At the 2025 Tokyo Auto Salon, Toyota’s booth is filled with exciting and aggressive little compact cars, showcasing the brand’s performance prowess. Among the stars are three specially tuned versions of the GR Yaris, each designed for a different kind of thrill—on both the street and track. But that’s not all—there’s also a fascinating collection of vintage cars, all owned by Akio Toyoda himself.

If you’ve been wondering why you haven’t seen a Toyota Yaris in the U.S. for six years, we get it. The subcompact may not be top of mind. But take a moment to check out these Yaris models at the Auto Salon, and we bet your perspective will change. You might even need a napkin for all the drool-worthy details.

First up is the GR Yaris, prepped for the famous Nürburgring. This isn’t just any Yaris—it’s a machine aimed squarely at competing in the Langstrecken Serie, where it will go head-to-head with up to 100 rivals, including Porsche Caymans and French hot hatches. Akio Toyoda, who runs under his racing alias “Morizo,” has put his personal touch on this Yaris. The car comes with Toyota’s new eight-speed performance-focused automatic transmission, making it a seriously tempting performance package for those who love street-to-track thrills. But wait, there’s more.

Next to it is the GR Yaris M concept, a wild take on the Yaris that’s sure to have MR2 fans buzzing. The “M” stands for “midship,” and this Yaris has a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine mounted behind the rear seats. While the standard GR Yaris and GR Corolla use a lively three-cylinder, this engine is something new, developed in an era where EVs are taking over. Toyota is planning to race this beast in Japan’s Super Taikyu series, where unusual and innovative concepts are the norm. The goal isn’t just to win but to test the limits of this design—pushing it to failure and back to refine the technology. While a production mid-engined GR Corolla seems unlikely, the engine could show up in other future Toyota models.

Finally, there’s the GR Yaris Aero Package, which Toyota is calling a concept vehicle—though in reality, many of the parts on this car are already available as factory options, like the rally-inspired vertical handbrake. The standout feature is its variable attack-angle rear wing, which can adjust to reduce drag in a straight line, much like Formula 1’s DRS system. It’s a subtle but effective design feature aimed at boosting performance on both the road and track.

Alongside these thrilling models, Toyota is also showcasing an array of Gazoo Racing upgrades and parts. From software tweaks to improve throttle response for the GR86, to competition-level parts for the GR Yaris, and even a new catalog of replacement parts for classic cars like the AE86 and Supra—Toyota is all in on performance, both past and present.

https://echowanderer.com/toyota-gazoo-racing-unveils-gr-yaris-concepts-and-vintage-cars-at-tokyo-auto-salon/