New Hot Hatch Yaris 2017

[Ant182]

Toyota Yaris hot hatch on the cards after WRC return

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Toyota is back in the World Rally Championship and the Yaris WRC competition car could spawn a production hot hatch

Toyota could join the hot hatchback ranks for the first time in more than a generation, if plans to support the firm’s newly announced rally campaign with a high-performance Toyota Yaris come to fruition.

The Japanese manufacturer is using its Fiesta rival to re-enter the WRC in 2017, 17 years after it last competed in the series with the Corolla. Rallying’s rules don’t force manufacturers to make fast road cars that are linked to the competition vehicles - but Toyota’s European President & CEO has said he wants more than just a marketing tie-up to acknowledge the return to WRC.

• Best hot hatchbacks to buy now

 

Speaking exclusively to Auto Express, Johan van Zyl said, “It’s no use doing motorsport if you can’t reflect it in your product. What you’ll see is that we want to totally integrate it into our offering. From the European side we would like to do something - to bring something to market that will reflect our participation in WRC.

 

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“I am also being a car person so I like to see that the people can really experience the joy of that - especially those who are real enthusiasts,” he added. “Lots of people like to wear the same Nikes as the athletes, even though they can’t run as fast.”

Any hot Yaris is likely to be based on the next generation of the car - so it won’t arrive until 2018 at the earliest. Toyota could opt to power the faster edition with a more potent version of the Yaris hybrid’s petrol-electric set-up. But another option is the 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol that features in the C-HR crossover raced by Toyota’s engineers at the Nurburgring earlier this year. That could produce up to 180bhp, giving the Yaris a motor to match the likes of the Polo GTi and Fiesta ST.

 

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Development of the hotter Yaris could be conducted under the guise of Toyota’s Gazoo Racing sub-brand. Previously a Japan-only motorsport enterprise, Gazoo was launched in Europe at the recent 2016 Paris Motor Show, and a WRC-influenced Yaris would be an ideal way of building its image in new regions. Indeed, the division has already experimented with the Yaris; it has prepared a couple of concepts over the past few years, and one of them featured a 180bhp turbocharged engine.

Van Zyl told us, “We want to create a global feel for motorsport and Gazoo stands for us wanting to learning from motorsport, and for developing excitement around cars. If you love cars, they shouldn’t just be for getting from A to B.”

 

I so want one and also, I'd love to try it out for sprinting lol

 

[Ant182]

Hi All

Have I just read this right a 1.8 supercharged? do we know why not a turbo? 

It's still great we are getting a Hot Hatch though.

Toyota's high-performance Yaris has been confirmed for a Geneva debut, and will be called the Yaris GRMN (standing for GAZOO Racing Masters of Nurburgring). The Yaris GRMN is the firm’s first hot hatchback for more than a decade and will boast more than 205bhp.

It will also be the only car in its class to use a supercharger rather than a turbocharger, and will feature a 1.8-litre petrol engine. That means the Yaris will trump most of its hot supermini rivals for power, including the standard Ford Fiesta and Peugeot's 208GTI by Peugeot Sport.

The car (plans for which were first revealed by Auto Express last October) will make its public debut at the 2017 Generva Motor Show in March. The hot Yaris is designed to coincide with the firm’s return to the World Rally Championship with its Yaris WRC.

The images reveal that it’s based on a three-door model of a facelifted version of the regular Yaris that will appear at the same time. The hot Yaris gets aggressive front and rear bumpers, side graphics in the colours of the new rally team and, most noticeably, a large spoiler mounted at the rear edge of the roofline.

Toyota has reorganised its performance car engineering set-up in preparation for the hot Yaris, switching the man responsible for the GT86 sports car to its GAZOO Racing sub-brand, which will oversee development.

In a statement issued on 14 December, Toyota announced that its Motorsport Unit Development and Sports Vehicle Management Divisions would merge into a Toyota GAZOO Racing Development Division. The move, Toyota says, is designed “to speed up development of the mass-production of sporty vehicles, as well as to facilitate knowledge feedback from racing car component development to mass-production vehicles”.

[FROSTYBALLS]

37 minutes ago, Ant182 said:

The Yaris GRMN is the firm’s first hot hatchback for more than a decade

What about the Auris T180/SR180?

[Ant182]

5 minutes ago, FROSTYBALLS said:

What about the Auris T180/SR180?

Not really up on my Auris's I've come across the E12 Corolla 1.8 Compressor, but my point is that will that be a heavy lump in a little car and all  other makers are using turbo's.

[Heidfirst]

http://blog.toyota.co.uk/high-performance-toyota-yaris-2017-geneva-motor-show

http://blog.toyota.co.uk/what-is-toyota-displaying-at-the-2017-geneva-motor-show

[Ant182]

1 minute ago, Heidfirst said:

http://blog.toyota.co.uk/high-performance-toyota-yaris-2017-geneva-motor-show

http://blog.toyota.co.uk/what-is-toyota-displaying-at-the-2017-geneva-motor-show

Thanks Scott, I just find it strange they have gone for  charger rather that turbo.

[FROSTYBALLS]

Not supposed to be any lag with a supercharger.

[Ant182]

2 minutes ago, FROSTYBALLS said:

Not supposed to be any lag with a supercharger.

it will be fun and with no lag it will be great, cant wait to have a test drive of one.

[Yarisfur]

I do wonder if the fact that they've used a comparatively high-displacement engine will make the Gazoo Yaris considerably heavier. A lot of current T-sport owners enjoy the Yaris because of its nimbleness than its outright power.

[Ant182]

15 minutes ago, Yarisfur said:

I do wonder if the fact that they've used a comparatively high-displacement engine will make the Gazoo Yaris considerably heavier. A lot of current T-sport owners enjoy the Yaris because of its nimbleness than its outright power.

That was my thinking, but maybe the new components are lighter than the old stuff.

[FROSTYBALLS]

Toyota did use a 131bhp 1.8 in the second generation Yaris SR, which was 80kg heavier than the 87bhp 1.3.

Does make me wonder whether the revised Yaris is a relatively short term model before a new Yaris comes out using the Toyota's Next Generation Architecture - it is now six years old.

[Ant182]

You could be on the right lines Mike, I was just thinking because GR made a turbo Yaris before for Japan they would have just re-used almost the same idea this time just with more power.

This GRMN was 150bhp

 

[mickburkesnr]

I wonder does the rear diffuser do anything more than just look nice?

[Ant182]

21 minutes ago, mickburkesnr said:

I wonder does the rear diffuser do anything more than just look nice?

It will be just for affect, I was going to look at importing one for myself until I got my MK3 SR, plus my GF won't let me have a 3rd Yaris lol.

[mickburkesnr]

If it went fast enough it could provide some sort of aerodynamic effect, but it'd be over 100mph before you felt it.

And tell me about it. Suggested getting a Toyota HiAce van to convert in to a camper van, I got a swift telling off for suggesting we a) buy a van and b) have 3 cars at home.

One day I'll just sneak it in, she won't notice.

[Ant182]

http://blog.toyota.co.uk/yaris-grmn-hot-hatch-revealed

A link to Toyota's blog on the Yaris Hot Hatch.

I love the seats.   

[FROSTYBALLS]

See also 

 

 

[Ant182]

What do you think of it Mike?

[FROSTYBALLS]

Certainly looks good. Uprated chassis and brakes. limited slip diff, etc. Shame they haven't given more info on performance.

Wonder if Toyota will also do a performance version of the Auris ....

[Ant182]

Yes my thoughts too, I hope they do a fast Auris as well  it would make a great BTCC car as Vauxhall have now come back into it with the Astra and we already have the Civic/Focus it would look good along with the Avensis, plus a few years back Sicon did a fast Auris prototype that look wicked.

I hope Toyota market this car properly and maybe do some drive days like Renault do and others as over the years I've been on loads of them and they are great.

Will love a test drive when it comes out.           

[FROSTYBALLS]

According to Auto Express, 0-62 in about 6 seconds - slightly quicker than the Fiesta ST. Price north of £20K. 

[Ant182]

That will be a handy tool with someone who can drive it quick, and I have my lotto ticket on ready for the 20k lol. 

[Ant182]

Does anybody know if Toyota have announced if the UK will get the Hot Hatch? as I ready an article yesterday that said up to now HQ have only confirmed Japan/Germany/France will get a 100 cars each.

I really hope we will get a 100 or more.  

[Steven86]

Just found here: 

Quote

No on-sale date has been given, but we’d expect early UK buyers of the Yaris GRMN to get their cars before the end of this year. Toyota GB is likely to be limited on production numbers, and the price should reflect that, with a starting figure north of £20,000.

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/toyota/yaris/97360/toyota-yaris-grmn-hot-hatch-makes-2017-geneva-show-debut

So, we get them

[Ant182]

4 hours ago, Steven86 said:

Just found here: 

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/toyota/yaris/97360/toyota-yaris-grmn-hot-hatch-makes-2017-geneva-show-debut

So, we get them

Well that's one bit of good news then that they will give the UK some, Just need to find £20.000 now or build my own and I hope the people that buy them look after it,  like the owners of cars like the GP Mini as they appreciate what it is.