Of course Toyota's made a mid-engined GR Yaris
Tokyo show extravaganza includes a 2.0-litre turbo nestled in the boot of a Yaris for Super Taikyu racing
It wouldn’t be a Tokyo motor show without something bonkers from Toyota. Think two-seat GRMN Yaris, and the amazing FT-Se concept. But this really takes the biscuit: on a stacked stand that also includes Nurburgring racers, a Land Cruiser and a Corolla Rally Concept coming over the weekend, there’s a mid-engined GR Yaris as well. Not from some third-party tuner, either - it’s a factory creation. Nice to see Toyota still doing all the cool stuff for everybody else.
Called the GR Yaris M Concept, officially it’s been developed to ‘explore the potential of the GR Yaris’. A bit like the Parker Solar Probe is exploring the potential of science. As well as the drastic change in engine location (there’s even an under-bonnet shot as proof, full of wiring still), the M Concept doesn’t even use the standard powertrain. Out goes the G16E-GTS turbo triple, replaced by a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo that’s still under development. Given the standard motor is already offered with 300hp from Toyota in the Corolla, imagine what they’d be capable of with another cylinder and 400cc. Just when Renault thought it had mad and mid-engined sewn up for 2025…
There isn’t much more shared about the Concept M for now, because it’s intended as a race car primarily. And we’re not too hot on the homologation requirements for Super Taikyu. Certainly it looks race-ready, slammed on its wheels, with Bride racing seats, a rear track as wide as the wheelbase and gold film in the engine bay. But Toyota Gazoo Racing doesn’t do motorsport for the sake of it. With the announcement of the Concept M, it added that the team ‘aims to implement “driver-first” carmaking, in which cars are repeatedly driven to failure and then repaired in the extreme conditions of racing and in which feedback from Morizo, professional drivers, and gentleman drivers is thoroughly incorporated.’ So one to keep tabs on, for sure.
The Concept M sits on Toyota’s stand alongside two other GR Yarises. There’s a new Nurburgring race car for a new endurance racing team, Toyota Gazoo Rookie Racing campaigning cars across both the Nurburgring Langstrecken Serie (using the black GR) and Super Taikyu with the mid-engined one. For 2025, Toyota will compete in the Nurburgring 24 Hours after six years away, this funky little touring car benefitting from the automatic gearbox introduced with the GR facelift. 2024 was its development year, so it’ll be intriguing to see what it delivers in ‘25.
There’s a concept road car to be seen as well, the GR Yaris Aero Package channelling similarly named 86s of the past with an overhauled aerodynamic package. Apparently the new kit has ‘targeted performance by addressing every single issue encountered during racing and circuit evaluations’. The result is six new parts, with an adjustable rear wing, a ventier front end and what looks like a new bonnet as well. Plus there’s a vertical handbrake, presumably just because it’s fun. It all looks like something that could make an expensive addition to the options catalogue soon.
Elsewhere, there’s all sorts of fun stuff that seems less likely to leave Japan, including new final drive ratios for the GR86, a new diff for the automatic GR Yaris and a further expanded range of GR Heritage Parts. Committed to the cause, that’s for sure. What on earth do they do for ‘26?
With Renault having got it's mojo back in a big way - Alpine, the Renault 5 and a string of decent cars, surely they should not let the Japanese eclipse them and bring out a mid-engined swansong to the ICE age? Perhaps too late but anyone working in Dieppe, for Alpine must be looking at the Toyota with a degree of jealousy.
https://www.youtube.com/live/viliP_Ozs3k?si=dmlKhlvuxFRAAqfU
I will need to watch it again but pretty sure they said its testing the mid mount and engine for a Celica
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