Toyota has just taken the wraps off the next-generation RAV4. By no means is the best-selling nameplate in America an exciting vehicle, except maybe for the new RAV4 GR Sport, which has more power than the GR Corolla and has other performance tweaks. That said, we can expect Toyota to continue living up to its promise of making exciting cars, a promise former Toyota head honcho Akio Toyoda – also known for his Morizo race driver persona – made.
- Founded
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August 28, 1937
- Founder
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Kiichiro Toyoda
- Headquarters
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Aichi, Japan
- Owned By
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Publicly Traded
- Current CEO
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Koji Sato
Morizo’s “No more boring cars” statement dominated the headlines in 2017, and seems to have gotten new life, with an update from Toyota’s current President and CEO, Koji Sato, while speaking at a rather unexciting financial press conference days before the RAV4’s reveal.
“A car is not a car if it’s not fun. That’s why we will never allow our cars to become commodities.”
– Koji Sato, Toyota President & CEO
Toyota Vehicles That “Move People’s Hearts”
Sato detailed his plans for future Toyota vehicles, specifically pointing out that the Japanese marque “can no longer sell cars just with model updates, slightly better fuel efficiency, or new designs.” He’s adamant about making vehicles that “move people’s hearts.”
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On the subject of sports cars, Sato stated that while those need to be sleek, “unless that same passion can be found in other types of cars, you won’t be able to reach customers”. The new boss, who stepped up in April 2023 after leading Lexus and Toyota Gazoo Racing, wants to instill this mindset of making even ordinary cars thirlling, into every aspect of the team he leads. “That is the Toyota I want to create, and I will continue working on that this year,” Sato said.
The Upcoming Toyota Sports Cars
Sato didn’t elaborate further on exciting Toyota cars, but he hinted that there’s something worth discussing “when the time is right.” At this point, there are several Toyota nameplates that are either confirmed or hinted such, such as the Celica or even the MR2, which might have been teased as a mid-engine GR Yaris.
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As for the cars we do know are happening, Toyota has confirmed that the GR Supra will not suffer the fate of its open-top BMW sibling and will continue on, probably even to another generation. Meanwhile, the adrenaline-inducing Toyota GR GT3 concept has been confirmed as a production sports car with a Lexus badge. The only question now is timing, but like what Sato said, we’d talk more about these cars when the time is right.
Source: Toyota via Motor1
