After making its debut in the Toyota GR Yaris, the turbocharged 1.6-litre three-cylinder ‘G16E-GTS’ engine has since found itself in the likes of the GR Corolla and Lexus LBX RR Morizo, giving the performance community a break from the sea of four-cylinder engines.
While it is undoubtedly one of the most unique engines in the performance car world, a recent report by MotorTrend has claimed the GR Corolla might go to a four-pot after all.
It’s no secret that Toyota is developing a new turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine for its GR performance products, with the new mill currently in a mid-engined GR Yaris test mule, ahead of an expected launch in a reborn MR2.
However, at the recent Japan Mobility Show, MotorTrend spoke to Toyota powertrain president Takashi Uehara, who detailed some of the flaws to the current three-cylinder, such as its unique dampers to reduce its inherent harshness due to its design.
Given the cost of these parts and the more cost efficient ethos of the incoming four-cylinder – marked by Toyota as the ‘G20E’ engine – the publication claims the three-cylinder could end up being replaced.
On top of this, the G16E-GTS in the GR Yaris and GR Corolla produces 221kW, while the G20E is expected to make closer to 300kW, putting it in an entirely different league of performance.
It’s not yet known whether the four-cylinder could fit into the GR Yaris – which was designed as a rally homologation special – though it’s more than likely to be able to be shoehorned into the GR Corolla.
Toyota is also understood to be developing a new-generation Corolla, which could launch around the same time as the debut of the new GR series engine.
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