Toyota chairman says his dream lineup is none other than Hot Hatches

Senior people in the automotive industry are usually locked in an office all day, but Akio Toyoda is not one of them. Under the pseudonym “Morizo”, the company chairman is racing cars for Toyota’s Gazoo Racing team for the second time since the 24-hour race at the Nürburgring in 2007. Even at the age of 69, the former president and CEO of Toyota remains very active.

While visiting Fuji Speedway for a test drive event, Toyoda made an interesting revelation to an engineer who is set to work for Toyota this spring. When asked what Toyota generally considers a good car, the chairman admitted that if it were up to him, the company would only sell hot hatchbacks:

“If we only built what I like, it would be all GR Corollas and GR Yarises.”

While he didn’t mention the other GR-branded models, it’s fair to assume that Toyoda would also include the 86, Supra, and the new GT in his dream team. Gazoo Racing is now its own entity and was recently spun off as a dedicated performance sub-brand. It shows that Toyota is serious about maintaining a permanent line of sports cars. There could be more to come, as rumors of a new Celica are swirling, which dealers in the United States have apparently already seen behind closed doors.

During the same interview, the young engineer told the chairman that his dream is to create a new hypercar in the same vein as the V10-powered LFA. Toyoda encouraged him and suggested that there would be no obstacles to achieving that vision:

“Once you’ve decided, don’t give up easily. Find people and colleagues who resonate, and you can create that car. At Toyota there is the freedom to do that.’

There will indeed be a new LFA, but only in name. Lexus is working on an all-electric supercar that was recently previewed with a concept of the same name, following on from an earlier Sport Concept. Toyota’s luxury division hasn’t set a launch date yet, but we do know it will come eventually.

Toyota could also enter the electric performance niche with the FT-Se, an MR2-like concept that will reportedly enter production later this decade. However, Akio Toyoda has admitted that he prefers cars that run on gas. In an interview last year with Automotive Newsthe chairman candidly revealed:

“For me, as a master driver, my definition of a sports car is something with the smell of gasoline and a loud engine.”

Taking Motor1s: The rise of Toyota sports cars would not have been possible without the support of Toyoda. He is a true enthusiast and a driving force behind the company’s decision to greenlight several GR products, which ultimately led to the creation of a separate sub-brand.

Of course, Toyota couldn’t survive on GR products alone; they are niche vehicles after all. Models like the RAV4 and Corolla remain the bread and butter of the lineup, funding the development of more exciting cars. These halo models may not sell in large numbers, but they enhance the company’s image and draw people into showrooms, even if they end up buying a Camry.