Toyota has shown off a mid-engined version of the GR Yaris, hinting at a radical new development of its acclaimed hot hatch – or a future mid-engined sports car.
Named the GR Yaris M Concept, it swaps the GR Yaris's front-mounted 1.6-litre turbo triple for a new 2.0-litre turbo four mounted behind its rear seats.
This appears to be the new powerplant developed by Toyota as part of a deal with compatriots Mazda and Subaru, of which technical details remain under wraps.
Outputs are said to range from around 400bhp in road-going specification to 600bhp-plus in racing guise.
Power is sent through all four wheels and up to half of it can be transmitted to the front.
Toyota said it would enter the M Concept into Japan’s Super Taikyu racing series to stress-test the prototype engine “to failure”.
It will take feedback from drivers in the process, including company chairman Akio Toyoda’s racing alter ego, Driver Morizo.
This suggests that the M Concept may not hint at a further development of the GR Yaris but something altogether different. It's possible that it's actually a test mule for the long-mooted MR2 revival, which was reportedly green-lit for production last May.
Notably, the GR Yaris has a similar wheelbase to previous MR2s, at 2560mm: the Mk3 measured 2450mm from axle to axle, the Mk2 2400mm and the Mk1 2320mm.
It stands to reason that a modern interpretation of the famed mid-engined roadster would be a larger car than its forebears, bringing it closer to the GR Yaris in size.
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