BETTER PARTSReturn to rally circus
Cologne, January 30, 2015
Toyota looks back on a long history in international rallying. Since 1973, the brand was launched and was able to bring in a total of 43 titles until 1999. The most recent success, the team Didier Auriol and Denis Giraudet in the Rally of China in 1999 in a Corolla WRC.
Return after 18 years
After 18 years of abstinence Toyota Motorsport will return to the active rallying in 2017. Now the race car of Toyota President Akio Toyoda was personally introduced to the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC ).
The base: The Yaris
The new racer for the future drivers to Eric Camilli, Stéphane Sarrazin and Sebastian Lindholm is based on the subcompact Yaris. Toyota has developed and built the Yaris WRC completely in Cologne Motorsport Centre.
1.6 liter engine with 300 hp
The race car features a 1.6 - liter turbo petrol engine with direct injection. The engine size is paid for all vehicles in the championship and is set by the FIA. The power does not: In the Yaris WRC should this be according to preliminary data on more than 300 hp.
A guarantee of success?
Initial tests with results have already been run in Europe. On this basis, the test program will be continued in the next two years. Whether the WRC Yaris can then build on the past success of the brand, will show 2017 at the latest . (ml)