The Toyota GR Corolla – the Gazoo Racing-fettled Corolla – will be built in the UK from 2026 as Toyota expands production outside Japan to meet demand.
True, there are exceptions, like the Lexus LFA, but, until recently, there hasn’t been a lot in Toyota’s back catalogue to stir the driving soul.
That started to change in a mainstream way when Toyota started to deliver GR (Gazoo Racing) models in 2019, first with the GR Supra followed a year later by the GR Yaris and the GR86 in 2021.
That GR model run ended in 2022 with the arrival of the GR Corolla but, for reasons best known to Toyota, the GR Corolla was aimed at the US market and still isn’t available in the UK.
But now the Corolla GR is arriving in the UK, but not as a Toyota you can buy – at least not yet.
Toyota has announced that the GR Corolla is to be built in the UK from 2026 as it expands GR production outside Japan for the first time.
Yoshihiro Nakata, President and CEO of Toyota Motor Europe, said:
We are proud that TMUK, our first plant in Europe, has also been selected as the first overseas Toyota plant to produce GR vehicles, securing this expansion project for TGR worldwide. We very much appreciate the historical support and recognition of the United Kingdom and would like to continue to contribute to UK society as a ‘Best in Town’ company.
It would be obvious to suspect this move is a safety net for Toyota to take advantage of the (not yet entirely clear) reduction of car tariffs from the UK to the US, but it seems the plan to expand GR production to the UK was first instigated in 2024, with Toyota saying the decision “recognises the capability of TMUK, its staff and its supply chain, and the deep motorsport culture and skill base within the United Kingdom“.
We can only hope production of the GR Corolla in the UK will mean that Toyota decides to sell it in the UK too.
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