Thursday 4th November 2010

Toyota Shows Quirky Custom Jobs At SEMA

A racing Yaris, a rally Urban Cruiser and a frankly horrible Prius share stand space in Vegas

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Tidy...

Presumably not wishing to be outdone by their compatriots at Mazda, the folks at Toyota have shown a race version of the Yaris, a rally version of the Urban Cruiser SUV-in-miniature and a customised version of the Toyota Prius (shudder) at the SEMA show.

The Yaris GT-S Club Racer has been created by SportsCar Magazine and has been campaigned with some success in this year's SCCA (Sports Car Club of America) competition. Based on a road-going five-door, the car has been stripped out and fitted with a carbon fibre bonnet and rear hatch, while the 1.5-litre VVT-i engine has been beefed up from 106bhp to 145bhp.

...whimsical...

Handling is sharpened with a limited-slip diff, slick tyres and Jongbloed Racing wheels.

The rather more whimsical Urban Cruiser is the work of 0-60 Magazine, and features a full roll cage, Tein suspension, Quaife LSD and a Greddy performance exhaust.

The car has even been fitted with a rally timing computer and on-board HD cameras, while the livery on the concept pays homage to Toyota's Castrol-sponsored World Rally cars of the 1990s.

...horrific

The Prius C&A Custom Concept is rather less pleasant. It's been created by ToMoCo's own Conversions and Accessories department. The body (apart form the doors), skirts, spoilers and bumpers are all made from carbon fibre, finished in 'Mystic Lavender' paint. Fetching.

The car rides on 18-inch forged alloy wheels and the Tein suspension drops the ride height by four inches at the front and six at the rear. Inside it is fitted with Recaro sports seats and Alcantara upholstery and trim.

	Please - make it stop...

[c0ldpl4ya]

Think mazdas attempts are much more
Impressive! The yaris is ok, the prius and urban cruiser offend me.

[HereBeMonsters]

Quite like the "rally-style" cars, but the Prius is just barry.

[noblem14]

well, i dont think the Prious needs this type of body styling , since its all green.....

[Swifty Stig]

quite like the yaris but i must say i prefer mazdas attempts more. seem more....right imo

[hornetrider]

Mazda > Toyota

[PetrolAholic]

Thought I had accidently typed barryboys into my web browser till I saw pistonheads still there. Confused.

[toast boy]

Hmm... a Barried Prius that's trying to look like a Lambo. Nice. The others don't look too bad but can't help feeling it's all show and no go.

[Dr Derek Doctors]

Proof (if needed) that Toyotas ar st and driven by losers.

[Mr Gear]

What Pistonheads has failed to mention is that the Prius is equipped with kit to give it a serious handling improvement over the original car. A worthwhile mod, I'm sure most will agree.

But there's no excuse for it looking like that, because from what I have read there is no performance, economy or aerodynamic advantage.

[HereBeMonsters]

Dr Derek Doctors said:

Proof (if needed) that Toyotas ar st and driven by losers.

Really?

Supra
MR2
Starlet Turbo
Celica GT
AE86
Aygo Crazy...

[Mr Gear]

Dr Derek Doctors said:

Proof (if needed) that Toyotas ar st and driven by losers.

Ah yes, those stty Toyotas...

[PascalBuyens]

Mr Gear said:

What Pistonheads has failed to mention is that the Prius is equipped with kit to give it a serious handling improvement over the original car. A worthwhile mod, I'm sure most will agree.

Yeah, they did a good job bolting the exceptional L(au)F-A(t) kit on...

[Denorth]

they look a little bit Pokemon-ish, especially with those rear wings. And Prius really really wants to be a Reventon

[thetapeworm]

At a push I'll go with...

Dr Derek Doctors said:

Proof (if needed) that current Toyotas are st.

...but as already highlighted it wasn't always that way. Sadly the mainstream stuff is all about sales volumes in a world market rather than excitement.

[vintageracer01]

Mr Gear said:

Dr Derek Doctors said:

Proof (if needed) that Toyotas ar st and driven by losers.

Ah yes, those stty Toyotas...

That was LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG time ago.

Things have changed dramatically since then. (NOT for the better)

[Twincam16]

vintageracer01 said:

Mr Gear said:

Dr Derek Doctors said:

Proof (if needed) that Toyotas ar st and driven by losers.

Ah yes, those stty Toyotas...

That was LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG time ago.

Things have changed dramatically since then. (NOT for the better)

1999 was NOT 'a long time ago'. Get a sense of history.

Toyota made sports cars alongside their uninspiring dross from the mid-'60s to the mid-'00s. They have made nothing but uninspiring white-goods dross since about 2007. A period of three years of boredom compared with the best part of 40 years of sporting innovation does not constitute 'a long time' and 'things changing dramatically'.

With any luck they'll be back to where they were within another model generation.

[marshalla]

I have a horrible feeling that this may appear with a Lotus badge on it someday. It fits with the dreadful "styling" of the new models.

[corcoran]

Oh the Prius. I did LOL.

[chunkymonkey71]

I quite like the urban cruiser. Its kind of cool in a ridiculous kind of way.

Does that make me a dick?

[BigTaf]

Twincam16 said:

vintageracer01 said:

Mr Gear said:

Dr Derek Doctors said:

Proof (if needed) that Toyotas ar st and driven by losers.

Ah yes, those stty Toyotas...

That was LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG time ago.

Things have changed dramatically since then. (NOT for the better)

1999 was NOT 'a long time ago'. Get a sense of history.

Toyota made sports cars alongside their uninspiring dross from the mid-'60s to the mid-'00s. They have made nothing but uninspiring white-goods dross since about 2007. A period of three years of boredom compared with the best part of 40 years of sporting innovation does not constitute 'a long time' and 'things changing dramatically'.

With any luck they'll be back to where they were within another model generation.

the last thing I wanted to buy was the last supra turbo after that it was all a bit limp wristed