Toyota’s race and rally division revealed a trio of Gazoo Racing Yaris models at the 2025 Tokyo Auto Show, including one with an all-new engine mounted amidships.
The GR Yaris M Concept features a two-litre, four-cylinder motor in the boot, whereas the regular car uses a 1.5-litre triple up front. What’s more, while the road-going GR Yaris features a fancy all-wheel drive system, the M Concept is rear-drive only, following French hot hatches such as the Renault 5 Turbo and Clio V6.
The car is a testbed for the new engine, which has been developed in a joint venture with Mazda and Subaru, and is installed in a mid, transverse layout which would be perfect for Toyota’s next-generation sports car – a successor to the MR2. To put the new configuration through its paces Toyota will campaign the M Concept in the domestic Super Takyu Series. “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,” says a Toyota statement.
Morizo is the racing moniker of Toyota boss Akio Toyoda who will not only take the wheel of the M Concept but will also another GR Yaris when Toyota returns to the Nürburgring 24 Hour race in June 2025.
The third of the GR trio showcased an aero kit that customers will actually be able to buy, featuring six revised components for a more aggressive look and improved performance. There’s an adjustable rear wing, a vented bonnet, and new vents for the front and rear bumpers. Inside is a vertical handbrake that looks like it’s been lifted straight out of a WRC car. The new parts “have been developed together with professional drivers through an uncompromising approach to achieving targeted performance by addressing every single issue encountered during racing and circuit evaluations,” says Toyota.
