Toyota Planning Porsche Taycan Competitor

May. 11, 2023 1:20 PM ET by Anthony Capretto Industry News / 11 Comments

The Japanese brand revealed some interesting info at its recent press conference.

During Toyota's recent two-hour 2022 financial recap and 2023 forecast meeting, many large numbers were thrown around and goals made, but perhaps the most exciting development occurred early on in the presentation on two slides.

Recently appointed Toyota CEO Koji Sato said the company will be releasing 10 BEVs by 2026 between Toyota and Lexus with a slide featuring a sports car silhouette. Two slides later, we noticed an image of a striking four-door coupe wearing an easily missable Lexus badge next to the C-pillar. Coincidence? We think not.

Two years ago, when Toyota outlined its electric future, it unveiled several sporty models, including the two-door Electrified Sport Concept and some four-door coupe-like models. According to these new images, it appears Toyota may be forgoing the LFA successor for something that will compete against the Porsche Taycan.

Toyota

Are we reading into this too much? Possibly, but looking at the slide, the silhouette in the Sports column appears to be some hatchback/coupe-esque model as opposed to a proper sports car. Also included on the slide are two other profiles in the Luxury column. One appears to be a sedan, and the other a wagon.

If it turns out to be accurate, we know it will disappoint everyone looking forward to an MR2 or LFA successor. Sports cars are great but don't sell in volume, even if you're Porsche. Last year, the German company only managed to move half as many Caymans/Boxsters as Taycans.

This could be because 718 models are at the end of their lifespans, but our money is on changing tastes and the useability of the Taycan.

Porsche

This doesn't mean our hopes for more Toyota and Lexus sports cars must be abandoned. We're most likely going to get even better and faster GR models. "The Gazoo brand will be acknowledged for the future - and maybe we can even speed it up," said Sato.

Every GR model the company has unveiled has been a hit with consumers, with models like the GR Corolla and GR Supra in high demand.

The company even hinted at a GR bZ4X concept last year, proving the company is considering the racing brand's expansion into electric vehicles. Even though electric sports cars may not come in the next few years, we'll likely see them in a few years.

Toyota trademarked the LFR name in the EU, meaning it's keeping its options open for its electric future, and our hopes are still very much alive.