Toyota Auris - Rally car?

[FROSTYBALLS]

See http://blog.toyota.co.uk/does-the-toyota-auris-make-a-good-rally-car

[mickburkesnr]

I was going to say "It's good, but it's not quite a Corolla" until I read it's a Corolla in America.

Still, great advertisement for the car and brand. Might consider getting one myself!

[Beekeeper D]

Quote

Using lessons learned in this shakedown, protective plates were added to the underside to protect key components from rocks and hard landings. The ride height was also raised to provide a safety cushion of extra ground clearance. Interestingly, the team’s chassis engineers were able to use production components from other Toyota vehicles to upgrade the suspension of the Auris.

Interesting indeed. 

Doubtless the details would be even more interesting! 

[FROSTYBALLS]

For some markets, Toyota have done 'Rough Road' versions of the first and second generation Auris with different tyre fitments, etc for some time. Same applies to the Avensis, Aygo, Verso and Yaris.

[craggle]

Shame they don't make a two door version, 4 door rally cars never quite look right and I should think it's a bendier body than it would be in a two door version. I know roll cages go a long way to stiffening things up though.

On a similar vain I always fancied a hybrid Yaris but once again, only 4 doors available in the hybrid version?

Craig.

[FROSTYBALLS]

Presumably the sales volumes of the three door first generation Auris weren't sufficient enough for them to continue in the UK beyond the 2010 facelift.

The van version of the second generation is five doors as well - https://www.toyota.ie/models/auris-van/index.json

[TomdeGuerre]

Interesting stuff, I’ve always wondered about the potential of that little 1.6 engine and what it would be like stripped of its green credentials. Mines is bog standard, it starts readily summer or winter, quite happily does shopping trips with her “driving” it and never puts a foot wrong, it idles demurely about 650 rpm in traffic and you can hardly hear it. On the other hand the red band of the rev counter doesn’t even start until 6,500 and goes all the way round to 8,000 rpm and even with the CVT box it can motor. 

Before it was ready for anything even half serious though they’d need to do something with that numb electric steering and beef up the back multi link suspension, it’s too flimsy in fact I preferred the torsion box rear suspension on my last SR.
 

Quite agree with Craggle's point about the 3 door body Shell.

[Heidfirst]

it's a 1.8 (137bhp) engine as standard for the Corolla iM in the USA.