To Toyota, the compact GR Yaris hatchback is considered a hero car. Although it is not available in the U.S. (unlike its counterpart, the GR Corolla, which features the same 1.6-liter turbo engine!), the GR Yaris has achieved considerable success since its 2020 debut.
It has won numerous accolades, including the 2021 UK Car of the Year and Jeremy Clarkson’s Car of the Year. Its World Rally Championship (WRC) counterpart, the Yaris WRC, has secured five drivers’ titles and multiple manufacturers’ championships over the last eight years.
A Surprise Unveiling at the Tokyo Auto Salon
Now, Toyota plans to build on the GR Yaris’s legacy with something entirely new. At the Tokyo Auto Salon, Japan’s largest car customization event—and the third largest worldwide after the SEMA Show and Germany’s Essen Motor Show—Toyota’s racing division, Gazoo Racing, revealed the GR Yaris M Concept.
This new concept features a fresh engine and an innovative design, making it the standout reveal of the show.
GR Yaris M Concept: Mid-Engine and Turbocharged Power
The GR Yaris M Concept, unveiled in a world premiere at the Makuhari Messe complex, is built on two major changes from the standard all-wheel-drive GR Yaris hatchback.
First, it replaces the stock 1.6-liter, three-cylinder turbo engine with a new, more powerful 2.0-liter, four-cylinder turbocharged engine. Secondly, the engine has been relocated from the front to a mid-engined layout, driving the rear wheels.
New Turbocharged Engine and 600-HP Race Model
Toyota claims the new G20E turbocharged engine in the GR Yaris M Concept produces over 400 horsepower, while a race-spec version—intended for Japan’s Super GT Series and other motorsport events—will generate over 600 horsepower.
Given the immense power, sending 600 horsepower to just the rear wheels would likely result in traction challenges. It revealed that the car is not rear-wheel-drive, as initially suggested, but instead retains an all-wheel-drive (AWD) configuration.
GR Yaris’s chief engineer, Naohiko Saito, explained that the concept features a visible center coupling system that distributes power to all four wheels via JTEKT’s ITCC clutch mechanism, the same technology used in the standard GR Yaris.
When the multi-plate clutch is disengaged, the system theoretically sends all power to the rear wheels (0:100). When engaged, over 50% of the torque is sent to the front wheels, depending on demand.
The “M” in the M Concept stands for Morizo, the nickname of Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda. Saito revealed that it was Toyoda who recommended the switch to the 2.0-liter turbo engine and the decision to direct power to the front wheels, which is why the concept carries his name.
Speculation on Future Applications
Toyota has remained tight-lipped about how the GR Yaris M Concept might be used in the future, but one possibility is that the engine could power a new mid-engined sports car—potentially the next-generation MR2. Another possibility is that the engine might be adapted for use in a future WRC rally car, as engine regulations are expected to undergo significant changes by 2027.
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