“Toyota “”GR Yaris 2-seater version”” is now available! Why “”quietly”” released? What is the rare grade that “”it is important to exist””?
What is the GR Yaris Light Package that was quietly launched?
There are some rare grades of the Toyota GR Yaris that have been added in secret.
One is the RS Light Package added on April 15, 2022, and the other is the RC Light Package added on June 3, 2022.
What are the specifications of each?
Toyota’s Serious “”GR Yaris”” – A Look at the Actual Car Evolving in a Subdued Way!
Toyota “”GR Yaris”” quietly added two types of “”Light Package””? Why?
The RS is an FF model equipped with an inline 3-cylinder 1.5-liter NA + CVT. It is positioned as a model that allows the “”seriousness”” of the GR Yaris to be experienced in a “”casual”” way, but we hear that many people participate in motor sports using this model. The bottleneck there is the “”vehicle weight.
The RS weighs 1,150 kg, 160 kg more than the Yaris (X grade), which has the same engine.
Naturally, the RS has better cornering performance, but not dynamic performance. Especially in rallying, where there are many low speeds and tight corners, weight has a big impact on acceleration.
The RS Light Package was added in response to such requests.
The weight of the RS was reduced by 20 kg by changing the wheels (from Enkei cast to BBS forged) and removing the stabilizer, resulting in a vehicle weight of 1130 kg.
Some may ask, “”Will the handling be fine without the sway bar?”” However, when the car is used in competitions, the suspension and other parts are replaced with external ones, so there should be no problem (of course, there is no problem in daily driving).
Incidentally, the carbon roof has been changed from a film to a marble pattern, but this is more for visual differentiation than weight reduction.
Although it may seem like “”just 20 kg,”” the engine of the RS is not so powerful at 120 hp/145 Nm, so it goes without saying that this light weight is a great weapon. The price is 3,124,000 yen compared to 2,650,000 yen for the RS.
The other is the “”RC Light Package,”” which is a base grade for motorsports, but the Light Package is a more radical specification, and its contents are quite outlandish.
First of all, the seating capacity was changed from four to two passengers, and the rear quarter glass, back door glass, rear spoiler garnish, and back door garnish were changed to lightweight products.
In addition, the silencer-less package, lightweight front seats, back door dampers, and other items not necessary for driving were removed without mercy.
The final touch is “”paintless”” as standard, and electrodeposition coating (rust-proofing paint) is available as an option.
Mr. Naohiko Saito, the development manager, says, “”When building a competition car, we remove the paint once and work on it, but we thought it would be better to offer the car without paint (……).
As a result, the car weighs 1170 kg, 80 kg lighter than the RC’s 1250 kg.
Meanwhile, engine compartment cooling ducts, a liquid lightweight battery, an oil cooler set (engine/transfer/rear differential), and 8.5J x 18 aluminum wheels (18-inch package) are available as options.
The price is 4.42 million yen compared to the RC’s 3.3 million yen. We have heard the scolding, “”Why is it so expensive with all the parts removed?”” We hear some scolding, “”The price is higher because we developed new lightweight parts. We expected that they would probably be angry with us (……).”” (Mr. Saito)
Why did you add the light package in the first place? It was because of our commitment to “”winning in motorsports.
In motorsports, there are various regulations depending on the category.
One of them is the minimum weight, which states, “”If multiple vehicle weights are specified for the same vehicle model, the minimum weight shall be applied as the vehicle weight of the vehicle in question.
Incidentally, the same applies to the 8.5J x 18 aluminum wheels that are available as an option for the RC Light Package: “”The wheels to be installed may have the maximum values for the diameter and width listed in the catalog for the same vehicle model,”” and if those wheels are available, more larger tires can be used (conventional 8.0J can be used up to 245, and 8.5J can be used up to 255).
In other words, GR Yaris users who currently compete in motorsports will benefit from the existence of the RS/RC Light Package.
In short, these two cars are grades whose purpose is not to sell a lot, but to exist.
Some people may think this is unpopular, but as long as there are rules, the idea is to do everything we can to win.
Mr. Saito said the following.
In the past, the Subaru Impreza WRX and Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution used similar methods to improve performance, but at the time Toyota was unable to do so.
But now it is different. This is proof that Toyota is now capable of doing this kind of thing …….””
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Incidentally, these two cars do not appear on the GR Yaris website at all, but are listed in the “”simplified catalog”” that can be found by clicking on “”Web Catalog”” at the bottom of the website. They are the rarest of the rare.”