For much of the 2000s, Toyota seemed content to coast on its reputation for reliability, cranking out sensible sedans and crossovers that sold in enormous numbers but stirred almost no emotion. The brand that had once produced the 2000 GT, the AE86, the MR2, and the Supra — cars that enthusiasts still argue about today — had gone quiet. Then, roughly a dozen years ago, a CEO with a racing license and a genuine grudge against dull cars started pulling levers, and everything changed. What followed was one of the most compelling turnaround stories in modern automotive history.
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