GR徽章让答g Cars Like Toyota Prius And Corolla More Exciting, Admits Chairman Toyoda

While theToyota Priushas a reputation for being a laughing stock to some, the nameplate is quite successful. Not only did it lead the Japanese automaker's initiative to champion hybrid technology in the industry, but it has also become a volume-seller for the brand.

Toyota Chairman and former President Akio Toyoda has admitted that integrating the Gazoo Racing (GR) badge takes the reputation of its sedated daily cars like the Prius and Corolla up a notch.Autocarreported that the automaker's performance division will play a critical role in reinvigorating perceptions of the said models.

Of course, Toyoda was talking about thePrius 24h Le Mans Centennial GR Edition, a track-ready hybrid concept car.

The concept car is 3.54 inches longer, 1.97 inches wider, and 1.18 inches wider than the standard Prius. Aero upgrades such as side skirts, front canards, rear bumper ducts, a large carbon fiber rear wing, and a rear diffuser were also installed.

Toyota built this concept to change the perceptions of many customers on the nameplate with its sexy styling and track-ready specifications.

This same principle is said to be applied to the GR version of theToyota Corolla. As one of thebest-selling cars of all time, the GR-badged Corolla can bring a sense of exclusivity with its rally-inspired hatch aesthetics and 300-horsepower 1.6-liter three-cylinder turbo engine.