Toyota’s New Mid-Engined GR Yaris Is Looking More And More Like The New MR2
A Hot Hatch with a Very Big Secret
Strip away the dizzying Gazoo Racing livery, ignore the towering carbon-fibre rear wing, and look past the aggressive front canards. What appears to be yet another hardcore evolution of Toyota’s all-conquering GR Yaris is harbouring an open secret: the engine is no longer where it ought to be.
Toyota has taken its celebrated pocket rocket, pulled out the rear bench, and mounted its turbocharged powertrain squarely in the middle. While masquerading as an extreme track machine, this unconventional test mule is increasingly looking like the foundation for something petrolheads have begged for over the last two decades: the resurrection of the MR2.
The Return of ‘Mister Two’
Ever since Toyota chairman Akio Toyoda reignited the brand’s performance pedigree with the GR Supra and GR86, enthusiasts have waited for the completion of the Japanese giant’s classic sports car triumvirate. The only missing piece has always been the lightweight, mid-engined runabout affectionately dubbed “Mister Two.”
Instead of building a ground-up concept car to show off to crowds, Toyota’s Gazoo Racing engineers appear to be doing things the proper, old-school way. By cramming a mid-mounted drivetrain inside the truncated, ultra-rigid chassis of a modified Yaris, development teams can benchmark handling characteristics, cooling demands, and chassis stiffness in genuine motorsport conditions.
What the Mule Tells Us
- Mid-ship packaging: The rear cabin has been comprehensively re-engineered to house the engine and transmission right behind the driver, providing the classic mid-engine weight distribution.
- Proven firepower: The vehicle almost certainly harnesses Toyota’s fire-breathing G16E-GTS 1.6-litre three-cylinder turbo, a featherweight engine already capable of punching out north of 300 horsepower.
- Rear-wheel drive potential: Freeing the front axle from drive duties allows engineers to focus on pinpoint steering accuracy and a purer balance.
The Perfect Camouflage
Car manufacturers frequently use modified existing platforms to test radical new architectures without drawing unnecessary fanfare from rival brands. The GR Yaris is particularly well-suited for this clandestine mission, sharing an ultra-short wheelbase and a wide track that closely matches the footprint of a compact, two-seater mid-engine sports car.
If these development runs yield the results Gazoo Racing is chasing, the days of mourning the lightweight sports car might finally be numbered. While battery-heavy electric supercars dominate headline space, Toyota is quietly laying the groundwork for an analogue, mid-engined hero tailored directly for people who actually love driving.