Perodua D55L SUV, Axia given fantasy GR treatment

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We need things to aspire to, dreams. Reality might be very different, but the power of dreams is not to be underestimated. Everything starts from a dream. Pun intended, because there’s never a day that you don’t see red Honda badges or Type R-inspired kits on the roads. Modified today, real Type R tomorrow, that’s the dream.

Toyota’s Gazoo Racing is not there yet in terms of brand recognition and number of fans, but with cars like the made-for-WRC GR Yaris and local efforts such as the Vios GR-S, the annual Toyota Gazoo Racing Festival and the Vios Challenge one-make race, the Big T’s ambitions are clear. Toyota would love to have people wanting GR, wanting the badge.

What if those people are Perodua owners? Their cars could be like what you see here! These are fantasy renderings of the Perodua Axia and Toyota Raize if they were given the Gazoo Racing treatment. The JDM Toyota Raize is a sister car to the Daihatsu Rocky, which is of course the basis for the upcoming Perodua D55L SUV. So, we’re going to stretch it to “GR Peroduas” here.

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Long-time friend of the site Theophilus Chin stuck to the original GR look for the Axia and Raize here, as seen on original GR models like the GR Yaris and Copen GR Sport, the latter based on Daihatsu’s Copen kei roadster. Besides the signature white paint, both cars here feature GR’s typical square mouth and square-cut side intakes, with GR Yaris-style vertical intakes at the sides of the mouth.

Theo also gave the Axia a body-coloured upper grille, which gives the impression of a slim bridge connecting the headlamps. The rear bumper of the “GR Axia” is straight from the Gazoo-tuned Copen. Also on our fantasy P2s are black roofs, red brakes, multi-spoke alloys and GR badges. Damn neat, I say.

Reality isn’t so neat however, because buyers would want something more aggressive and “fierce” – see the Vios GR-S, for instance. Even Perodua’s standard cars before adding their GearUp kits are more in your face – see the Bezza facelift. When the D55L “Rocky” arrives next year, expect busier-looking GearUp accessories. The Modellista bodykit for the Rocky and Daihatsu’s own Rocky Sporty Style kit that we showed you from TAS 2020 would be more like it. Majority wins.

GALLERY: Toyota GR Yaris