Only 500 of these will be made
The Toyota GR Yaris is a seriously fun car, thanks to its sprightly turbocharged engine, lightweight body and sophisticated all-wheel-drive system. But Toyota Gazoo Racing believes there’s still room for improvement, so the company has taken the covers off the new GRMN Yaris at the Tokyo Auto Salon 2022.
So what is it? In Toyota’s own words, the GRMN Yaris is “a fully tuned model of the GR Yaris that has gone through rigorous refinement with professional drivers”. In case you didn’t know, GRMN stands for Gazoo Racing Meister of Nürburgring.
Compared to the standard GR Yaris, the GRMN edition is 10 mm wider, 10 mm lower and 20 kg lighter. Much of the weight saving comes from the carbon fibre hood, roof and rear spoiler, as well as the removal of the rear seats. The number of spot welds have increased by 545, resulting in a body with a higher rigidity.
The 1.6-litre turbocharged three-cylinder engine still churns out 272 PS as per the Japan-spec model but peak torque has been slightly bumped from 370 Nm to 390 Nm. The fan favourite six-speed manual transmission is retained but it has been upgraded with closer ratios and a lower final drive. Also thrown into the mix is a mechanical LSD.
Toyota will be offering three versions of the GRMN Yaris. It starts with the base model, which gets all the aforementioned goodies. Then, there’s a Circuit Package version that adds BBS 18-inch wheels, 18-inch brakes, Bilstein shock absorbers with adjustable damping, a carbon rear spoiler, side skirts and a lip spoiler.
The Rally Package version is even more hardcore, adding a GR shock absorber and short stabiliser link set, a GR under guard set and a GR roll bar. Unlike the Circuit Package which is installed at the factory, the Rally Package is a dealer-fitted option.
Prices start at 7,317,000 yen for the base GRMN Yaris, 8,467,000 yen for the Circuit Package and 8,378,764 yen for the Rally Package. However, only 500 of these will be made and each will be sold through a lottery system on the TGR website.
PRESS RELEASE
TOYOTA GAZOO Racing (TGR) premiered the “GRMN*1 Yaris” at Tokyo Auto Salon 2022 on January 14. Sales of a 500-unit limited edition model are expected to begin at GR Garages nationwide around summer 2022. The GRMN Yaris is a fully tuned model of the GR Yaris that has gone through rigorous refinement with professional drivers. In addition, a new program is to be activated that will deliver to customers the type of daily vehicle evolution and driver-tailored customization that takes place in motorsports.
Since its launch in September in 2020, the GR Yaris has been involved in various motorsports, such as the Super Taikyu Series where President Toyoda got behind the wheel as Morizo and participated with ROOKIE Racing, and the Japanese Rally Championship, where it won the season championship.
The GR Yaris has been refined through “driver first” car development. Issues under extreme use conditions are identified through driver feedback and quickly resolved. Each car can be tailored to the driver to evolve into a safe and easy-to-drive vehicle.
The development of the GRMN Yaris began from Morizo’s desire to “deliver cars to customers that evolve quickly and can be tailored to individuals like in the field of motorsports.” Using lessons learned from motorsports competition, body rigidity has been enhanced, weight has been reduced by approximately 20kg, overall width has been increased by 10mm for aerodynamic improvement, and vehicle height has been reduced by 10mm for a lower center of gravity. Also, it uses mechanical LSD, a close-ratio gear transmission, and a low final gear set, which has been improved through repeated “breaking and fixing”. The GR Yaris has evolved into a car that can be driven faster and with more peace of mind, with improved braking force, grip, cornering and following performance based on feedback from professional drivers.
Additionally, through the two Update Program and Personalization Program services, we will provide customers with “cars that evolve quickly and can be tailored to individuals” just like they are in motorsports. The GRMN Yaris offers the enjoyment of race-car like ongoing progress by achieving real-time car evolution for each race with the Update Program and driving experiences that that bring out performance through tailoring the car to the driver with the Personalization Program.
The reservation lottery for the GRMN Yaris will start today on the TGR Website, and cars will be sold at GR Garages nationwide around summer 2022. In addition to the basic grade, a Circuit Package focused on road performance based on feedback from the Super Taikyu will also be available. The Circuit Package is available in a special Matte Steel exterior color and will be sold as a 50-unit limited edition.
In addition, as a special dealer-installed option that can be added to the base grade, a Rally Package consisting of parts to enhance driving performance on all road surfaces, based on feedback from the All Japan Rally, will be available.
Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Prices
Price range: 7,317,000 yen to 8,467,000 yen
