LOOK: Toyota’s Renovated GR Factory Is A Dream Work Place

Automotive factories are either two things. They’re either a serious workplace that’s solely focused on producing cars at the lowest cost and highest efficiency, or a sanctuary where highly-skilled workers work in climate-controlled facilities to ensure the best quality craftsmanship. How about an automotive factory that combines some of the traits of the two, but throws in a bit of thrill and fun along the way? That’s what the newly renovated Toyota GR factory is all about.

The current Toyota GR factory in Motomachi, Japan, has already been operational since the creation of the GR Yaris. However, a major renovation in early 2025 breathed new life into the highly industrialized workspace.

Let’s begin with their uniforms, which feature custom GR uniforms with their names on them so that it feels like they are part of a racing team.

Once you enter the Toyota GR factory premises, you’ll be greeted by a trio of GR cars: the GR Yaris, GR Corolla, and a wrecked GR Yaris prepped for rallying that crashed during the inauguration of Toyota’s new Shimoyama proving ground in 2023. Akio Toyoda was behind the wheel of the GR Yaris, and he walked away unscathed, a testament to the crash safety of the GR Yaris.

Anyway, going into the locker rooms, they aren’t merely there for you to change into your uniforms. Instead, this is also a place where you can lounge on the relaxation chairs, complete with leg rests. There are also stools, a TV, and a kitchen.

But apart from the main display at the welcome hall, the second coolest thing you’ll see inside the facility is possibly the racing simulators. They’re complete with a bucket seat, a Fanatec steering wheel, as well as pedals.

Now, as for the factory itself, the production area has been laid out as if it were a racing garage. Also, the production of the GR Yaris and GR Corolla is mostly done by humans. The low-volume approach ensures high-quality manufacturing. Worth mentioning is that, when manufacturing the GR Corolla and GR Yaris, the entire body shell is lowered into the engine, drivetrain, and suspension components–a complete opposite of what is usually done. This, according to Toyota, helps ensure minimal body distortions that could happen when assembling these cars the other way around.

As for Toyota’s other GR cars, the GR 86 shares the same production line as the Subaru BRZ in Gunma, while the GR Corolla’s production is set to also commence in Derbyshire, UK, in 2026, in order to meet demand.