Toyota tipped for WRC return

With 43 race wins and three constructors’ championships Toyota knows a thing or two about WRC success. And now the creation of a new 1.6 litre turbocharged race engine by Toyota Motorsports GmbH could herald the beginning of a new WRC journey.

The recently completed engine complies with the FIA’s regulations for the WRC is expected to be fitted to a Yaris chassis.

“We’re leaning towards an S2000-style of car which would be available for customers first,” confirmed a TMG spokesperson. “This is a development project, but it’s very early days—the engine only fired up for the first time a few weeks ago—at the very earliest, a car won’t be available until next year. Obviously, this being a Global Race Engine, it could go in any car, but the Yaris seems to make sense.”

Of course, Toyota is currently pre-occuipied with its TS030 Hybrid Le Mans and World Endurance Championship program. But a return to WRC does appear possible.

“Medium to longer-term there is a degree of logic in the WRC,” the TMG spokesperson said. “We have been there [the WRC] and this is a step back into rallying.”

Having Toyota back in the WRC would be like getting the band back together. Subaru next?

[Source: wrc.com | Pic: TMG]