Saturday 8th January 2022

'Fully tuned' GR Yaris lined up for Tokyo show

Gazoo Racing will show hardcore Yaris alongside new GR GT3 Concept next week

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2022 will be a big year for Toyota: the GR86 goes on sale in Europe, there are WRC titles to defend with a new Yaris, and the GR Super Sport hypercar can't be far away either. But that's not all we can expect from Toyota: next week it will reveal a "racing-dedicated" GR GT3 Concept alongside a "fully tuned" GR Yaris.

On the basis of the shadowy teaser pic, the latter is likely to be the end result of the body-kitted test mule that was seen powering around the Nordschleife last summer. Toyota has always been very open about the tuning potential of its much-loved AWD hot hatch, and it'll be fascinating to see how far it has opted to take the 261hp model. For now there is nothing more solid to go on than the obviously more aggressive aero package front and rear plus a bonnet with a chunk missing - like all the best rally cars. How much better can it be?

Despite its presence, the star of the Tokyo show is likely to be the GR GT3 Concept, a show car that "incorporates the knowledge and refined technologies Toyota Gazoo Racing has gained in the field of motorsports". Beyond the GT3 RS-aping wheelarches and chunky fixed rear spoiler, there's precious little more to go on - however, if we can all agree that this looks like a Supra silhouette (a model which hasn't been received as rapturously as other GR products) then this might just be the senior Toyota sports car the world has been waiting for. Not least with a Super GT racer to draw inspiration from.

Either way, Toyota Gazoo Racing is going all out for Tokyo 2022, it seems, with these two concepts to be shown alongside the latest race cars as well as the GR Heritage Parts recently launched. We're told to expect further info in due course; given this preview, more news can't come soon enough.

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• 2021 Toyota GR Yaris | PH Review
• Toyota GR Yaris vs Ford Fiesta ST Edition

[mrclav]

From that silouette it would appear it's an entirely different car?? We can but hope!

[Robmarriott]

mrclav said:

From that silouette it would appear it's an entirely different car?? We can but hope!

Nope, just a bodykit and a vent.

[SuperNads]

Great to see Toyota still appealing to sports car fans. I would definitely consider either of these cars if they put them into production.

[rodericb]

Mmm yes indeed.

[ecsrobin]

A report a couple of weeks ago rumoured this car would be a limited run of 500 and for the Japanese market only by ballot. Will try and find the article.

https://www.drive.com.au/news/2022-toyota-grmn-yar...

Edited by ecsrobin on Friday 7th January 11:00

[sgtbash]

I'm sure I read something previous about a TRD version?

[fantheman80]

Robmarriott said:

mrclav said:

From that silouette it would appear it's an entirely different car?? We can but hope!

Nope, just a bodykit and a vent.

I think he meant the Supra thing

Yaris looks great, always thought it needed a bigger spoiler for balance

[generationx]

Article said:

the GR Super Sport hypercar can't be far away either

I heard a pretty strong rumour that this has been quietly dropped

[Stig]

Silhouette looks far more like a Toyota 2000GT - which would be a fitting homage to their first sports car.

[myhandle]

Stig said:

Silhouette looks far more like a Toyota 2000GT - which would be a fitting homage to their first sports car.

Good point. It does look like a 2000GT.

[ecsrobin]

generationx said:

Article said:

the GR Super Sport hypercar can't be far away either

I heard a pretty strong rumour that this has been quietly dropped

It has been dropped.

[Wadeski]

ecsrobin said:

generationx said:

Article said:

the GR Super Sport hypercar can't be far away either

I heard a pretty strong rumour that this has been quietly dropped

It has been dropped.

This has got to be a good thing. Does the world really need another $300-500k hypercard at this point? Especially if with all the hybrid/electric ones coming out with nearly 2000hp. It sounded like they were going to do another "New NSX" non-event.

A super-Supra priced to compete with the Vettes Z06 and below GT3 Porsches might at least reach a bigger audience.

[AnhBanhBao]

Looks like it might be similar to the FT-1 concept from a while back. Hopefully it won’t just end up in Gran Turismo like that did.

[British Beef]

The Supra should have started with M4 engine, with 500hp, with manual option while undercutting M4 price by at least £20k, and M4 weight by at least 200 kg unfortunately it only managed one of these.

[Baldchap]

sgtbash said:

I'm sure I read something previous about a TRD version?

Aren't Gazoo Racing the modern day TRD?

Edit: Did a Google. Apparently TRD are aftermarket stuff, primarily trucks in NA these days. GR are factory performance models.

Edited by Baldchap on Saturday 8th January 10:07

[Glenn63]

SVM have 400+bhp kit out for these already soon to be a 500bhp one, 500bhp in a Yaris!

[ecsrobin]

Glenn63 said:

SVM have 400+bhp kit out for these already soon to be a 500bhp one, 500bhp in a Yaris!

I believe the Australian car is running more. HKS had over 400bhp (with NOS) before the Yaris landed on our shores.

[mintmansam]

British Beef said:

The Supra should have started with M4 engine, with 500hp, with manual option while undercutting M4 price by at least £20k, and M4 weight by at least 200 kg unfortunately it only managed one of these.

I’m sure Toyota would have loved to do that, not sure BMW would have liked it though. Car manufacturers need brand / model hierarchy to sell cars, undercutting another model/brand is bad for business.

There’s isn’t enough money in a car to drop £20k as well. Margins are incredibly tight. Unless you want a car designed with a shoe string budget. £20k off each model would result in cheap components or extremely limited design time. Thus resulting in a poor final outcome

[Baldchap]

mintmansam said:

British Beef said:

The Supra should have started with M4 engine, with 500hp, with manual option while undercutting M4 price by at least £20k, and M4 weight by at least 200 kg unfortunately it only managed one of these.

I’m sure Toyota would have loved to do that, not sure BMW would have liked it though. Car manufacturers need brand / model hierarchy to sell cars, undercutting another model/brand is bad for business.

There’s isn’t enough money in a car to drop £20k as well. Margins are incredibly tight. Unless you want a car designed with a shoe string budget. £20k off each model would result in cheap components or extremely limited design time. Thus resulting in a poor final outcome

The story of the Z4 engine not meeting Toyota's quality requirements and therefore being redevelopes by Toyota for the Supra made me chuckle and confirmed suspicions I've had for a while...

[iiievolution]

I like that they are bringing back the gt-four type bonnet vent to the Yaris.