The Yaris Club project pays tribute to Toyota’s racing heritage harkening back to the late ‘60s when Toyota challenged for the Group 7 category of Can-Am racing with the Toyota 7.

The Yaris Club is a stripped-down, no-nonsense car with no extras – only what is needed to perform. The roof has been removed and the windshield lowered. With the interior removed, a tonneau was fabricated, turning the Yaris into a single seater with a fairing that doubles as a driver headrest.

A supercharger, exhaust headers and a free-flowing exhaust were added for performance to back up the good looks. The suspension was lowered by two inches with front and rear coil-over shocks and larger brakes added.

The Yaris Club was developed by Five Axis in Huntington Beach, Calif.

FIVE AXIS DESIGN YARIS CLUB SPECIFICATIONS

01 EXTERIOR
• Five Axis Design Hard Top Tonneau Conversion
• Toyota JDM Front and Rear Vitz RS Bumpers
• Toyota JDM Vitz Rear taillight and Fog Light
• TRD JDM Vitz RS Front Bumper Cover
• Vintage Ivory White Paint with Asymmetrical Graphic Racing Stripe
• Graphic Outputs by Sticky Fingers Design
02 ENGINE
• TRD/TTE Supercharger with Cold Air Intake
Estimated (+60hp) 166hp Total
• DC Sports Tuned Header
• TRD Radiator and Oil Cap
• Hose Techniques Silicon Hoses and Clamps
03 EXHAUST
• GReddy TIC Exhaust
04 WHEELS
• FIVE:AD S6:F Wheels
F: 17x7.5, +45
R: 17x7.5, +45
Satin Gunmetal Finish
05 TIRES
• Yokohama / Five Axis Design Custom Tread
F: 225/45R17
R: 225/45R17
06 SUSPENSION
• Tein Super Street Damper
• TRD Strut Brace
07 BRAKES
• GReddy Mini 6 Piston Brakes
F: 282mm x 22mm
R: 282mm x 22mm
08 INTERIOR
• Five Axis Design Custom Roll Cage
• Custom TRD JDM Gauge Pod
• TRD JDM Engine Starts Button
• Sparco 345 Steering Wheel
• Sparco Race Red Shift Knob
• Sparco Reflex Racing Pedals
• Upholstery by Salt Turin Upholstery
09 SEATS
• Sparco Sprint 5 Racing Seat
• Sparco 6PT Racing Harness

New Yaris builds on the model's key strengths, with a more dynamic design and improved quality

Efficient powertrains, innovative Multidrive S transmission and greater agility

Affordable multimedia connectivity with Toyota Touch and Go

Four grades – T2, TR, SR and T Spirit

On the road prices start from £11,170

Available to order now, first deliveries to customers in September

The launch of the third generation Yaris opens a new chapter in the model's UK success story.

The current Yaris won praise for its roomy interior, durability and versatility, the efficiency of its engines and its easy-to-drive character around town. New Yaris will consolidate these strengths and go further to offer sharper, contemporary styling, a step-up in quality, even greater agility and a breakthrough in affordable multimedia connectivity with Toyota Touch and Go.

Toyota Touch and Go

Positioned at the heart of the small car market, new Yaris will appeal both to technology-focused customers and those motorists for whom quality, practicality and value for money are the key considerations when choosing a new car.

The Toyota Touch audio system, including touchscreen controls, is fitted as standard to all but the entry level new Yaris model in the UK, additionally providing Bluetooth, a USB port and a rear parking camera. This can be upgraded to the Toyota Touch and Go system which provides full map satellite navigation and access to a range of connected information services that can be accessed and downloaded via a dedicated Toyota customer portal.

Powertrains

New Yaris continues with the successful mixture of powertrains featured in the previous generation model: 1.0 and 1.33-litre petrol units and a 1.4-litre D-4D turbodiesel.

All engines benefit from the application of Toyota Optimal Drive, a range of engineering and design technologies which, combined with weight-saving measures and aerodynamics improvements, help cut fuel consumption and emissions without harming power and torque levels.

Toyota's three-cylinder 1.0-litre VVT-i petrol is a textbook example of miniaturisation, a reference point for compact, efficient engineering. Working with a five-speed manual transmission, the latest version of the 998cc unit generates 68bhp at 6,000rpm and maximum torque of 93Nm at 3,600rpm. Fuel consumption has been improved by four per cent to 58.9mpg* and CO2 emissions are down by seven per cent to 111g/km*.

The 1.33-litre Dual VVT-i engine is also light and compact, with a small bore and long stroke to give a very high power-to-weight ratio. It generates 98bhp at 6,000rpm and, at the peak of a gentle torque curve, 125Nm at 4,000rpm. When matched to the new Multidrive S transmission, fuel economy is 56.5mpg* and CO2 emissions are 118g/km*.

Multidrive S, Toyota's latest continuously variable transmission (CVT), features a manual override, sequential seven-step mode that the driver can operate using either the gearshift lever or paddle shifts on the steering wheel.

The 1.4-litre D-4D engine is fitted as standard with a diesel particulate filter (DPF) and is matched to a six-speed manual transmission. It produces 89bhp at 3,800rpm and maximum torque of 205Nm between 1,800 and 2,800rpm. For new Yaris, combined cycle fuel economy has been improved by seven per cent to 72.4mpg* and CO2 emissions are six per cent lower at 104g/km*.

* Guideline figures prior to official homologation.

UK range and prices

New Yaris will be offered in the UK in four grades – T2, TR, SR and T Spirit – which deliver an emphatic combination of high specification, quality and great value for money. Cars are available to order now, with first deliveries to customers from mid-September.

The heart of the range is the TR. Expected to command two thirds of new Yaris sales, it is available with all engine and transmission combinations, in three and five-door bodystyles. Key features of the TR include15-inch alloy wheels, air conditioning, Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) and Toyota Touch with touchscreen audio controls, Bluetooth and rear parking camera

The SR, available exclusively with the 1.33-litre Dual VVT-i petrol engine, has a sportier profile with a range of interior and exterior styling elements. Equipment highlights include 16-inch alloy wheels, rear roof spoiler, front fog lamps, part-leather upholstery, rear privacy glass and lowered suspension.

T Spirit focuses on premium features and is available in five-door format with the 1.33- litre Dual VVT-i petrol engine. Principal equipment of the T Spirit grade includes a panoramic glass roof, dual-zone climate control, automatic headlights and windscreen wipers, auto-dimming rear view mirror and smart entry and start.

On-the-road prices for new Yaris start at £11,170. Insurance groups will be announced in August.

MODEL ENGINE OTR PRICE
T2 3dr 1.0 VVT-i 5MT £11,170
T2 5dr 1.0 VVT-i 5MT £11,670
TR 3dr 1.0 VVT-i 5MT £12,260
TR 3dr 1.33 Dual VVT-i 6MT £12,760
TR 3dr 1.4 D-4D 6MT £14,260
TR 5dr 1.0 VVT-i 5MT £12,760
TR 5dr 1.33 Dual VVT-i 6MT £13,260
TR 5dr 1.33 Dual VVT-i 6MT MDS £14,260
TR 5dr 1.4 D-4D 6MT £14,760
SR 3dr 1.33 Dual VVT-i 6MT £13,335
SR 5dr 1.33 Dual VVT-i 6MT £13,835
SR 5dr 1.33 Dual VVT-i MDS £14,835
T Spirit 5dr 1.33 Dual VVT-i 6MT £14,385
T Spirit 5dr 1.33 Dual VVT-i MDS £15,385

Toyota still isn't showing official photos of the new Yaris, but at least now we know how much the new one will cost -- and it will be more than key rivals.

The automaker announced today that the new model, the second-smallest car in its U.S. lineup, will start at $14,115 for the two-door hatchback, excluding a $760 destination fee. That's about $1,000 more than the 2011 model; the four-door hatch starts at $15,140 (up $1,685). There's no next-generation sedan model, at least not at launch.

That entry price makes the Yaris four-door hatchback more expensive than almost all its competitors: the 2012 Chevrolet Sonic ($14,635), 2011 Honda Fit ($15,100) and 2012 Hyundai Accent ($14,595). Only the 2012 Ford Fiesta costs more ($15,500).

Maybe it will look better. That's the picture, above, of the concept that was rolled out at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this year, hinting at its new appearance.

Toyota says that price increase includes $1,000 worth of new standard equipment compared with the outgoing model:

Toyota says that extra standard equipment includes many of the features that come with the 2011 Yaris' "Convenience Package," such as a split-folding rear seat, CD player and larger windshield washer fluid tank.

Yes, we know how much a larger washer fluid reservoir makes you want to shell out an additional $1,000.

The two-door body style comes only in base L trim with either a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmission, a $725 option. The four-door hatchback comes in L, LE and a sporty SE trim. The SE trim has an "enhanced tuned" suspension, Toyota says.

The next-generation Toyota Yaris goes into production at the end of this month.

SALAMANCA, Mexico -- Toyota Motor Corp. will add Mazda’s fuel-efficient Skyactiv engine to its tiny stable of borrowed powerplants when it sources a new Mazda2-based subcompact from Mazda’s just-opened assembly plant here.

The car will get Toyota-designed sheet metal on the outside but Mazda’s high-compression, fuel-injected Skyactiv gasoline engine under the hood, said Keishi Egawa, CEO of Mazda’s operations in Mexico and director of its plant here.

“They will make model-specific investment for the Toyota vehicle,” Egawa said in an interview at last month’s factory opening. “Stamping, dies -- that is theirs,” he said, as well as “some of the interior design work.” But the Toyota spinoff will use “our engine,” he said.

50,000 a year

The factory will allocate about 50,000 vehicles for Toyota from its full annual capacity of 230,000 units. Output for Toyota is expected to begin after April 1, 2015, but before March 31, 2016.

Using Mazda’s Skyactiv engine may help Toyota burnish the appeal of its subcompact offerings. The car is pegged to replace the lackluster Yaris, the latest generation of which arrived in the United States in the fall of 2011 with a carryover engine and transmission. It would be one of only a few direct-injection engines at Toyota. Only select Lexus nameplates, the Scion FR-S and some Japan-market Toyota sedans, such as the Crown, use direct injection.

For Mazda, it means maximizing economies of scale at its Mexican operation. It also allows Mazda to promote its Skyactiv technology as the powerplant for a well-respected rival.

This year?

Mazda has not released details of the next-generation Mazda2, but it is expected to enter production in Mexico as early as the second half of this year. The company began producing the Skyactiv-equipped Mazda3 sedan and hatchback at the site in January.

While the Japan-market Mazda2 already offers a 1.3-liter Skyactiv engine, the current U.S. version does not get Skyactiv treatment. The next generation is expected to receive the whole set of Skyactiv technologies, including the new engine, transmission and chassis.

Mazda is migrating its entire lineup to the lightweight Skyactiv architecture, which aims to boost fuel economy while maintaining responsive driving dynamics. A key mission of the Salamanca plant is to further the penetration of the Skyactiv lineup in other markets.

Others' engines

A Toyota spokesman confirmed that Toyota’s Mexican-built spinoff of the Mazda2 will get a Mazda engine assembled on-site. He declined to comment on what other Skyactiv technologies, such as chassis components, would be used in the Toyota version.

Toyota is no stranger to using engines from other manufacturers, although it does so rarely. Its Scion FR-S uses an engine from Subaru-builder Fuji Heavy Industries, and its Verso minivan gets a diesel engine from BMW AG. The Lexus LFA sports car, which ended production in 2012, was powered by a V-10 engine from Yamaha Motor Co.

In October, Mazda will open an engine machining shop next to its Salamanca assembly plant. It will be flexible enough to machine any engine in Mazda’s lineup, gasoline or diesel. Supplying some of the engines to Toyota may help it achieve better economies of scale.

Mazda currently mounts only the 2.0-liter Skyactiv gasoline engine in the Mazda3s assembled in Mexico. Mazda3s with the 2.5-liter engine are manufactured in Japan.

Exterior

Custom TS Designs widebody
Matte pearl white & gloss black paint
Smoked rear taillights
Tinted windows

Suspension

Custom lowered
StopTech rotors
TRD Big Brake Kit

Wheels and Tires

20” x 10” Dropstars DS643 gloss black concave wheels
245/30/20 Nitto Invo tires

Interior

Sparco racing seats
Carbon-fiber interior accents
Black ultra-suede headliner
Red accents
Custom pearl white roll bar

Sound System
Complete DUB Edition audio
Amps: one DUBa11000D, one DUBa4100, one DUBa1450
Subwoofers: two DUBw10
Speakers: two DUBs265, two DUBs257
Apple iPad
Fiberglass enclosure with leather & painted accents

Toyota’s diminutive Yaris hatch has been discontinued for 2019 in the U.S. market, according to this report from carsdirect.com. While the Yaris/Vitz is celebrating its twentieth year in production worldwide, we’ve only had the car in this market since 2006. It was well known for being a cheap and fuel sipping offering as the recession and high fuel prices of the late 2000s hit, but sales have waned in recent years.

The name will continue on in Mazda 2-based sedan form, but the 5-door (which hasn’t had a meaningful mechanical update since it was introduced in 2006) is gone like yesterday’s meatloaf.

That Mazda-sourced artist-formerly-known-as Scion iA was kicked up to the Toyota brand with a stopgap rebranding as Yaris iA. The iA is now gone for good and it’s been re-rebranded as the only Yaris in the U.S. market. By all accounts, the Toyota-badged Mazda2 is actually a pretty good small sedan, and better to drive than the Yaris hatch was anyway. It is a shame, however, as pretty much all small hatchbacks have vacated the U.S. in recent years. If you’re looking for something with a big rear door, the Corolla hatch is about as small as you can get these days.

It is unlikely many people will miss this car, but considering it was the least expensive model in Toyota’s lineup will drive some small car shoppers further up the price point ladder if they absolutely need the versatility of a hatch. Fewer options for lower income car buyers is never a good look. Luckily the sedan is still available at $15,450, but if the recession does come in the next few years, will Toyota regret this decision?

More than anything, I’m just pissed that we never got the Yaris GRMN hot hatch. Why should Europe get all the good small cars? Oh right, because we don’t buy them.

This is our best look yet at Toyota's ss upcoming Yaris hot hatch dubbed the GR-4. This won't be just any hot hatch, but rather one with standard all-wheel drive and wearing mud flaps and large fender flares. It's rally-inspired, after all. Toyota was originally set to reveal the Yaris GR-4 earlier this month in Australia but the event was canceled due to the tragic and destructive wildfires. The newly released video, featured below, does not offer a new launch date but we expect it to be very soon, perhaps even this weekend. It will surely debut within the next month or so, at the latest.

What the video does show is Toyota's Master Driver "Morizo" putting the pint-sized hot hatch through its final paces. Just who is this "Morizo"? That's simply a pseudonym for none other than Toyota CEO himself Akio Toyoda. He's the one in the driver's seat handling the "final tests."

Think of the Yaris GR-4 as the successor to the previous-generation and limited production Yaris GRMN, shown below. The GR-4 moniker supposedly stands for four-wheel drive, thus bringing it line with the Yaris WRC Toyota has taken rally racing since 2017. Toyota has not confirmed what will be under the hood, but an earlier report suggests it will be a turbocharged three-cylinder. Another possibility is a 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder used in the WRC R5 class and all Japan Rally Championship. Chances are Toyota will make the Yaris GR-4 a member of the Yaris lineup as opposed to making it limited production.

There's just one big issue we have: it won't come to the US. Why? Because the Yaris hatchback sold here is based on the Mazda2 which, ironically, is not sold here. Judging by the way the Yaris GR-4 sounds it's clear Toyota Gazoo Racing has invested considerable time, energy, and money here. If Akio Toyoda himself is behind the wheel and the final product receives his blessing, then Toyota could have a real hit on its hands. Stay tuned.

GR Yaris dominated the 2020 Tokyo Auto Salon, stirring up an outcry in North America over its absence. And it's easy to see why. A radical hot hatch, GR Yaris is equipped with an all-new 268-horsepower, 90 turbocharged 3-cylinder engine; a rally-derived GR-FOUR All-Wheel Drive system; and a track-proven suspension. It's the same engineering that helped to make TOYOTA GAZOO Racing a dominant force in the World Rally Championship. While GR Yaris isn't coming to the U.S., perhaps it's time the U.S. got a Toyota hot hatch to call its own. One that continues to push the boundaries of performance. And one that can only come from TOYOTA GAZOO Racing. Are you with us?