WRC-inspired Toyota GR Yaris hot hatches get performance boost and special livery
Two hotter takes on the latest Toyota GR Yaris hatchbacks have been revealed at the 2023 Tokyo Auto Salon, offering buyers even more performance while paying tribute to recent successes in WRC.
The first, the Toyota GR Yaris High-Performance Sebastien Ogier Edition Concept, is said to mark works driver Ogier’s win of the 2021 WRC drivers’ championship for Toyota Gazoo Racing.
Sharing centre stage is the Toyota GR Yaris High-Performance Kalle Rovanpera Edition Concept commemorating the Finnish driver’s 2022 WRC title.
Both cars come with an exclusive paint finish, with Ogier’s car sporting a silver hue combined with blue brake callipers, while the Rovanpera car gets a white, red, grey and black livery that matches the winning GR Yaris WRC racer.
As well as the usual extra rear graphics and badging there’s also a revised rear wing, while the cabin trim includes bespoke stitching.
Excitingly, under the bonnet both specials get upgraded versions of the already punchy 1.6-litre turbocharged three-cylinder engine.
Power remains pegged at 201kW, but torque has been raised from the standard car’s 370Nm to a more muscular 390Nm.
There’s been no confirmation on how this has affected performance, but to cope with the added torque the special GR Yaris twins are likely to have adopted the uprated six-speed manual transmission from the recently launched Toyota GR Corolla Morizo.
As well as the performance boost, both special-editions are also said to feature recalibrated 4WD modes developed by each driver.
Both the GR Yaris Ogier and GR Yaris Rovanpera are set to go on sale in Japan this year.
There’s no word yet if Toyota plans to export the two specials, or if the engine upgrades preview incoming updates.
Joining the Ogier and Rovanpera WRC tributes in Tokyo, Toyota also debuted some of the fresh dealer-fit upgrades it will soon offer in some markets.
These include a new steering wheel, gear lever, handbrake lever and seats.
Externally, a concept on stand also showed off the new Gazoo Racing-developed carbon-fibre bonnet that features extra NACA cooling ducts.
Other tempting performance upgrades include a set of track-focused dampers and a new rear carbon-fibre anti-roll bar.
The final GR Yaris on stand was a new racer built to the new Rally2 regulations that will compete in the 2023 Japanese Rally Championship.
Join the conversation at our Facebook page Or email us at [email protected]
Keyword: Rally-themed Toyota GR Yaris editions revealed