Toyota confirms rumors that it has chosen its U.K. production site to expand production of its specialist sports car, the GR Corolla.
The GR range, performance models named after the automaker’s Gazoo Racing program, is the fastest-expanding brand within the Toyota group and its GR Corolla is wildly popular in North America, prompting the expansion of production outside of Japan.
GR’s model series is currently focused on rally-derived road cars and includes the GR Corolla, GR Supra and the GR Yaris.
The racing program was created in 2009 by the then-president of Toyota, Akio Toyoda, himself a former car racer, and has earned a loyal following from race fans just as the GR road car brand garners huge interest in its high-performance internal-combustion-engine vehicles.
Rumors emerged last week that the automaker’s Japanese dedicated GR production line at the Motomachi Plant in Toyota City was struggling to satisfy this consumer demand in North America, forcing it to consider expanding its production capacity by investing about $56 million on a dedicated line at its U.K. plant in Burnaston, Derbyshire.
Production of the GR Corolla at the Japanese plant accounts for about 8,000 of about 25,000 cars made there each year.
Now Toyota says in it is going ahead with the plan in recognition of the U.K.’s rich heritage in developing racing and sports cars with an established base of expertise and specialist supply chains.
It adds that preparations for the expansion of production have been under way since 2024, when the team at Toyota Motor Manufacturing U.K. and key suppliers were first informed about the project. The first vehicle scheduled to be produced in 2026.
Earlier rumors suggested Toyota could produce 10,000 cars annually at its U.K. plant for export to North America.
Burnaston began operations in 1992 and possesses advanced production technology, but production has declined since the U.K.’s exit from the European Union has curtailed trade.
The plant already produces the Corolla hatchback, making it a natural choice, one of the sources says, adding that engineers will be temporarily dispatched from Japan to share production technology and other expertise.
While the move is not driven by the current situation over recently introduced U.S. tariffs, the U.K.’s softer 10% tariff on vehicle imports negotiated with the U.S. is bound to help keep the price of the car down to meet growing demand from American consumers.
However, this situation may be compromised by the cap placed on U.K. imports into the U.S. under the new agreement of 100,000 units annually, a figure just exceeded by the nation’s automakers in 2024.
In a company statement, Yoshihiro Nakata, president and CEO of Toyota Motor Europe, says: “We very much appreciate the historical support and recognition of the United Kingdom and would like to continue to contribute to U.K. society as a ‘Best in Town’ company.”
