In an era where most car manufacturers are downsizing engines, electrifying lineups, and focusing on autonomous technology, Toyota has dared to go the other way—by building a street-legal rally car. Meet the Toyota GR Yaris, a performance machine born not in a boardroom, but in the dirt and dust of the World Rally Championship (WRC). It’s a throwback to the days when road cars were created as homologation specials to support motorsport entries—and it’s one of the most exciting hot hatches on the market today.
A Rally Car for the Road
The GR Yaris isn’t just a sportier version of a regular Yaris. It’s an entirely different beast under the skin. Developed by Toyota Gazoo Racing, the brand’s motorsport division, the GR Yaris was built with one clear objective: to be a competitive base model for WRC.
Unlike the standard Yaris, the GR variant features a bespoke platform that combines the front end of the Yaris with the rear of the Corolla and C-HR. This unique architecture was necessary to accommodate all-wheel drive, wider tracks, and a double-wishbone rear suspension. Toyota went all-in, even going so far as to manufacture the car at a dedicated Motomachi plant in Japan—where the legendary Lexus LFA was once produced.
Powertrain and Performance
Under the hood lies one of the most impressive engines in recent memory: a 1.6-liter, three-cylinder turbocharged engine producing up to 268 horsepower and 273 lb-ft of torque (figures vary slightly depending on market). It’s the most powerful three-cylinder engine in a production car, and it propels the GR Yaris from 0 to 60 mph in around 5.2 seconds.
Power is sent to all four wheels via a six-speed manual transmission, with a clever GR-FOUR AWD system that can shift torque front to rear depending on driving mode and conditions. This isn’t your average all-wheel-drive system—it offers selectable torque splits (60:40 for Normal, 30:70 for Sport, and 50:50 for Track), allowing drivers to fine-tune the car’s behavior.
Lightweight and Built to Handle
Weight is the enemy of performance, and Toyota tackled it head-on. The GR Yaris tips the scales at just over 2,800 pounds, thanks to the use of aluminum body panels and a carbon-fiber polymer roof. That lightweight philosophy, combined with the short wheelbase and wide track, makes the GR Yaris feel like a proper rally car—agile, responsive, and ready to attack corners with tenacity.
Enthusiasts and journalists alike have praised the car’s dynamics. Steering is sharp and communicative, the gearbox offers short, mechanical throws, and the suspension provides a firm yet composed ride. Whether you’re navigating twisty B-roads or hammering through a gravel rally stage, the GR Yaris feels planted and alive.
Minimalist Yet Purposeful Interior
Inside, the GR Yaris is focused and functional. There’s nothing overly flashy—no massive screens or gimmicky tech. Instead, you get supportive sport seats, a grippy three-spoke steering wheel, and physical controls that make sense for a driver-focused car. The interior materials are good, if not luxurious, and everything is built with the kind of precision you’d expect from Toyota.
It also includes essentials like Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and a solid infotainment system, but the real tech highlights are hidden in the mechanical components—like the front and rear Torsen limited-slip differentials available on the Circuit Pack trim.
The Last of Its Kind?
In today’s performance car landscape, the GR Yaris is an outlier—and that’s what makes it so special. It doesn’t conform to trends. It doesn’t try to be everything to everyone. It’s a car designed for people who love driving, engineered with a passion that’s increasingly rare in modern automotive culture.
Toyota has taken a risk with this car—investing heavily in a niche, performance-focused model that won’t sell in huge volumes. But for enthusiasts, it’s a beacon of hope. It shows that there’s still room in the market for driver’s cars—machines that prioritize emotion, connection, and capability over mass appeal.
Not Sold in the U.S.—But Hope Remains
One frustrating caveat: as of now, the GR Yaris is not officially sold in the U.S. Toyota fans in America have had to look longingly from across the pond. However, Toyota did launch the GR Corolla, which borrows the GR Yaris’s engine and drivetrain—but in a larger, U.S.-friendly package. Still, the Yaris’s raw, rally-bred character is something uniquely its own.
Final Thoughts
The Toyota GR Yaris isn’t just a great hot hatch—it’s a statement. It proves that even in an age of electrification and automation, there’s still room for passion projects built by people who care about driving. It’s fast, focused, and fun in a way that few cars are today. If you have a chance to drive one, do it. And if you’re lucky enough to own one, cherish it—because cars like this don’t come around often.
Hello, my name is Muskan Kumari and I am an experienced Digital Marketer. I have been blogging for the last 3 years and I have special interest in SEO. Here I give you easy bikes and writes easy-to-understand reviews and news about the latest bikes, helping readers choose the best options.. My aim is to always provide you with accurate, new and useful information.
