Toyota GR Yaris gets more power, available rally-style handbrake

For a brief period of time, the Toyota GR Corolla boasted the most powerful version of the company's crazy turbo 1.6-liter three-cylinder. But now that engine is shared with its smaller sibling, the GR Yaris, which will surely make the lighter little car the ultimate version of Toyota's rally hatchbacks. That's only the start of the changes, including one that might polarize some fans.

So in addition to getting basically the same 300 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque as the GR Corolla, the GR Yaris is getting a unique (at least for now) feature in the form of an automatic transmission option. Yes, you don't have to know how to use a clutch anymore to drive the hot hatch. It's an eight-speed automatic that Toyota says has been undergoing testing in some of its rally cars as well as Super Taikyu circuit race cars. And it has undergone a number of tweaks to make it performance ready. It comes standard with a transmission fluid cooler, as well as upgraded case and clutch materials. The manual shift mode has also been changed to the traditional race car layout, with pulls initiating upshifts, and pushes initiating downshifts. And with eight ratios, the transmission is designed to keep the car in the meat of the power band more of the time than the six-speed manual.

While this automatic option has only been announced for the new GR Yaris, we can only imagine that it's a matter of time before it's offered on the GR Corolla. In a world where there are CVT Subaru WRXs and dual-clutch Hyundai Elantra Ns, there's surely a market for an automatic GR Corolla. And when the engine is already certified for the U.S., it shouldn't be a huge stretch to get the automatic configuration certified, too.

But back to GR Yaris updates. The exterior has received detail changes, mostly focused on functionality. The front bumper now features a steel mesh for the grille, likely stronger for keeping out larger, more dangerous rocks and debris. The outer intake vents have been expanded for improved cooling. The rear bumper has a new diffuser for reduced drag, and the rear third brake light is no longer part of the spoiler to make it easier to fit aftermarket spoilers and wings. The taillights also have a full-width design.

As for the interior, even more dramatic changes have been made. The dash has been redesigned, and the infotainment screen is now canted 15 degrees toward the driver for easier use. The instrument cluster now uses a 12.3-inch screen that reconfigures based on the car's new drive modes. The top of the instrument panel is lower, and the rear view mirror has been raised for improved visibility. The driver seat sits lower for a more comfortable position that also likely aids center of gravity slightly. A cool new option is the rally-style handbrake that moves it right next to the shifter for quick and easy access on rally stages or when drifting.

The chassis has been stiffened thanks to additional spot welds and strips of adhesive. Toyota also added a couple extra bolts to the tops of the shocks to help ensure the alignment doesn't change in hard driving, particularly in rally. And there's even a Cooling Package that adds a "sub-radiator," cold air intake and an intercooler sprayer.

Owners of the existing GR Yaris shouldn't be too upset, either. Toyota will be offering a package to upgrade existing cars with many of the upgrades, particularly the increased engine output. And the package comes with badging to make it clear that it's an upgraded model. 

Naturally, there's no way the GR Yaris is coming here, as it's a completely different vehicle to anything sold in America. But as we mentioned earlier, we wouldn't be surprised if the automatic is announced for the GR Corolla sometime this year. The Corolla could very easily receive some of the other improvements such as chassis reinforcements, cooling improvements and more, too.