Fun's not done! Toyota's GR performance cars will live on with zero emissions

The market appetite for Toyota's sports cars means its GR brand isn't going to shrink into the shadows any time soon, even as electrification and emission reduction becomes a bigger part of Toyota's agenda, says a Toyota Australia executive.

While Toyota Australia plans to have a fully electrified model range by 2030, models in the GR performance sub-brand is excluded from that - cars like the GR Supra and GR 86.

The GR Yaris, of which Toyota is still currently catching up to orders with, and the incoming Toyota GR Corolla will likely be part of this transformation too, with the latter of the two having been used as a test bed for hydrogen combustion in motorsport.

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Referring to that hydrogen-powered ICE Corolla, Toyota Australia vice president of sales and marketing Sean Hanley told CarsGuide he thinks combustion can survive into the zero-emissions era.

"I think combustion engines have still got a lot of development opportunities that may very well deliver on zero emissions," he said.

"But having said that, our own global president was racing a hydrogen combustion Corolla in an endurance event, not so many months ago last year. And I think that's an exciting prospect for the future actually, because fuel cell electric, or battery-electric, doesn't necessarily mean you can't have performance."

Best Car, which is often reliable with its advanced reports, says that after a GRMN version of the current Supra that may not even make it to Australia. (Image credit: BestCarWeb.jp)

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There will be a rear-drive Supra EV with a design reminiscent of a mid-engine sports car. (Image credit: BestCarWeb.jp)

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Coincidentally, a new report from Japanese outlet Best Car says eyewitness insiders from Toyota have confirmed development of a new-generation Toyota Supra electric sports car, as in the render seen above.

Best Car, which is often reliable with its advanced reports, says that after a GRMN version of the current Supra that may not even make it to Australia, there will be a rear-drive Supra EV with a design reminiscent of a mid-engine sports car.

Before that becomes more concrete as its potential production approaches, recently departed CEO and president (now chair) of Toyota globally Akio Toyoda has left a strong direction for performance cars, says Mr Hanley.

"Whilst we'll have a diversified product range, [Akio Toyoda] is actually an advocate for saying, ‘You know what? Don't ever think a battery-electric or a fuel-cell electric can't be performance'. So I think that's important in the future."