GR Yaris M Concept to Make Racing Debut in the Super Taikyu Series at Okayama

Toyota City, Japan, October 25, 2025―Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota) will compete in Round 6 of the ENEOS Super Taikyu Series 2025 Empowered by BRIDGESTONE, to be held at Okayama International Circuit from October 25 to 26. Toyota will be racing with the #32 TGRR GR Yaris M concept, which made its world debut at Tokyo Auto Salon 2025^*1.

Vehicles such as the GR Yaris have a front-mounted engine, concentrating the load on the front tires during all driving operations of braking, steering, and acceleration. In circuit environments, this significantly affects tire wear and leads to a tendency for understeer^*2 when cornering at the limit due to reduced grip.

To fundamentally change that behavior and create a car that allows drivers to control it exactly as they intend, Morizo and the development team members decided―through participation in the Super Taikyu Series―to fundamentally review the car’s structure and weight distribution. The result was the GR Yaris M concept, which adopts a midship 4WD layout. The name “M concept” derives from the initial “M” of both midship and Morizo.

During development, the engine and transmission were relocated from the front to behind the driver’s seat, while the wheelbase and tread were optimized. The car is also equipped with the compact, high-output G20E engine, first unveiled at the Multipathway Workshop in May last year as part of ongoing efforts to expand the possibilities of internal combustion engines in the demanding field of motorsports.

As the team prepared to enter the race, they encountered difficulties inherent to a mid-engine car in braking, steering, and driving, and therefore did not compete in the previous Autopolis race. Over the following three months, drivers, engineers, and mechanics worked closely together, conducting repeated test runs and making broad improvements to the engine, body, and chassis. The team is now ready to compete at the Okayama round. By racing at circuits, breaking components, and gathering extensive feedback from the field, Toyota will continue making ever-better motorsports-bred cars.