• Toyota Gazoo Racing is Toyota’s motorsport division, which has competed in series such as the World Rally Championship (WRC) and the World Endurance Championship (WEC).
• The technology developed from Toyota Gazoo Racing’s motorsports efforts has bred the sub-brand “GR,” which has introduced performance-tuned road vehicles such as the GR Supra, GR Corolla, GR86, and GR Yaris.
• In celebration of Toyota Gazoo Racing’s continued growth in the U.S. market, Toyota Motor North America collaborated with Los Angeles-based retail store and lifestyle brand Bowls to create a month-long pop-up store.
• The grand opening coincided with the global reveal of the 2025 Toyota GR Corolla (now available with Direct Automatic Transmission), and a special appearance by GR chief engineer Naoyuki Sakamoto.
• An estimated 1,000 people attended the celebration, with guests waiting up to two hours to see the store’s transformation and meet Toyota GR Formula DRIFT drivers Frederic Aasbo, Ryan Tuerck, Ken Gushi, and Jhonathan Castro.
• The Toyota Gazoo Racing Pop-Up at Bowls is located at 311 E. 1^st Street, Los Angeles, CA, and will be open daily from 2:00 to 7:00 PM through August 25^th.

WHAT IS GAZOO RACING?

If you’re new to Toyota Gazoo Racing, then you might have only caught wind of the brand in the last few years. However, if you’re a nerd like me who’s been a fan of Japanese sports cars and international motorsports for the last two decades, then you might know how Toyota’s hardcore racing division came to be.

Back in 2007, the vice president of Toyota at the time, Akio Toyoda, began using the “Team Gazoo” brand at the 24 Hours of Nürburgring, which would eventually become the name associated with the manufacturer’s campaigns in World Rally Championship (WRC), World Endurance Championship (WEC), and more. All these motorsports’ initiatives within the Toyota and Lexus family were labeled “Gazoo.” Then in 2019, we welcomed the first GR brand-exclusive car with the GR Supra. Today, there are four production GR vehicles, which include the GR Supra, GR Corolla, GR86, and the coveted GR Yaris (not available in the U.S.).

On a personal level, I’ve always had a small love for Gazoo Racing, but it wasn’t until I checked the 24 Hours of Le Mans race off my bucket list in 2017 that I experienced the TS050 Hybrid race cars’ battle against Porsche. I became a true believer in the importance and direction of Gazoo Racing, and because of this, more exciting Toyota products would ensue… which it did.

LITTLE TOKYO POP-UP IS BORN

With the success of cars like the GR Supra, GR Corolla, and GR86 in the U.S., the couple of years have changed Gazoo Racing’s narrative, and now “GR” is very much becoming the well-known performance brand of Toyota, much like how we associate the “M” brand with BMW and “Type R” with Honda. To celebrate this growth, Toyota Motors North America reached out to our friends at Bowls in Los Angeles, who we know very well through hosting events such as the Little Tokyo Rotary Meeting and the Dai Yoshihara x Max Orido ADVAN apparel launch party.

Instead of a one-night event, though, Toyota Gazoo Racing and Bowls teamed up to transform the retail store into a month-long pop-up shop, which would feature brand new motorsport-themed décor, rare GR merchandise, and, of course, GR vehicles highlighted in the showroom, which will rotate every week until the end of August.

STAR-STUDDED GRAND OPENING

Doing something cool like this is only good if the community can enjoy it, which is why Bowls threw an insane grand opening celebration to kick things off. Cameo appearances by GR-sponsored Formula DRIFT drivers Frederic Aasbo, Ryan Tuerck, Ken Gushi, and Jhonathan Castro drew mega crowds. There was also no shortage of media buzz from the global reveal of the 2025 GR Corolla Automatic, with chief engineer Naoyuki Sakamoto in attendance.

The all-GR celebration was a testament to Toyota’s commitment to enthusiasts who value performance, racing, and rad sports cars. We look forward to watching the Toyota Gazoo Racing brand and its GR products flourish for years to come. If we had our wish, we wouldn’t mind the GR Yaris coming, either…

The Toyota Gazoo Racing Pop-Up at Bowls is located at 311 E. 1^st Street, Los Angeles, California, and is open daily from 2:00 PM to 7:00 through August 25, 2024.

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