Report: Toyota Plans Sports Car Badging

Next month Toyota Motor Corp. will announce a “sports car series” at an event in Tokyo.

The sub-brand will be Toyota’s equivalent to the F-badged models sold by the carmaker’s top-end Lexus marque, Automotive News reports. The newspaper, which doesn’t cite its sources, says the sports car line will focus on Japan and won’t be used in other countries.

No name was given for the sports unit. But previous reports have suggested Toyota is considering Gazoo, inspired by Toyota’s Gazoo Racing Co. operations. Earlier this month Toyota moved the brand’s sports car development under Gazoo. This follows the launch of the supercharged Yaris GRMN (for Gazoo Racing Meister of Nurburgring) hot hatchback in March.

A new sport sub-brand also could be used for the next-generation Supra, which is expected to bow in 2018. Toyota is co-developing that vehicle’s platform with BMW AG.