"The pro driver who teaches me to drive said that after I master the 'GR Yaris,' I should experience a 'midship vehicle (a rear-wheel-drive sports car with the engine mounted in the middle of the body).' So I converted the GR Yaris I usually enjoy driving into a midship and entered the (Japan endurance race) 'Super Taikyu' held in Okayama in Oct. last year. I had a great time and felt I wanted to drive it more."
Toyota Group Chairman Toyoda Akio attended the '2026 Tokyo Auto Salon' at Makuhari Messe in Chiba Prefecture, Japan, on the 9th and openly showed his affection for high-performance cars. On the day, Toyota Group unveiled for the first time the actual 'Morizo RR' version of the GR Yaris, modified for daily life to suit Toyoda's taste. Morizo is the name Toyoda uses when he drives as a driver.
Toyota Group and several other finished car companies rolled out a slew of high-performance strategic models at this Tokyo Auto Salon. The event is the world's largest exhibition of tuned and modified cars. Improvements in vehicle performance and design, and the resulting romance for driving, are connecting to high-performance cars. This year's Tokyo Auto Salon features 389 companies and 856 vehicles on display.
◇ Japan's high-performance car market grows… strategic models unveiled in droves
Gazoo Racing (GR), Toyota Group's high-performance brand, unveiled for the first time the actual 'GR GT' and 'GR GT3' under development. The GR GT is a new flagship sports car that embodies GR's philosophy of "building ever-better cars through motorsports." It features a completely new engine and a center of gravity lowered as much as possible. To achieve light weight and high rigidity, it adopts Toyota's first all-aluminum body frame. Aerodynamics and cooling efficiency have also been improved.
A Toyota official said, "We have invested a lot in developing high-performance sports cars," and added, "Many of the technologies we have developed so far will be applied to future mass-production vehicles." The GR GT, which delivers up to 650 horsepower, and the GR GT3, under development at between 500 and 580 horsepower, are slated for mass production after next year.
Hasegawa Masatoshi, president and CEO of BMW Japan, said, "This year will be a year of reform for BMW," and introduced the recently launched 'The M2 CS.' The 2026 M2 CS is a model in the M series, the high-performance sedan brand, that is small but boasts powerful performance, delivering a robust 530 horsepower, up 50 horsepower from before.
A BMW official said, "Last year in Japan, sales of the M series increased 16% from the previous year." On the day, BMW also announced plans to introduce 'BMW Alpina,' the group's high-performance luxury brand, in Japan.
In addition, Nissan unveiled the high-performance sports model 'Aura Nismo RS' concept car under the theme of an 'agile urban electric racer.' The front motor and rear motor deliver maximum outputs of 150 kW and 100 kW, respectively. One hundred kW is about 135 horsepower, meaning the rear motor alone does the work of a typical car. Volkswagen unveiled the 'ID.GTI' concept, an electrified high-performance model. A Volkswagen official introduced it as "a model that shows the direction of electrification for sports cars."
Finished car makers are focusing on the Tokyo Auto Salon to target Japan's rapidly growing high-performance car market.
Global market research firm Grand View Research, in its 'Japan luxury car market outlook report,' forecast that from 2025 to 2030 the size of the luxury car market will grow at a compound annual rate of 7.9%, from $50.7 billion to $79.8 billion. This growth trend is understood to be driven by high-performance cars, which are more expensive.
In the finished car industry, the view is that it is the result of motorsports technology being transplanted into mass-production cars; demand from companies seeking to build fandoms for corporate sustainability; and consumer sentiment to buy and enjoy internal combustion sports cars that face a higher chance of being discontinued due to tighter environmental regulations.
◇ Hyundai Motor emphasizes everyday comfort… BYD focuses on microcars
Some companies stood out for showcasing weapons that can immediately target the Japanese market rather than high-performance cars. A prime example is Hyundai Motor Japan, which centered its display on vehicles that are comfortable for daily use while retaining individuality. Hyundai Motor Japan brought a tuned version of the electric microcar 'Inster' and the 'Ioniq 5.' The Inster is a Japan-tailored model of Hyundai's microcar 'Casper,' launched in Apr. last year.
The Inster on display that day was a vehicle modified with a more dynamic design, mixing sky blue and white. When introducing the Ioniq 5, a famous Japanese rock singer appeared and performed by opening the trunk equipped with large speakers. Shimegi Toshiyuki, head of Hyundai Motor Japan, explained, "We considered the psychology of consumers who want to set off freely without burden and the joy of driving."
China's electric car company BYD also took part in this year's Tokyo Auto Salon. At the BYD booth that day, many visitors showed interest in the microcar 'Lako,' developed exclusively for the Japanese market. Tagawa Hirohide, senior manager at BYD Japan, said, "Microcars account for about 35% of Japan's auto market," and added, "The role of microcars like the Lako is very important in expanding BYD's market share in Japan."