As a symbol of TGR car-making, the GR Yaris was born through making ever-better motorsports-bred cars. TGR has continued to compete in various motorsports^*2 using the GR Yaris since the model’s launch in September 2020. That is because problems that occur in the extreme environments of rallies and other races provide opportunities to evolve the GR Yaris into an ever-better car. Under the slogan of “Thanks for breaking it” directed at the drivers who pushed the vehicle to its limits, TGR honed the GR Yaris through constant enhancements, thoroughly pursuing the cause of problems by analyzing driving data, reviewing steering feel, and examining what kind of scratches and dirt were on broken parts.

Also, based on Morizo’s desire to provide the fun of driving to as many people as possible and to expand the scope of motorsports, TGR has developed the 8-speed GAZOO Racing Direct Automatic Transmission to enable the utmost enjoyment of a 1.6-liter inline 3-cylinder turbo engine mated to a 4WD drivetrain, which forms the essence of the GR Yaris. The result is a car that is designed so that a wide range of drivers can enjoy sporty driving and competing in motorsports to the fullest.

TGR’s journey of making ever-better motorsports-bred cars is without end. TGR intends to continue competing in races using the GR Yaris and evolving it with input from various drivers.

Main features of the evolved GR Yaris

1. Newly developed 8-speed GAZOO Racing Direct Automatic Transmission

The 8-speed GAZOO Racing Direct Automatic Transmission was developed by honing it in motorsports and on various roads. This included TGR World Rally Team (TGR-WRT) drivers putting it through its paces on various road surfaces, such as snow-covered roads in Finland, and professional rally drivers exposing it to the challenge of competing in the Japanese Rally Championship. The transmission was also put to the test in the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Rally Challenge, which even beginners can easily enjoy, with Toyota Motor Corporation Vice Chairman Shigeru Hayakawa as a driver, and in the Super Taikyu Series, with Morizo behind the wheel. Through these and other efforts in which not only professional but also amateur drivers played roles in the repeated process of “breaking and fixing”, TGR achieved transmission speed and reliability that can be enjoyed by a wide range of people.

• The automatic transmission control software used has been optimized for sporty driving. While conventional gear shifting relies on sensing vehicle behavior, such as deceleration g-force, speed, etc., the optimized software also delicately senses the way the driver steps on the brakes and operates the accelerator. By doing so, it anticipates when gear shifting is necessary even before changes in vehicle behavior occur, realizing gear selection that reflects the driver’s intentions and, thus, leading to gear selection that is similar to how professional drivers shift gears.
• The use of highly heat-resistant friction material in the automatic transmission’s gear-shift clutch and enhancements to the transmission’s control software have resulted in world-class gear-shifting speeds.
• The use of close-ratio gears, made possible by increasing the number of gears by switching from a 6-speed manual transmission to an 8-speed automatic transmission, achieves driving that makes the most of the engine’s power band.
• The RZ “High performance” trim level is equipped with a Torsen^® LSD^*3 that enhances driving force control performance through accelerator operation.