Challengers from across the globe will compete over seven rounds for a place in the final to be held in conjunction with the Gran Turismo World Series in November
TOYOTA GAZOO Racing (TGR) has announced details of the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing GT CUP (TGR GT Cup) 2023, an exciting global esports tournament in which the TGR lineup will participate in a series of competitive races throughout the season. Seven qualifying rounds will take place online in ‘Gran Turismo 7’ for PlayStation®5 and PlayStation®4, with the top 24 players from around the world set to qualify for the grand final to be held in conjunction with the Gran Turismo World Series in November.
Now in its fifth year, the TGR GT Cup offers a golden opportunity for players to showcase their skills, develop their virtual racing experience and represent their country in international championships. The online cup is organized by TGR, Toyota’s specialized arm for performance cars and motorsports, to cater to the evolving landscape of esports and virtual car racing worldwide. The tournament seeks to further harness the potential of esports and make the thrill of virtual racing competitions easily accessible, encouraging interest from both new and seasoned motorsport fans worldwide.
TGR is looking forward to once again welcoming drivers this season with a variety of exciting qualifying rounds. The opening round features a race with the AE86 (Sprinter Trueno and Corolla Levin), a popular car in the Gran Turismo series that celebrated its 25th anniversary last year. Round 3 will be a virtual version of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, which marks its 100th anniversary this year. All users who enter the event will receive a GR010 Hybrid Electric Hypercar with the 2023 livery in commemoration of the fifth year of TGR’s e-Motorsports activities. Round 4 will also feature a Virtual GR86/BRZ Cup to be held with round partner SUBARU.
A league system will be introduced in each qualifying round based on the skill levels of the drivers to make it easier to participate. The top-level GT1 League will be followed by the GT2 and GT3 leagues, with ranking displayed for each league to ensure even beginners can be part of the action. TGR’s active engagement in e-Motorsports activities comes as part of its drive to go beyond the boundaries of countries and generations to ensure that motorsports can be enjoyed by everyone.
Kei Fujita, Chief Representative of Middle East & Central Asia Representative Office, Toyota Motor Corporation, commented: “This year’s edition of the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing GT CUP is set to attract some of the top gaming talents from around the world and create an exciting platform where their skills can truly shine. We are proud to contribute to the development of e-sports both in the region and globally, and aim to continue empowering gaming athletes to challenge their capabilities while also showcasing Toyota’s innovative work in the motorsports arena. I would like to thank all of our customers, supporters, and, of course, the tournament’s competitors for bringing this initiative to life.”
Representing Toyota’s belief that ‘the roads build the people, and the people build the cars,’ TGR highlights the role of motorsports as a fundamental pillar of Toyota’s passion for making ‘ever-better cars’ that are fun to drive. Toyota has been an active participant in numerous forms of motorsports including Formula One, the World Endurance Championship (WEC) and the Nürburgring 24 Hours endurance race. In recent years, TGR has found great success in these events, including winning the legendary 24 hours of Le Mans endurance race an incredible five times in succession. Harnessing years of experience gained under the extreme conditions of various motorsports events, Toyota aims to forge new technologies and solutions that bring the freedom, adventure, and joy of driving to everyone and ensuring that no one is left behind.
The TGR GT Cup 2023 will run from April to November 2023. The outline of the BRIDGESTONE GT Time Trial U17 by TOYOTA GAZOO Racing for participants aged 17 or younger is set to be announced at a later date. Detailed information including the circuits to be used in each round will be published on the TGR GT Cup section of the TGR official website.
