Toyota Gazoo Racing sub-brand is entering India through GR Supra Gran Turismo Cup 2020 virtual racing and the Supra sportscar will be launched in the near future
Recently, Toyota Gazoo e-Racing (TGR) announced GR Supra Gran Turismo Cup 2020, an e-motorsport contest in India. Interested participants must enter the contest and have the Toyota GR Supra in the Gran Turismo Sport driving simulator on PS4 and an online account. While the top ten finishers will earn GR merchandise, the top three finalists will be granted prize equivalent of Rs. 1 lakh, Rs. 75,000 and Rs. 50,000 respectively.
On the other hand, ten winners of the GR quiz contest will be rewarded PlayStations. In an interview, Naveen Soni, Senior Vice President, Sales and Service at Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) was quoted saying: “more is to come in terms of products and accessorisation”. The e-motorsport competition acts as the initial step for the debut of the GR (Gazoo Racing) sub-brand on Indian soil.
He further explained: “If Gazoo Racing has to be adopted, the Supra becomes a good candidate for the same”. Reports of Toyota considering the launch of the GR Supra in the domestic market have been there and the interview has all but confirmed the debut of the highly popular sportscar as Toyota will “be happy and proud to present it (Supra)” once they are ready.
The Japanese auto major will also implement the GR experience across the showrooms as a dedicated space could be provided with gaming and other engaging activities. Toyota does not appear to be coming back to Indian racing series though as the Etios one-make championship did not last for long. Toyota believes it will help in appealing to younger audience.
Toyota is gearing up to launch the Urban Cruiser next month in India. The compact SUV based on the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza gets exterior changes to differentiate itself from its donor while the interior will largely remain the same except for the badge swap.
As for the powertrain, it will use a 1.5-litre SHVS four-cylinder petrol engine. It develops 104.7 PS and 138 Nm of peak torque and is paired with either a five-speed manual or a four-speed torque converter automatic transmission.