Toyota makes much of the WRC's influence on the new GR Yaris; barely a paragraph goes past in the press pack without mention of Tommi Makinen, or technical regulation compliance or what Kris Meeke thinks of the aero. And good on them, because it's created the kind of performance car perfectly suited to Britain, and the likes of which we didn't think we'd see again. Rallying is a big part of why the GR is here, so it should be no surprised to find Toyota is seizing the moment to push the Yaris further, with a first look at the GR Yaris Rally Concept.
As you might have noticed, this is not a conventional reveal. Instead the manufacturer has chosen to reveal the teaser model in the forthcoming WRC 9 - the official game of the FIA World Rally Championship. Gamers installing the latest update in December will have access to the car, perfect for hours spent over Christmas pretending to be Elfyn Evans. With it, Toyota completes a past, present and future trio on WRC 9, with the iconic Corolla WRC and the current Yaris already available.
Obviously inspired by the road car nobody can stop talking about, the GR Yaris Rally Concept's inclusion in the game "fulfils Toyota's goal to excite and engage with car fans everywhere, while offering a tantalising glimpse into a possible future of Toyota rally cars." Those of us too young to drive Imprezas and Evos back in the day will certainly have been influenced by contemporary games, and there's no reason to think the same effect won't occur in 2020.
Somewhat predictably, the GR Yaris suits a rallying makeover - its bespoke design was heavily influenced by the future requirements of the Toyota's WRC team - and from the screengrabs at least is looks every bit as mad as modern rally cars have grown to become. Along with the road car also being available in Gran Turismo Sport, Yaris GR gamer fans should be well catered for this festive period. Not like anyone's going to be out anywhere, is it?
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