Akio Toyoda is understood for having a hands-on strategy relating to efficiency autos. Toyota’s former president and CEO has even taken half in quite a few racing occasions below the “Morizo” pseudonym. At the moment the corporate’s chairman, he’s nonetheless actively concerned. In the event you want proof, here is the 67-year-old fanatic driving a GR Yaris, however be warned that it would not finish nicely.
In December 2023, he crashed a rally model of the recent hatch whereas tackling the Shimoyama course in Japan. It is positioned inside the Toyota Technical Heart Shimoyama which went absolutely operational in April 2024. That is the R&D facility the place the within seems just like the Nürburgring pit lane. And sure, Toyoda is behind the wheel, with nine-time Japan rally champion Norihiko Katsuta because the co-pilot.
Just lately launched onboard footage reveals what occurred after the rally-bred automobile hit a mound, inflicting the GR Yaris to overturn. Norihiko Katsuta was the primary to free himself from the crashed automobile earlier than Toyoda managed to get out of the wreckage. The all-wheel-drive efficiency hatchback ended with its wheels going through the sky. Fortunately, each escaped with none accidents and lived to inform the story on the R&D heart’s inauguration.
Toyota selected to publicly show the closely broken GR Yaris in the course of the opening ceremony of its new facility. The thought behind this determination is to point out that the corporate checks vehicles till they break. Normally, the broken autos are fastened and endure further testing. Toyota made an exception for this one.
Toyoda is a driving pressure behind the proliferation of GR vehicles and has been seen in some particular fashions corresponding to a one-off GRMN Century. A Suzuki Jimny proprietor, the previous head honcho on the world’s largest automaker insists improvement of inside combustion engines should proceed. He argues EVs won’t ever exceed a 30-percent share.
That three-cylinder turbo engine contained in the pocket rocket and the GR Corolla is about to go in a Lexus because the LBX small crossover will inherit the 1.6-liter unit with round 300 horsepower.
