Toyota has officially announced that production of the 2026 Toyota GR Corolla will now begin outside Japan, at the Burnaston plant located in the UK. This is the first time Toyota has decided to manufacture a performance car from its Gazoo Racing (GR) series outside Japan. With this move, Toyota has not only shown its trust in the UK’s automobile industry but also marked a major shift in the company’s global performance car strategy.
The Burnaston plant, known as Toyota Motor Manufacturing UK (TMUK), has been a key production center for Toyota since 1992. Over the past 30 years, this plant has produced more than 5 million vehicles, and now it is being prepared for the new avatar of the GR Corolla. Toyota is investing approximately £41 million here to install new assembly machinery, tooling, and staff training facilities.
A major benefit of Toyota’s decision is that GR Corolla deliveries to customers in Europe and North America will now be faster. At the same time, it will reduce the load on Japan’s production line, which is already operating at full capacity.
At the Burnaston plant, the GR Corolla will be manufactured alongside the regular Corolla model. This means the UK has become one of the select places in the world where a hybrid family car and a high-performance AWD hot hatch are being built in the same plant.
Toyota’s move is part of the Environmental Challenge 2050, which aims for zero carbon emissions. In the future, hybrid or other low-emission technologies may be added to the GR Corolla and other GR models, without compromising performance.
Producing the GR Corolla in the UK is being seen as a major tribute to Europe’s motorsport heritage. Fans are also hoping that this decision increases the chances of special European versions or limited edition trims, which were previously restricted to Japan only.
