From carwow.
Mat’s teamed up with Toyota in Japan to get hands-on with the M Concept, attend a 24-hour endurance race with the Gazoo Racing team, and even have an exclusive look at the all-new Corolla GRMN!
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Toyota insiders have dropped massive hints that the mid-engine M Concept prototype will likely spawn the next-generation Celica! It features a brand-new, mid-mounted 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo with over 400hp, and unlike the previous generation of Celica, it’ll come with all-wheel drive! The concept has been developed under Gazoo Racing’s ultimate philosophy of "test, break, fix, repeat," and Toyota is currently openly racing this unfinished prototype to push its limits.
With that in mind, Mat’s joined the team on the grid at Fuji Speedway to witness the Gazoo Racing team testing the concept in a gruelling 24-hour endurance race. Alongside the M Concept, GR is racing a standard 1.6-litre GR Yaris to test biofuel, prototype braking systems, and advanced swan-neck aero packages!
While at the track, Mat also catches up with Toyota’s legendary chairman, Akio Toyoda. In a completely unscripted conversation, Akio explains why he chooses fun over corporate bureaucracy, his love for the smell and sound of real engines, and reveals that the cult-classic GR Yaris might have actually turned over a small profit!
Mat also had a chance to get hands-on with the newly unveiled Toyota Corolla GRMN, and there’s absolutely loads to love about it! Torque is up to 450Nm, the rear seats have been ripped out (shedding 30kg), and racing bucket seats have been added up front! It also has a carbon fibre bonnet and spoiler. Unfortunately, though, it’s not coming to the UK! 😢
Finally, Mat joins Toyota at the Shimoyama test facility to test drive the various concepts and prototypes. From a terrifying passenger lap in the 400hp M Concept to sliding a 1.6-litre mid-engine concept on a loose gravel rally stage, this video isn’t one you want to miss!
The question is, who wants to see Toyota resurrect the Celica? Let us know in the comments!
