Toyota displayed a camouflaged GR Yaris at this year’s Tokyo Auto Salon. Why camouflaged? Well, because this one is called the GR Yaris M Concept, and it has a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine located not underneath the bonnet… and it’s located behind the driver in a mid-engine configuration!
A mid-engined Toyota GR Yaris with a bigger engine? That’s wild! But don’t get your hopes up, because the GR Yaris M Concept probably won’t make it to production. That said, we think there’s a possibility that this could be a test bed for the heavily-rumoured next-generation mid-engined Toyota MR2, so all hope’s not lost, too…
The Toyota MR2, alongside the Celica and the Supra, was part of a trio of sports cars produced by Toyota in the 1990s. In its final iteration (the MK3), which was discontinued in 2007, the MR2 was powered by a 1.8-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine that sent 140 hp and 171 Nm to the rear wheels.
Not long ago, the Japanese carmaker filed a trademark for the Celica nameplate, which suggests that Toyota could be working on an all-new Toyota Celica. Now with the MR2 back in the conversation courtesy of the GR Yaris M Concept, it appears we might see the return of the “three brothers” sooner than later!
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Since the 2.0-litre engine, referred to as G20E, is currently under development, power and torque figures are not yet available. This mysterious engine could be a derivative of the next-generation engines Toyota is developing for its hybrid powertrains. Whether the GR Yaris M Concept is all-wheel drive or rear-wheel drive also remains a secret for now.
Toyota has announced that the GR Yaris M Concept will compete in the Super Taikyu Series. This will allow the company to further explore the potential of the GR Yaris platform and put the 2.0-litre engine through its paces.
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This gruelling race series will provide valuable real-world data and help Toyota understand the engine’s capabilities better, as they will be “repeatedly driven to failure and then repaired in the extreme conditions of racing.” Could this engine power the next-generation MR2 or even a future GR Yaris? We certainly hope so! It seems like a reunion of the “Three Brothers” could be on the horizon, and we’re excited at the prospect.
Closer to home, the facelift Toyota GR Yaris has just been unveiled in Malaysia recently, priced at RM315,600 for the six-speed manual variant. However, the eight-speed automatic variant introduced with the facelift will only be available here at a later date.
ALSO READ: 2025 Facelift Toyota GR Yaris launched in Malaysia from RM316k
