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TOYOTA GAZOO Racing at Tokyo Auto Salon 2025

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Toyota’s presence at the 2025 Tokyo Auto Salon was electrifying, offering a glimpse into the future of TOYOTA GAZOO Racing (TGR) through a showcase of innovative vehicles and cutting-edge technologies. The event featured exciting announcements, from performance vehicles to customer-oriented upgrades, all designed to enhance Toyota’s motorsport legacy and provide race-inspired technology to enthusiasts around the globe.

This year’s theme, “Car-making at Nürburgring,” highlighted TGR’s strong connection to the legendary circuit where Toyota has consistently refined its cars for peak performance. For Akio Toyoda (Morizo), the event marked a significant return to the Nürburgring, the starting point of his motorsport journey and a place that continuously nurtures Toyota’s racing spirit.

Alongside Daihatsu Motor Co., Ltd., Toyota unveiled an exciting range of new products and parts, demonstrating their commitment to innovation and enthusiasm for motorsport. From GR vehicles to limited-edition parts, here’s everything that was showcased at the Tokyo Auto Salon 2025, offering us an inside look at Toyota’s evolving journey toward even more exhilarating driving experiences.

GR YARIS NÜR 24h | Image: Toyota

GR Yaris (NÜR 24h):

After a six-year hiatus, Toyota is making a bold return to the Nürburgring 24 Hours endurance race in 2025, and they’re doing it in style with the evolved GR Yaris. This thrilling update is part of the newly formed TOYOTA GAZOO ROOKIE Racing (TGRR), a partnership between TGR and ROOKIE Racing that will compete in both the Nürburgring Langstrecken Serie (NLS) and the Super Taikyu Series.

The GR Yaris is equipped with a newly developed GAZOO Racing Direct Automatic Transmission, making its world debut at the Tokyo Auto Salon 2024. The vehicle has undergone rigorous testing on the Nürburgring circuit, and TGR intends to use the challenging track as a proving ground to refine both the car and the driver. For Toyota, the Nürburgring isn’t just a race; it’s where their motorsport journey began, and now they’re back to claim victory.

GR YARIS M Concept | Image: Toyota

GR Yaris M Concept

In another exciting announcement, TGR has unveiled the GR Yaris M Concept. This vehicle is designed for one purpose: to push the limits. Equipped with a midship-mounted, 2.0-litre turbocharged engine, it promises to deliver an exhilarating driving experience. Here’s where it becomes even more intriguing: TGR is fully committed to the “driver-first” philosophy, meaning the car will undergo rigorous testing, often pushed to failure and then repaired, with continuous feedback from drivers like Morizo and professional racers. This concept focuses on learning from real-world racing conditions to enhance every aspect of the vehicle, ensuring that each drive is pure perfection. It’s a project that’s sure to thrill any motorsport enthusiast.

GR Yaris Aero Package

Next up is the GR Yaris Aero Package, a concept vehicle designed to improve aerodynamics. Developed with input from professional drivers, this car includes six key components, such as a variable rear wing that adjusts based on driving conditions. However, it’s not just about speed. The car also showcases enhanced styling, ensuring that performance and aesthetics work together. The vertical handbrake—a popular feature in the RC trim level of the updated GR Yaris—appears in this prototype as well. This vehicle is sure to turn heads, whether on the track or the street.

GR Yaris Aero Package (Prototype) | Image: Toyota

GR86 Software Upgrades

The GR86 has been a favourite since its 2021 launch, and in 2024, Toyota introduced exciting software upgrades that have further elevated the car’s performance. Drawing on valuable feedback from motorsport drivers, Toyota has fine-tuned the throttle characteristics and engine-speed tolerance range for downshifting. These changes make the car more responsive and quicker, enhancing the overall driving experience.

The best part? Starting in spring 2025, owners of the pre-upgrade GR86 will have the opportunity to obtain the new GR86 Performance Software for MT or AT at GR Garage locations. Toyota’s commitment to supporting owners and continuously enhancing their driving experience is evident, ensuring that the GR86 remains a beloved car for years to come.

Circuit Mode

Are you ready to push your Toyota to its limits? Enter Circuit Mode. Launched in August 2024, this service unlocks high-performance features that elevate your driving experience to the next level—think anti-lag control, a higher speed limiter, and a performance-driven mentality for genuine motorsport excitement. Through a dedicated app, your car’s instrument panel transforms into a specialized display, providing real-time insights such as shift timing and engine rpm, all designed to make you feel like you’re in the driver’s seat of a race car. But here’s the twist—Circuit Mode has expanded to 77 eligible circuits across Japan, including iconic venues for gymkhana and dirt trials. Whether you’re an adrenaline enthusiast eager to race or simply want to discover how your car handles at its peak, Circuit Mode offers the ultimate toolkit to unleash your car’s full potential.

GR YARIS M Concept | Image: Toyota

GR Yaris and GR86 Competition Parts:

Product Price Scheduled Lunch Sales Method
GR Mechanical LSD (for automatic transmission vehicles)To be announcedSpring 2025Toyota sales outlets across Japan
GR Endurance Bumper Bolt SetTo be announcedSummer 2025Toyota sales outlets across Japan
Product Price Scheduled Lunch Sales Method
GR Final Gear Kit (Selectable gear ratio: 3.909, 4.100, 4.300, 4.556)USD $549.99 Spring 2025Toyota sales outlets across Japan
Differential Carrier with Cooling FinsUSD $249.99 Summer 2025Toyota sales outlets across Japan

GR Heritage Parts

TGR is reissuing parts through the GR Heritage Parts Project for those who are fond of classic Toyota models. This initiative provides discontinued parts for iconic vehicles like the 70/80 Supra, AE86, and Land Cruiser 40, ensuring these legendary cars can continue running smoothly for years. In addition to parts, Toyota is also reprinting nostalgic brochures for classic GR Heritage Parts vehicle models.

Land Cruiser Base

The Land Cruiser has symbolized adventure and reliability for over 70 years, and Toyota is revitalizing it with the reopening of the LAND CRUISER BASE on February 1, 2025. This specialty store will provide a space for Land Cruiser owners to connect, share experiences, and purchase original parts. It also serves as a venue for Toyota to host events and gather feedback from its dedicated community of enthusiasts. With the support of Toyota Auto Body Co., Ltd., this updated store will feature exclusive activities and products that celebrate the enduring legacy of the Land Cruiser.

Here’s a complete list unveiled at Tokyo Auto Salon 2025:

GR YARIS NÜR 24h | Image: Toyota
GR YARIS M Concept | Image: Toyota
GR Yaris Aero Package (Prototype) | Image: Toyota
Toyota Supra NÜR Training Car | Image:Toyota
Toyota Altezza #109 / 2007 NÜR 24h | Image:Toyota
Lexus LFA #48 / 2014 NÜR 24h | Image: Toyota
Toyota #86 / 2014 NÜR 24h | Image: Toyota
GR Supra #90 / 2019 NÜR 24h | Image: Toyota
Corolla 1960 – Morizo Garage
R360 Coupe – Morizo Garage | Image: Toyota
Subaru 360 1967 – Morizo Garage | Image: Toyota
Midget 1962 – Morizo Garage | Image Toyota
Land Cruiser BJ | Image: Toyota
Land Cruiser 70 Overseas Custom | Image: Toyota
Land Cruiser 300 GR Sport Dakar Rally 2025 Specification | Image: Toyota
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Apple Intelligence is Here; discover All the Features You Can do!

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Apple has always been a leader in innovation and with Apple Intelligence? Well, that’s like pushing technology to new heights. Imagine your devices genuinely understanding you and what you are anticipating and making everyday tasks a lot simpler than they were before. That’s precisely what Apple Intelligence intended to do—create a more intuitive and seamless experience for you. Whether it was Siri or your Macs learning working behind the scenes, it’s all about making your life easier and keeping your privacy front and center!

Siri Product Knowledge | Image: APPLE

Apple Intelligence Features Available with iOS 18.2: What You Need to Know?

Anyone with an iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro Max, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, iPad with A17 Pro or M1 chip, or a Mac with M1 or later can access Apple Intelligence. Plus, it’s available with localized English support for Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Ireland, South Africa, the UK, and the US. What was once only for developers in betas for iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, and macOS Sequoia 15.2 is now a free update, opening the doors for everyone to experience the magic of more intelligent, more intuitive technology. Ready to let your devices think for you?

Siri

A Fresh New Look: With the new iPhone 16 lineup, Siri now features a glowing ring that wraps around your iPhone, iPad, or CarPlay screen when you call on it. On MacBook, you can place Siri anywhere on your desktop for easy access, so it’s always right where you need it.

Helpful Product Knowledge: Siri’s got your back when you need product help. It’s been trained on Apple’sApple’s support docs to answer all sorts of product-related questions, like:

  • How to reset a Macbook?
  • How Do You Mirror Screen?
  • How do I share my WiFi password?

Type to Siri: There is no need to speak if you would instead type—double-tap the button on your iPhone or iPad or hit the Command key twice on your Mac or iPad keyboard. A new keyboard will pop up, letting you type your question or command. Plus, Siri now suggests requests to make it even easier to use.

Smarter Conversations: Siri can now handle mistakes and changes of mind during conversations, making it feel more natural and less frustrating, even if you change your request in the middle of your sentence.

With systemwide Writing Tools, available with the first set of Apple Intelligence features in iPadOS 18, users can rewrite, proofread, and summarize text nearly everywhere they write. | Image: APPLE

Writing Tools

  • Rewrite: This gives you different text options to find the combination that feels right and flows naturally. It works wherever you’re writing—a text, email, or anything else. And the best part? It adjusts to match your tone, making everything sound just like you.
  • Proofread: This helps you with grammar, word choice, sentence structure, and more as you write, ensuring everything is spot on. Apple Intelligence will even suggest changes to improve your work along the way.
  • Summarise: This feature summarizes and highlights the key points from any app, document, article, or communication, making it easier to get to the main ideas quickly.
  • Describe your change: You can transform your writing style by simply describing it to Apple AI. For instance, you can turn a simple text message into a friendly, professional email or rephrase a boring report into a more engaging story.

Mail

  • Priority Messages: Apple Intelligence takes the guesswork out of your inbox by placing your most important messages at the top, with a handy summary so you know what’s urgent. You can even reply with Smart Reply, and Siri will draft the email for you—just like that.
  • Brief Summaries: Got a long email thread? No problem! Apple Intelligence gives a quick summary to stay in the loop without reading every message.
  • Smart Reply: If someone asks you a specific question in an email, Siri can help by suggesting responses based on the thread’s content. Pick one, and it’ll add the correct details to your reply.

Notification Summaries

  • Daily Highlights: Get a quick, curated summary of your most essential notifications delivered at a time that works for you. Stay in the know without getting overwhelmed by constant alerts.
  • Smart Grouping: Apple Intelligence organizes your notifications by app, topic, or context, making it easier to focus on what matters most at a glance.
  • Priority Alerts: Important updates—like reminders, calendar events, or messages from your favourite contacts—are highlighted so you don’t miss a thing.

Photos

  • Create a Memory (iOS 18.1 and iPadOS 18.1 only): Describe a photo with words, and Apple AI will find similar ones to “create a memory.” You can even add a music genre or songs from Apple Music to make it truly special.
  • Natural Language Search: A new search bar in every Photos view lets you find images using natural language. With over 7,000 photos in our gallery, this is a game changer for quickly locating that one perfect shot.
Easy to use and built right into apps like Messages, Image Playground allows users to create fun images in seconds. | Image: APPLE

Image Playground

Image Playground focuses on creating and customizing images, much like Genmoji. It allows you to create custom visuals directly with your apps, such as Messages, Pages, and Keynote. You can also use the standalone Image Playground app, initially dedicated to creative experiences. Here’s how you can make your custom images:

  • Create with Concepts: Select from various themes, costumes, accessories, and more to shape your image.
  • Create with Descriptions: Want something more specific? Just describe it, and Image Playground will bring your vision to life.
  • Create with Friends and Family: Design personalized images of your loved ones for heartfelt moments.
  • Create with Characters: Build unique characters by choosing basic features, like hairstyles, outfits, and expressions.
  • Create with Photos: Capture or choose an existing photo and use it as inspiration to craft related visuals.

If you’re familiar with using AI tools like ChatGPT to generate images, this will be like a piece of cake. However, Image Playground takes it further by integrating real-life elements, like family photos, into your creation. This is where you can customize these images even further with options like Animation Style or Illustration style—From 3D designs with expressive characters to quirky animal vibes or trendy modern art.

When creating, Image Playground intelligently suggests a few recolonization concepts based on your previous designs or even the context of where you’re using the image. Finally, a Quick Preview feature lets you see and save all your work, while the Image Playground Library ensures your creations are securely stored and synced across devices using iCloud.

Image Wand can transform your rough sketch into a related image in the Notes app. | Image: APPLE

Image Wand

This handy tool lives in the Apple Pencil palette, making it easy to bring your notes to life with visuals. Here’s what you can do with it:

  • Circle to Highlight: Draw a circle around any drawing, image, or handwritten note to focus attention or edit it.
  • Add Text: Attach text to your circled content for extra clarity or detail.
  • Contextual Circles: Even circling blank space works. Image Wand pulls context from the surrounding content to help you create something meaningful.

Image Wand transforms your notes into dynamic, visual masterpieces, perfect for brainstorming, studying, or getting creative.

Genmoji can also be used as a reaction in a Tapback. | Image: APPLE

Genmoji

  • Personalized Emojis: Make your face a Genmoji with customizable features like hairstyles, outfits, and expressions.
  • Animated Fun: Bring your Genmoji to life with animations that match your voice and movements.
  • Social Sharing: Use your Genmoji in messages, emails, or even as your profile pic for a more personal touch

Clean Up

  • Declutter Your Device: Apple Intelligence identifies duplicate files, unused apps, and large attachments, helping free up space with a single tap.
  • Organized Photos: Automatically sorts your photo library by removing duplicates and grouping similar shots.
  • Storage Insights: Get suggestions for better managing your storage, such as archiving old files or clearing out unnecessary downloads.

ChatGPT integration

  • Siri: When Siri doesn’t have an answer, it can tap into ChatGPT to give you more detailed responses. Whether you’re asking about a topic, need help with documents, or want to dive into PDFs, Siri’s got you covered—even while you’re typing.
  • Compose in Writing Tools: Let it write content for you. Need visuals to accompany it? It can generate images, too, making it a one-stop shop for creativity and productivity.
With brand-new systemwide Writing Tools powered by Apple Intelligence, users can rewrite, proofread, and summarize text nearly everywhere they write. | Image: APPLE

Visual Intelligence

With the new Camera Control button on the iPhone 16, Visual Intelligence takes what you see and turns it into action. Here’s what you can do:

  • Summarize Text: Quickly condense long passages into key points.
  • Read Aloud: Let your device read text out loud for hands-free convenience.
  • Detect Contact Info: Spot phone numbers or email addresses and add them straight to your contacts.
  • Translate Instantly: Translate text between languages on the fly.
  • Copy Text: Easily grab and copy text from images or documents.
  • Scan QR Codes: Instantly scan and act on QR codes, whether it’s for a website, app, or product info.

This feature turns your camera into a powerful tool for productivity and accessibility.

Phone

Now, you can record and transcribe calls directly in the Phone app, making it easy to keep track of meaningful conversations. Once the call ends, generate a quick summary to capture the key points.

Notes

The Notes app steps up its game by letting you record and transcribe audio directly within the app. After recording, it can create a summary to help you quickly review the highlights.

The new iPad mini delivers powerful performance, incredible value, and the full iPad experience in an ultraportable design. | Image: APPLE

Which devices are compatible with Apple Intelligence?

Available With New iPhones 16, 16 Pro, And Previous Generation iPhone 15 Pro, Can Access With Apple Intelligence:

iPhones:

  • iPhone 16A18
  • iPhone 16 PlusA18
  • iPhone 16 Pro MaxA18 Pro
  • iPhone 16 ProA18 Pro
  • iPhone 15 Pro MaxA17 Pro
  • iPhone 15 Pro

iPad:

  • iPad ProM1 and later
  • iPad AirM1 and later
  • iPad miniA17 Pro

Macs:

  • MacBook AirM1 and later
  • MacBook ProM1 and later
  • iMacM1 and later
  • Mac miniM1 and later
  • Mac StudioM1 Max and later
  • Mac ProM2 Ultra

What Exciting Upcoming Features Can We Expect from Apple Intelligence?

Following the launch of iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, and macOS Sequoia 15.2, we’ve seen several exciting updates, including improvements to Genmoji. However, some features of Apple Intelligence have yet to be revealed.
Here is a look at upcoming Apple Intelligence features:

  • Siri: Personal Context & In-app Actions – Siri will offer more intelligent, app-specific actions.
  • Genmoji on macOS – Create personalized emoji-like images on Mac.
  • Create a Memory Movie on macOS – Generate cinematic video montages of your photos.
  • Priority Notifications – Prioritize important alerts to avoid distractions.

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