2017 Toyota Yaris WRC development continues

Next year will see the return of Toyota to the World Rally Championship. In preparation for that impending challenge, work on a new WRC-specification Yaris is progressing.

Indeed, a pair of prototype cars has been driven more than 3,000 miles (around 5,000 kilometres) since May, mainly on gravel surfaces.

Toyota Yaris WRC Prototype 2017 Front

According to Tommi Mäkinen, four-time World Rally Champion and now Toyota Gazoo Racing's Team Principal, “We have worked hard to be on time. We have completed a lot of test sessions and have stuck to our schedule.

“The addition of a second car helped us to up the pace and diversify the development testing. We want to test in all conditions and on all surfaces so that we are ready for 2017.

“We have wasted no time in racking up the miles, because the car has been very reliable from the word go and we've not been held up by any major technical issues. In initial tests outside Finland, we have tackled a wide variety of conditions, but the car's performance has been very consistent.”

At this stage, an obvious gap in the programme is on-tarmac evaluation, which has yet to begin.

Toyota Yaris WRC Prototype 2017 Rear Side

Related posts:
2017 World Rally Car plans revealed
Toyota’s WRC plans confirmed

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