2025 Toyota GRMN Yaris unveiled for the first time

Toyota unveiled a revamped version of its GR Yaris hot hatch at the 2024 Tokyo Auto Salon in January, but a prototype of the hotter GRMN was spotted for the first time.

GRMN is a range-topping option for road cars developed by Toyota's Gazoo Racing motorsports division; it stands for "Gazoo Racing Masters of Nürburgring," and cars classified as GRMN are similar to Subaru's STI and Mercedes-Benz's AMG division, etc., and are compared to top-of-the-line cars.

The GRMN Yaris prototype shows some notable differences to the regular GR Yaris, which is already an extreme car. These include a new makeshift intake in the front, where the license plate would normally be located, requiring a change in the prototype's license plate position.

There is also an extended front splitter and an upgraded brake package by Endless of Japan. The rear wing with swan-neck struts is used on the current GRMN Yaris launched in 2022 and should be used on the revised version.

Typical upgrades for the GRMN include increased stiffness, more downforce, and weight reduction. The current GRMN Yaris also has a slightly wider track and lower ride height than the regular GR Yaris.

The current car is meant to have no extra power compared to the regular GR Yaris, and the updated version will likely pack the same 276 hp as the updated GR Yaris, although the extra cooling in the front may indicate otherwise.

According to the photographer, Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda, grandson of Toyota's founder and a supporter of the GR and GRMN versions of the Yaris, was also present during the test session at the Nürburgring. He is one of the key backers of the direct automatic transmission that was developed for the latest GR Yaris and will likely be included in the GRMN Yaris.

This 8-speed automatic transmission is designed to shift faster than a regular automatic transmission by using software that predicts driving behavior. While such technology is not new, Toyota's software goes beyond standard metrics such as deceleration G and speed, integrating acceleration and braking into the logic. In doing so, it can predict when a shift change is needed before the actual change in driving behavior occurs.

The GRMN Yaris is expected to debut late this year or early next year.

While neither the GR Yaris nor the GRMN Yaris will be sold in the U.S., Toyota is offering a larger GR Corolla in the U.S. and appears to be preparing a GRMN Supra that will also be sold in the U.S.