Toyota GR Yaris 'GRMN' spied again

If the Toyota GR Yaris is too much of a wallflower for your tastes, the hotter version spied overnight at the Nurburgring might be worth considering.

We’re not sure what this even more hardcore version of the GR will be named, but it could wear the GRMN badge.

A prototype very similar to this car was spied back in October 2020. The main change since then is the addition of some glossy black plastic on the section of the side sills that flow into the rear fenders.

The vehicle spied today looks a little more finished, and has fewer testing modules attached to it.

Other changes from the standard GR Yaris include canards at the front corners, and a large plastic-shrouded vent behind the front wheel arches.

At the rear there’s a large spoiler extending from the top of the tail lights to well beyond the top of the tailgate.

Given tuners have managed to extract more power and torque from the 1.6-litre triple powering the GR Yaris, it would be surprising if Toyota didn’t include more spuds in this car’s diet.

The standard GR Yaris has a 1.6-litre turbocharged three-cylinder engine cranking out 200kW and 370Nm. It’s connected to all four wheels via a six-speed manual transmission.

It’s also possible Toyota will further improve performance by reducing weight.

The automaker could do this by stripping out the rear seats, removing insulation, and deleting creature comforts.

Our spy photography agency believes the prototype it snapped today was being driven by José María López, a member of Toyota’s Gazoo Racing team.

He was one of three drivers who steered a Toyota GR010 Hybrid to victory at this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans.

MORE: Everything Toyota Yaris