Awesome GR Yaris Rally2 gets FIA homologation
Toyota has shown what the Yaris can do - now it's time for customer teams. Bring on the Monte...
The transformation of the Toyota Yaris really has been incredible to witness. As recently as 2018 it wasn’t on the enthusiast radar whatsoever; then there was the intriguing GRMN, then the first WRC Constructors’ Championship. In 2019 Ott Tanak took the drivers’ title, and across both the WRC car and the later Rally1 machine, every driver who’s won the WRC since then - Tanak, Sebastien Ogier, Kalle Rovanpera - has been behind the wheel of a Yaris. Five in a row is incredible. There’s been a Gazoo Racing Yaris road car you might have heard about, too.
This is the latest hot Yaris to get excited about, the Rally2 car. This will be offered to customer teams (where the Rally1 is only a factory backed effort) to compete against similarly specced cars like the Fiesta, i20 and Fabia Rally2. They’re a bit less mad than the flagship machinery, with a minimum weight of 1,230kg and maximum engine capacity of 1,620cc, but are still making the best part of 300hp - and can of course fly across any terrain with suspension by witchcraft.
That capacity cap is ideal for the GR Yaris, of course (almost like they designed it with rallying in mind), as the turbocharged triple measures 1,618cc. A 32mm air restrictor is required by the regs, and power reaches all four wheels via a five-speed sequential and ‘motorsport-specification’ 4WD and limited-slip differentials.
Just as importantly for any wannabe-memorable rally car, the Rally2 looks the absolute nuts: not as mad as the Rally1 spaceships, but fantastically butch thanks to the crazy arch extensions and a front end ready to hoover up stray spectators. It’s like if Liberty Walk did motorsport, only with ride height.
The Rally2 Yaris actually made its debut at Rally Japan in 2022, and now is officially sanctioned to compete. Back then it was piloted by Akio Toyoda; once-CEO, now Chairman, all-round legend as far as fast Toyotas go. It remains his view that motorsport can improve road cars, which sounds like great news. The press releases adds that Toyoda ‘hopes this will be the car to make the first step in building a bridge between motorsport vehicles and production vehicles through rally competition – something that could contribute to enhancing the rally market worldwide’. Imagine a GR Yaris in the style of a 911 Dakar, with a bit more ride height and knobbly tyres. That could be fantastic.
The rally car has been subjected to 15,000km of testing with old hands and young bucks at the wheel, using entry in the Japanese Rally Championship to aid development. Four teams will compete in this month’s Monte Carlo rally with Yarises just like this, the very first one being given to Rookie Racing; driving will be headed up by - you guessed it - Akio Toyoda. Which will surely be worth watching. And how good is it going to look with a livery?
Just imagine Toyota building this as a road car!
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