Mad mid-engined Toyota Yaris M Concept could go into production
The Yaris M Concept was revealed at the start of the year, and now Toyota is looking at how to turn the project into reality
Toyota is exploring how to turn its mid-engined Yaris M Concept into a production reality that would offer a modern interpretation of the madcap Renault Clio V6 launched at the beginning of this century.
The Toyota Yaris M Concept was revealed at the Tokyo Auto Salon in January with a new 2.0-litre high-performance engine and widely interpreted as a test-bed for a new MR2, with its mid-engined, rear-wheel drive layout. But GR project general manager Hiroyuki Yamada told Auto Express that, although there is a way to go, Toyota “hopes to sell” a mid-engined GR Yaris in the future.
“This year we will try and get the car ready to race, and then we will use that feedback. And as long as there is no big trouble or the performance isn’t good, we would consider it,” he said. Yamada admitted that the required four-wheel-drive layout adds another level of complication when developing the mid-engined monster, but those familiar with the concept have claimed that it’s even more agile to drive than the already highly regarded GR Yaris.
Yamada said Toyota has looked at the Porsche Cayman as an example of a sports car with a mid-engined layout. “Putting the engine in the middle has really transformed it, it’s a completely different story,” added Bart Eelen, head of TGR and Motorsports.
Depending on the progress of engineering the car, it could race in the Japanese Super Taikyu endurance championship in Japan later this year. Toyota has experience of trying new powertrains in the championship, with its GR performance arm having run a liquid hydrogen-powered GR Corolla – the first racing car in the world to use the fuel – in 2023, and a GR86 using synthetic fuels the previous year.
There’s no word yet on power or performance figures for a mid-engined Yaris, or when it might go into production. Toyota wouldn’t be drawn on pricing, but hinted that a mid-engined Yaris would be more mass-production than a high-end limited-edition model.
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