Toyota

First Look at GR KART, Toyota Gazoo Racing’s $2,500 Racer You Can Easily Slide Into a Family Minivan

By Bill Smith September 11, 2026

Toyota Gazoo Racing put the GR KART on sale in Japan on September 10 for 385,000 yen, about $2,500 including tax, as a closed-course machine meant to get children and families onto a track without the usual pile of extra cost. Each unit comes from the small Gamagori GR KART Workshop in Aichi Prefecture, where staff apply Toyota Production System methods to a product far smaller than any passenger car. Official goals match a long-standing wish from chairman Akio Toyoda, who has said motorsports should be as easy to pick up as baseball or soccer.

A Cafe Visitor at Fuji Speedway Just Caught Toyota’s Upcoming Mid-Engine MR2 Prototype on Track

By Bill Smith July 22, 2026

Photo credit: You_SuiKoyoAZ
Someone sitting in the cafe at the Fuji Speedway Motorsport Museum looked up and saw a low, dark coupe rolling by. Phone out, they grabbed a couple of stills and then a short video of the same car turning laps on the circuit itself. The clips hit social media on July 22 and immediately set off the usual round of speculation about Toyota’s long-rumored mid-engine, next-generation MR2 sports car.

Toyota GR GT Fires Up as Mat Watson Goes Hands-On With Toyota’s Next Big Performance Bet

By Bill Smith July 8, 2026

Mat Watson scored rare access to a European-spec prototype of the upcoming Toyota GR GT. The short session centered on startup and revs, but it revealed plenty about what Toyota Gazoo Racing has in store for 2027. This is no rebadged Supra or borrowed platform exercise. It stands as a clean-sheet flagship built to sit at the top of the GR lineup and carry forward the same obsessive spirit that once defined the Lexus LFA.

Denied the Dream Toyota Rally Car, He 3D Printed His Own Body Kit Instead

By Bill Smith July 5, 2026

Nikolai Aksenov wanted something Toyota never offered for sale in the United States. The GR Yaris Rally2 sits at the top of his list, a proper factory-built rally weapon with the right proportions, stance, and purpose. Since that car stays out of reach for American buyers, he decided to create the next best thing on the platform he already owned. He started with a 2023 GR Corolla Circuit Edition and set out to give it the widebody, rally-inspired treatment that felt like it could have come straight from Toyota’s own workshop.

Toyota and Joby Form Joint Venture to Manufacture Joby’s S4 Electric Air Taxis

By Jackson Chung June 30, 2026

Joby Aviation and Toyota Motor Corporation announced today that they will create a joint venture to prepare for larger-scale production of electric air taxis. The move formalizes and expands a relationship that has existed quietly for nearly a decade.

Toyota’s Quietly Brilliant 1991 LiteAce Made Real Ice Cubes From a Minivan Console

By Bill Smith June 19, 2026

Back in 1991, Toyota offered something in select LiteAce minivans that still catches people off guard decades later. Between the front seats sat a console box that could chill drinks and freeze real ice cubes while the vehicle moved down the road. Most minivans from that era focused on basic space and reliability. This one added a practical touch few competitors matched.

Toyota’s Land Hopper Brings Trail-Ready Electric Mobility Straight to Your Trunk

By Jackson Chung May 14, 2026

Land Cruiser owners now have a companion who takes over when the four wheels cannot go any farther. Toyota debuted the Land Hopper, a three-wheeled electric personal mobility concept designed to navigate tight trails and mountain paths with two wheels and a third for stability. With the ability to shrink to the size of a thick book, it fits well into a Land Cruiser’s cargo space before popping out allowing you to explore the great outdoors, as well as places where your larger vehicle just cannot fit.

Toyota Crown Car Seat Becomes a $3,500 Desk Chair Packed With Real Vehicle Features

By Bill Smith April 28, 2026

Toyota converted the front seat of their Crown luxury car into an office chair. The end result is disturbingly reminiscent to anyone who has ever snuggled into their Crown to get comfortable on a long trip, except this time the curve of the seat meets a computer and monitor rather than a steering wheel.

A Garage-Built Half-Scale Toyota GR Yaris WRC Rally Car Conquers Monte Carlo

By Bill Smith April 27, 2026

Photo credit: Justin White
Justin White spent 13 months working in his Australian garage on a project that evolved from humble beginnings to something far greater than anyone had anticipated. He had set out to build a half-scale duplicate of the Toyota GR Yaris Rally1. This was not a model, however; it was a single-seater built to travel down real roads rather than rest on a shelf. The finished design piqued Toyota Gazoo Racing’s interest, and they quickly flew both White and his innovation to the Rallye Monte Carlo, the season opener for 2026.

Toyota’s CUE7 Robot Masters Free Throws by Learning from Its Own Mistakes

By Bill Smith April 14, 2026

On April 12, crowds flocked to Toyota Arena in Tokyo to witness CUE7 come to life on the court. Standing 219 cm (7’2″) tall, it moved with an unsettlingly steady balance as it retrieved a basketball off the ground. When the robot began to move, it appeared to be playing basketball like any other player, with deft dribbles and precise motions. When the robot took a free shot in front of 8,400 yelling spectators, the ball left its hands in a perfect arc and fell over the net.