s sales chief Sean Hanley has made no secret of his desire for a range of GR-tuned Toyota models led by the HiLux – Australia’s top-selling vehicle.

Whichever way the tea-leaves settle, the Toyota GR range will be crowned by a tyre-frying road-legal hypercar to rival the $5 million Aston Martin Valkyrie.

Previewed by the Toyota GR Super Sport Concept, the new Japanese hypercar will share its underpinnings with the brand's Le Mans race car and could be powered by a similar 735kW hybrid 2.4-litre V6 engine.