Toyota GR Yaris Production begins
- Production of the eagerly-anticipated Gazoo Racing (GR) Yaris started on 26th August
- Built in Motomachi facility, not far from where the LFA was born
- First European customer deliveries expected in November
On August 26th 2020, the first unit of GR Yaris serial production left the line at the Motomachi plant in Toyota City, Japan. Totally new, the production facility has been designed to meet the specific needs of the GR Yaris production.
In fact, Toyota’s return to sportscar production in Japan created the opportunity for production engineers to redesign the assembly processes specifically for the GR Yaris. Furthermore, Toyota Gazoo Racing has established the ‘GR factory’, a facility dedicated to producing GR sports cars. The factory comprises several distinct assembly cells connected by automatic guided vehicles (AGVs) and includes conveyor-less body and assembly lines. These processes have enabled the facility to produce highly rigid bodies―essential for sports cars―and to ensure highly accurate assembly – both of which are challenging to do on standard, high-volume production lines.
True to its conviction about people development, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing gathered together highly-skilled technicians from throughout Toyota at this plant. Known as ‘Takumi’, these team members are well-known for their exceptional craftsmanship skills. This new TGR plant is also used for the craftsmanship and technical skills training of workers in other Toyota production facilities.
Born from WRC, the GR Yaris is a unique sportscar based on a new platform, equipped with a totally new 3-cylinder 1.6 turbo producing 261 hp and 360 Nm, featuring a bespoke GR-FOUR 4-wheel-drive system directly inspired from racing and weighing just 1,280 kg.
Following the successful launch of online reservations back in March ‘20, first deliveries will be prioritised to these early customers in late 2020/early 2021.
