TGRSA and SVR unveil state-of-the-art motorsport hub in Kyalami
All of this unfolded in parallel with preparations for the 2025 Dakar Rally, where the team fielded four all-new GR Hilux EVOs and achieved commendable results.
Toyota Gazoo Racing South Africa (TGRSA), in collaboration with SVR, has proudly unveiled their new motorsport operations base, the Toyota Gazoo Racing Motorsport Hub, located in Kyalami.
This development marks a significant milestone for the team and sets a new standard for both South African and international motorsport facilities.
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Construction of the 12 500m² facility began in October of last year, intending to create a world-class hub dedicated to high-performance motorsport engineering, manufacturing, and development.
Designed to meet the growing demands of international competition and continuous innovation, the facility has been specifically built to support every aspect of modern rally-raid racing.
The new building greatly enhances capacity, allowing for the preparation of up to 20 race cars, compared to just six at the team’s previous location. Shameer Variawa, team principal of TGRSA, expressed that Toyota and SVR shared a vision of establishing a world-class hub for motorsport fabrication that would demonstrate their collective excellence.
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“Using the Toyota Gazoo Racing slogan of ‘Pushing the Limits for Better’ as inspiration, we sat down and sketched what we wanted the new SVR hub to become. I’m incredibly proud of the product that stands before us today – from conceptual dream to a place my team can now call ‘home’. We place tremendous value in our partnership with Toyota Gazoo Racing and the race results that are to come,” said Variawa.
The construction phase was not without its challenges. Under normal conditions, a build of this scale would require upwards of 18 months. Due to the demands of the race calendar, the team halved the construction timeline, working multiple crews around the clock.
Even midway through the project, a significant redesign was initiated by Variawa, requiring architectural changes in line with Toyota’s Kaizen philosophy of continuous improvement.
All this development occurred alongside preparations for the 2025 Dakar Rally, where the team fielded four all-new GR Hilux EVOs, achieving commendable results.
Glenn Crompton, vice president of marketing at Toyota South Africa Motors, stated that the opening of the new SVR Motorsport Hub represented a new chapter for Toyota’s motorsport efforts and TGRSA.
“Shameer, with support from the entire SVR team, has transitioned from privateer driver to team principal to world-class rally-raid facility operator. It is the undeniable passion for the sport that drives them to strive for excellence in everything they do. From a TGRSA perspective, we couldn’t have asked for a better partner. This is the beginning of an exciting journey for us all, and I’m confident that together we’ll reach even greater heights,” said Crompton.
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