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Despite the expense of developing a limited-production performance model, Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda felt strongly that it was important for the company to still be represented at the WRC, so he authorised the development of the GR Yaris. Toyoda would later say that he saw the GR Yaris as a passion project of his, stemming from a desire for the automaker to develop and build a sports car purely of its own design, unlike the 86 (jointly developed with and built by Subaru) or the GR Supra (jointly developed with BMW and built by Magna Steyr).

Despite the expense of developing a limited-production performance model, Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda felt strongly that it was important for the company to still be represented at the WRC, so he authorised the development of the GR Yaris.

When the XP210 Yaris hatchback was developed, Toyota decided to only offer it in a five-door bodywork, as three-door hatchbacks had been diminishing in popularity. While the decision made financial sense, it posed a problem for Toyota's WRC team, which felt only a three-door hatch was suitable for competition.

Overview

When the XP210 Yaris hatchback was developed, Toyota decided to only offer it in a five-door bodywork, as three-door hatchbacks had been diminishing in popularity.

The Toyota GR Yaris (Japanese: トヨタ・GRヤリス, Toyota Jīāru Yarisu) is a performance-oriented variant of the XP210 series Yaris supermini/subcompact hatchback, in a segment commonly called the hot hatch. The vehicle is manufactured by Toyota with assistance from the company's Gazoo Racing (GR) division and being produced to meet World Rally Championship (WRC) homologation rules.

The Toyota GR Yaris (Japanese: トヨタ・GRヤリス, Toyota Jīāru Yarisu) is a performance-oriented variant of the XP210 series Yaris supermini/subcompact hatchback, in a segment commonly called the hot hatch. The vehicle is manufactured by Toyota with assistance from the company's Gazoo Racing (GR) division.