Toyota New Zealand is bringing GAZOO Racing (GR) to the forefront as its dedicated performance brand, strengthening its identity for performance enthusiasts and laying the foundation for a more connected GR community in New Zealand.
The shift from Toyota GAZOO Racing to GAZOO Racing signals a new chapter for Kiwi drivers competing in grassroots motorsport, tackling a weekend track day, or simply enjoying a great road.
For New Zealand owners, GAZOO Racing will offer the opportunity to join a community that brings together motorsport, owner experiences, track events, genuine performance parts, and merchandise, all connected by a shared love of driving.
Toyota New Zealand Chief Strategic Officer and GR Meister, Andrew Davis, says New Zealand already has one of the world’s strongest enthusiast car cultures.
“When you own a GR, you’re not just buying a car. You’re joining a community of people who love driving and enjoy learning, improving and sharing that passion with others. New Zealanders love driving. Whether it’s rallying, club motorsport, track days or just getting out on a great road for the weekend, that passion is already here. GAZOO Racing gives people another way to be part of it.”
That philosophy sits at the heart of GAZOO Racing.
Rather than treating motorsport as marketing, Toyota uses competition to develop ever better cars. Every rally stage, endurance race and test session pushes engineers, drivers and vehicles beyond their limits, with those lessons flowing directly into production vehicles.
“Every GR vehicle exists because it was tested, challenged and refined in competition,” Andrew says.
“That’s the philosophy behind GAZOO Racing and the reason every GR carries genuine motorsport DNA. Motorsport doesn’t sit alongside our road cars – it helps create them.”
Today, GAZOO Racing competes in some of the world’s toughest events, including the FIA World Rally Championship, World Endurance Championship, Dakar Rally and Nürburgring 24 Hours.
Those experiences have shaped vehicles including the GR Yaris, GR Corolla and GR86, all designed to deliver an authentic driver’s experience rather than simply more power.
The decision to establish GAZOO Racing as Toyota’s standalone performance brand also reflects the evolution of the business globally.
While Toyota continues to focus on mobility for everyone, and Lexus on luxury and refinement, GAZOO Racing now stands clearly as Toyota’s dedicated home for performance driving, motorsport and enthusiast culture.
“Challenge creates learning. Learning creates better cars. That’s been the philosophy behind GAZOO Racing from the very beginning,” Andrew says.
“We’re excited to build something bigger than products in New Zealand. We’re building a genuine GR community where owners, enthusiasts and motorsport fans can come together through events, experiences and a shared passion for performance driving.”
The philosophy traces back to 2007 when Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda entered the Nürburgring 24 Hour race under the unofficial “Team Gazoo” banner. Competing against Europe’s best exposed just how much Toyota still had to learn about building true performance cars.
Rather than accepting that limitation, Toyota embraced motorsport as its proving ground.
That commitment to constantly challenging itself ultimately led to the development of today’s GR family of vehicles and remains the foundation of GAZOO Racing today.
“Over the next 12 months, Toyota New Zealand will work closely with its Store network and GR customers to bring the brand to life across the country. This includes creating new opportunities to experience GR products, developing specialist GR expertise across the Toyota network, and giving owners greater confidence to personalise, maintain and get the most from their vehicle through genuine parts, expert support and shared experiences.”
For New Zealand, the launch marked the beginning of a new era where products, motorsport and community come together under one unified performance brand.
Header Image: Supplied
