Toyota’s Cheapest GR Vehicle Is A Go-Kart To Make Racing Accessible

Karting is a common entry point for aspiring young racers. The cost of entry into go-karting isn’t as high as with actual race cars or even autocross, which makes it the common gateway for those who wish to dive into motorsports. Toyota’s Gazoo Racing brand wants to keep this tradition alive with the reveal of the GR Kart.

The GR Kart was created because Toyota Motor Corporation Chairman Akio Toyoda, aka Morizo, has long desired for motorsports to be an activity more people can take up, like baseball or soccer. With this go-kart being made by an actual car manufacturer, the GR Kart is made at the brand’s Gamagori GR Kart Workshop, in Gamagori, Aichi Prefecture, which implements the full Toyota Production System (TPS) that makes Toyota vehicles high in quality and relentlessly durable.

The GR Kart is compact–to a point that it fits behind the cargo area of a Toyota MPV like the Japanese-market Noah. The GR Kart can also be placed in upright storage, but unlike in other go-karts, you no longer need to drain any of its fluids. That’s because Toyota developed an upright-storage-compatible engine oil catch tank, a float-chamber-free diaphragm carburetor, and a fuel filler opening orientation that minimizes fuel leaks even when the kart is upright.

The GR Kart has been designed with easy maintenance in mind. There’s a belt-drive system that eliminates soiling from chain oil, and it also includes an automatic tensioner that removes the need to adjust the belt’s tension periodically. The engine also has a built-in self-charging battery, so you no longer need to mount a separate battery that needs to be charged.

Everything that you see here has been designed with a purpose. The bumper shape prevents other karts from riding up onto a rear tire in the event of a collision. Meanwhile, the rear-hub stopper pins prevent the unlikely case of a rear hub detaching. Toyota even used a trouble-averting throttle cable mounting method that aims to prevent the throttle from sticking to the open position. Also, the use of a rust-resistant stainless steel rear axle shaft and internal metal fuel lines in the fuel tank minimizes gasoline-caused degradation.

Other highlights include a pedal that can slide, as well as a steering column that tilts so that various drivers can operate the vehicle. The seat also has a designated surface on its upper portion for resting hands when getting on or off the kart, and is shaped to shield hands from a hot muffler.