The Super Taikyu Series will have to go on without one of the most highly anticipated entries. The new mid-engine Toyota GR Yaris isn’t quite ready yet.
The highly anticipated GR Yaris M Concept, a compact, mid-engine sports prototype, will miss its planned Super Taikyu Series debut due to persistent challenges in braking, steering, and overall vehicle dynamics unique to midship-mounted layouts. Toyota confirms it’s actively refining the concept for future competition and remains committed to eventually taking the car to the track. This is bad news with an underlying bit of good news on the horizon.
The GR Yaris M Concept is the testbed
Toyota is using this concept as the testbed for a compact mid-engine sports car platform that could revolutionize the brand’s sports car market for the future. This car was expected to make a debut in 2025, but that doesn’t seem to be likely any longer. Several developmental challenges have delayed the compact racing machine from hitting the track. If the GR Yaris M Concept becomes a reality, it could serve as the platform for future Toyota racing vehicles, ensuring the brand can continue to compete at the highest levels of racing.
Facing challenges directly
This new mid-engine version of the GR Yaris challenges Toyota engineers to do things much differently than they have in recent years. The company stated the challenges are directly related to midship-mounted vehicles in terms of braking, steering, and driving. This has caused the new car to miss racing in Japan’s Super Taikyu Series, which is when the car was scheduled to debut. Rather than put the car on the world stage where it could embarrass the company, Toyota chose to refine it further to make it right and better. They have their sights on entering the car in future races.
Will the car be ready for any races?
The Super Taikyu Series consists of seven rounds, and there are two final races still on the schedule in October and November. These races will take place at Okayama International Circuit on October 26 and at Fuji Speedway on November 16-17. Despite unveiling the GR Yaris M Concept in January, the car has not made it to any races, but maybe it will make it to one of these final two races in the series.
The new GR Yaris M Concept comes with a new G20E engine with an IHI turbocharger that allows the tiny racing car to produce 400 to 450 horsepower. There will also be a higher-powered version with a larger turbocharger that will produce as much as 600 ponies, making it powerful, light, fast, and fun.
Small mid-engine sports cars have faced issues in the past
The Pontiac Fiero was a fun and enticing car from the mid-1980s that was developed to be active on the road and track. This small, mid-engine car had some serious issues right from the start. It had a three-quart oil pan instead of a four-quart size during the first model year. This caused the engine to run hot when the car was low on oil, meaning owners had to pay close attention to how much oil was in their engines. It also had weak connecting rods and a wiring harness mounted too close to the exhaust manifolds. This last problem caused one in every 400 Fiero cars from 1984 to catch fire, and GM didn’t recall the vehicle until 1987.
Why is it difficult for Toyota to get this car right?
The new Toyota GR Yaris M Concept is hard to perfect because of some of the same challenges that face other mid-engine cars. These vehicles have a low center of gravity, which improved stability, but makes them harder to control during spins. Typically, mid-engine cars are more expensive to build, which is why most of them come from high-end exotic names like Lamborghini, Ferrari, McLaren, and Aston Martin.
Most mid-engine cars are larger than the Yaris, which gives automakers much more room and fewer restrictions in building them. The added expense of these cars is expected, which is another challenge for Toyota. Parts for mid-engine cars are more difficult to get, which means repairs come at a higher price.
The new GR Yaris M Concept will feel like a revival of the mid-engine MR2 sports car. This has many people excited about the car, but the slow development is problematic.
The Toyota GR Yaris M Concept is coming
A new Toyota mid-engine sports car is on the way, and the company hasn’t pulled the plug yet. This car is the testbed for a car that could be similar to the old MR2. There might not be an MR2 revival, but this Yaris could be part of the Super Taikyu Series racing before the end of the year. Even if it doesn’t make it this year, it might be ready for the seven-race season next year.
The struggles with a compact mid-engine sports car concept make sense, but Toyota has been successful with such a car in the past, which should give you confidence that this car might be offered in the near future. Toyota is carefully navigating the obstacles of performance, reliability, and affordability for the new GR Yaris M Concept to ensure it can be a great sports car that appeals to its customer base.
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