On January 10th, 2025, the custom car festival, Tokyo Auto Salon 2025, was held at Makuhari Messe in Chiba Prefecture. Among the many fascinating vehicles on display, what attracted the most attention at the Toyota Gazoo Racing (TGR) booth was the evolution of the GR Yaris and information about the next-generation Celica.
The GR Yaris is an iconic Toyota sports car, incorporating technology cultivated in the WRC (World Rally Championship). Since its debut in 2020, it has captivated many car fans with its outstanding driving performance and development philosophy directly derived from motorsports. At the Tokyo Auto Salon 2025, the GR Yaris M Concept, a concept model that hints at further evolution of the GR Yaris, was unveiled, generating a great deal of buzz.
GR Yaris and Next-Generation Celica: Outlook for Toyota’s Sports Car Strategy
GR Yaris
- The evolved “GR Yaris M Concept” was unveiled at Tokyo Auto Salon 2025.
- It uses a midship 4WD structure.
- Equipped with a 2.0L turbo engine for increased power.
- Equipped with aero parts that improve aerodynamic performance.
- Feedback is provided based on practical experience gained in the Super Taikyu Series.
- Participate in the 2025 Nürburgring 24 Hours race.
- The team will compete in a special model equipped with the new G20E engine.
- The knowledge gained through motorsports activities is fed back into production vehicles.
- A wide range of customization parts are available, allowing owners to customize the car to their liking.
Next-generation Celica
- It is currently being developed with a midship (MR) layout, using the mechanisms of the GR Yaris.
- Equipped with the sports AWD system “GR-FOUR”.
- The powerful engine and AWD system deliver high driving performance.
- There is also a possibility that an electric motor will be used for front drive.
- Expect an aggressive design reminiscent of the fifth-generation ST180 and ST200 models.
- Equipped with the latest safety technology and comfort features.
Toyota’s Sports Car Strategy
- Through the GR brand, we link motorsports activities with commercial vehicle development.
- Technology developed in motorsports is fed back into commercial vehicles.
- Developing an emotional, high-performance sports car.
GR Yaris M Concept
GR Yaris M Concept
The GR Yaris M Concept’s most distinctive feature is its mid-engine 4WD configuration, with the engine positioned in front of the rear axle. The previous 1.6L turbo engine has been upgraded to a more powerful 2.0L turbo engine, and development is proceeding based on actual racing experience gained in the Super Taikyu series. This bold change represents a challenge to maximize the driving performance of the GR Yaris, and demonstrates Toyota’s strong commitment to sports car development.
GR Yaris M Concept
The GR Yaris M Concept has been refined not only in its engine, but also in its aerodynamics. Ducts added to the front hood, front lip, and fender ducts contribute to improving airflow efficiency and cooling performance, and are designed to maximize the car’s potential on the circuit. The adjustable rear wing and under-fuel tank cover (blue flowing version) allow for adjustment of downforce, delivering optimal aerodynamic performance in all conditions. These aero parts incorporate technology developed in motorsports, and there is a high possibility that they will be released commercially in the future, creating high expectations among many GR Yaris owners.
GR Yaris M Concept
Equipped with a new engine, the G20E engine
The evolution of the GR Yaris has been born from challenging grueling motorsports such as the WRC and the Nürburgring 24 Hours race. In 2025, the GR Yaris will compete in the Nürburgring 24 Hours race for the first time in six years. It will be a special model equipped with the new G20E engine, aiming to complete the race. The knowledge gained from the race will be fed back into the production car, and the GR Yaris will evolve into an even faster, stronger, and more attractive sports car.
Along with the evolution of the GR Yaris, Toyota sports car fans are excited about the return of the legendary Celica. The Celica, whose first model debuted in 1970, has long been beloved as a two-door hardtop specialty car. Up until the fourth generation, which debuted in 1985, the car had a rear-wheel drive (FR) layout, but from the fifth generation, which debuted in 1989, until the seventh generation, which ceased production in 2006, the car had a front-wheel drive (FF) layout.
Expectations for the next Celica
Toyota Supra
There is information that the next-generation Celica, the eighth generation, will use the GR Yaris’s mechanisms and be developed with a mid-engine (MR) layout. By combining the GR-FOUR sports AWD system, which has proven itself in the GR Yaris, with a powerful engine, it is expected to achieve unprecedented levels of driving performance. It is also possible that the drivetrain will remain AWD, with an electric motor being used for front drive.
The next-generation Celica is expected to have an aggressive design reminiscent of the fifth-generation ST180 and ST200 models that competed in the WRC in the past. As a GR brand sports car, it will have styling that inherits the Celica tradition while adding a modern interpretation.
Toyota’s Sports Car Strategy
The evolution of the GR Yaris and the arrival of the next-generation Celica mark an important step in Toyota’s sports car strategy. By feeding back technology cultivated in motorsports into production vehicles, you can sense Toyota’s strong determination to create even more emotional, higher-performance sports cars. There is no doubt that the GR Yaris and the next-generation Celica will excite sports car fans around the world.
A word from the editorial department
The evolution of the GR Yaris and the arrival of the next-generation Celica are great news for Toyota sports car fans. The GR Yaris is a symbol of Toyota’s sports cars, incorporating technology cultivated in the WRC. The next-generation Celica is expected to adopt a mid-engine layout based on the GR Yaris’s mechanisms. There is no doubt that the GR Yaris and the next-generation Celica will excite sports car fans around the world. How will Toyota pave the way for the future of sports cars through the evolution of the GR Yaris and the introduction of the next-generation Celica? Attention will be focused on future developments.
Toyota News Release
