Toyota To Return To WRC in 2017 With Race-Spec Yaris

Toyota Motorsport GmbH has announced a WRC comeback for the 2017 season with a specially prepared Yaris. The last time we saw Toyota at the WRC stage was in 1999 and after 17 years we will see them back in action.

Toyota will use a heavily modified Yaris which has already finished a preliminary test program throughout Europe's tarmac and gravel stages. The car will compete in the 2017 WRC season and will have a inline-four turbocharged 1.6-litre petrol engine developing around 300 bhp at 6,000 rpm and 420 Nm of torque at 8,500 rpm channeled to the wheels through a six-speed sequential gearbox.

In its WRC avatar, the Toyota Yaris in WRC specification is 3910mm long and 1820mm wide and rides on 17-inch (for gravel) and 18-inch (for tarmac) wheels wrapped around Michelin tires. Brakes specification stands at 300m discs (gravel) and 335mm discs (tarmac) while the race-spec clutch is provided by ZF Sachs.

The car has been developed by Toyota Motorsport GmbH in Cologne, Germany and has been tested so far by 27-year-old Eric Camilli who has been selected to take part in a junior development scheme. The car will also be tested by Sebastian Lindholm and Toyota WEC driver Stephane Sarrazin.