We were taken aback when Toyota pulled the wraps off the GR Yaris M at the Tokyo Auto Salon in January. A mid-engined hot hatch in this economy? Well, not quite. Although the concept was based on the subcompact hatchback, a follow-up production car with the engine behind the seats will take a different shape. All signs point to the MR2 revival, but recent developments suggest it might take longer than planned.
The GR Yaris M was supposed to participate in Japan’s Super Taikyu Series, where it would be “repeatedly driven to failure and then repaired in the extreme conditions of racing.” That hasn’t happened yet. Toyota has now gone on record, stating that it’s encountering “difficulties unique to midship-mounted vehicles in terms of braking, steering, and driving.” The company had intended to race the pocket rocket over the weekend at the Autopolis track for the fifth round of the endurance series.
Photo by: Toyota
Despite the setback, Toyota remains confident the project will come to fruition after “many challenges have been identified and improvements are ongoing.” Sooner or later, the concept will compete in races across Japan before a street-legal production car with a mid-mounted engine hits the market. It’s highly unlikely the GR Yaris M will pick up where the Renault Clio V6 left off, but something with a license plate is all but confirmed to result from this endeavor.
In the meantime, Toyota has already confirmed the GR Yaris features a newly developed “G20E” engine equipped with an IHI turbocharger. It’s expected to make 400 to 450 horsepower in standard form, but an uncorked version with a bigger turbo is estimated to push out 600 hp. Economies of scale suggest the 2.0-liter four-cylinder mill won’t be limited to a single car. Indeed, engineers are working on both longitudinal and transverse applications for front- and mid-engined vehicles. About a year ago, we heard the new engine in a stripped-out Lexus IS prototype, and it sounded pretty good for only a four-banger.
Beyond a probable MR2 revival, Toyota has also dropped hints about dusting off the Celica nameplate. Additionally, it has said the Supra will survive past this generation, with a successor unlikely to have any BMW ties. Perhaps the G20E is intended for all three cars? Another piece of the puzzle is whether the new engine will replace the three-cylinder G16E found in the GR Yaris, GR Corolla, and the lesser-known Lexus LBX Morizo RR crossover.
For something with double the cylinder count, the GR GT3 race car is getting a road-legal Lexus counterpart with a big V8, or so we’ve heard. The “LFR” made a surprise appearance earlier this month at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, hinting at its impending arrival.
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