Report: Toyota is Testing New GR Electric Sportscar with Manual ‘Gearbox’

Toyota chairman & former president Akio Toyoda a.k.a 'Master Driver'

Toyota Gazoo Racing (GR) has reportedly begun testing its first-ever EV prototype, with Toyota chairman and former President Akio Toyoda spearheading its development.

Speaking to Autocar UK during the recent 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race, Mr. Toyoda, who is nicknamed ‘Master Driver’, said that the new model will be developed to have as many ICE-powered sportscar as it can, despite of its fully-electrified nature. ICE-exclusive hardwares like the clutch and gearbox can all be found in this GR EV prototype, while its audio system is tweaked to produce fake engine roars and noises.

As the car is still in development, the ‘Master Driver’ himself said that the prototype is in very early stages, with the marque not having clear plans on whether this model will make it into production in near future.

“The starting point is not what powertrain the car has, but how fun it is to drive regardless of that powertrain. I actually had the opportunity to test drive a BEV GR we are working on recently. I don’t know if that car will make it onto the market yet, but the first priority of making these kinds of cars is that they need to be fun to drive, no matter what powertrain they use,” Mr. Toyoda said.

Like the GR Corolla hot hatch, this new GR electric prototype sports a manual transmission

An EV with a proper manual gearbox like an ICE is not an entirely new thing, as Toyota’s luxury arm Lexus previously showcased an EV prototype model with a proper manual transmission. This could also mean both the Lexus and Toyota GR EV prototypes are being developed concurrently, and both models will probably share the bulk of their mechanical bits with each other.

Speaking about the mechanical hurdles of fitting an EV with manual stick shift, Toyota’s chief engineer Takashi Watanabe said to Autocar UK that the gearstick and clutch on EVs won’t be connected directly to the electric motor. Instead, the firm tweaks the torque setting of the electric motor to emulate how a proper ICE would drive. The chief engineer also suggested that the firm will program this ‘manual transmission’ to behave like proper ICEs do, which means you can expect mishaps like gear stalling to occur on this EV.

As for the battery, it is possible that this GR electric prototype will rock the same advanced battery technology that was announced by the firm earlier this week. Although Toyoda himself did not specifically state this matter, a statement from Toyota revealed that the company will start making cars using next-generation lithium ion technology from 2026. This advanced tech is said to garner the batteries with a maximum travel range of up to 1,000 KM through only 10 minutes of charging.

Could this GR EV look like the Toyota Sports EV Concept revealed back in 2021?

As for the new prototype look, the ‘Master Driver’ himself hinted that the GR EV sportscar will look like a BEV from the outside, suggesting that it could be based on an all-new model rather than being a one-off special. However the new GR EV may look, we’re certain that it’ll garner rave reviews and responses from the GR brand fans, as well as several ‘less-susceptible’ petrolheads.

“Whether it makes it to the market or not, what the company is trying to do is explore the idea of what it is that we shouldn’t lose in a car even if it becomes BEV. I can proudly say that this is an example of how Toyota has changed into a company where members can look into an idea that sounds interesting, create a car from their ideas and then show it for test drives,” Akio Toyoda responded.