New plant in Japan will produce entry-level models of the GR line with prices below US$ 2,500 and focus on training new pilots
Toyota announced the creation of a factory dedicated to the production of competition karts in the Gazoo Racing division, as a way to encourage the entry of new drivers into motorsport. The initiative was revealed by Nikkei Asia and aims to offer competition models that are more accessible to the public.
The new karts will be marketed under the GR brand and should be sold both at kart tracks and at specialized dealerships of the automaker’s sports division. Prices are expected to be below $2,500, ranging between $2,180 and $2,400. Values, which in a direct conversion do not exceed R$ 13 thousand.
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The plant will be built near Toyota’s headquarters in Nagoya, Japan, and will use low-cost production technologies and materials already employed by the manufacturer to keep prices competitive. Initially, the unit will have the capacity to produce between 1,000 and 2,000 karts per year, all on order.
The automaker has not yet released technical specifications of the models, but indicated that the initial focus will be on entry-level karts. According to Tomoya Takahashi, president of Toyota’s motorsport division, the proposal is to create a basis for the development of future drivers.
“We will build entry-level karts and hope to see children progress to more advanced models,” the executive told the Nikkei Asia newspaper. Toyota has also not revealed an official date for the start of sales, but it is studying the possibility of selling the GR karts in international markets in the future.
