Toyota doesn’t want to miss a chance to build a special edition car, honouring nine-time World Rally Champion Sébastien Ogier with the Frenchman’s second limited-edition GR Yaris.
Officially called the (deep breath) GR Yaris Sébastien Ogier 9x World Champion Edition, it’s been introduced to celebrate last year’s WRC title, which the equal-most successful driver in the sport’s history narrowly won for Toyota.
Based on the recently facelifted and updated GR Yaris, upgrades are similar to the 2023 special edition which bore Ogier’s name, including a special Black Gravite (graphite gravity) exterior colour, blue brake calipers behind matte black wheels, a unique GR/Toyota Gazoo Racing vinyl wrap, and the French flag on its grille.
Of course, to make sure you don’t forget which driver it’s honouring, there’s also the Sébastien Ogier 9x World Champion Edition badge on the boot, while Toyota chairman Akio Toyoda has given his ‘Morizo’ racing pseudonym to a signature on the windscreen.
Inside, the steering wheel – borrowed from the new GR Yaris Morizo RR concept – gets the French flag’s tricolours for its stitching, while the handbrake has also been readjusted to now sit vertically, aiding those sharp turns.
As with the last Ogier edition, Toyota has changed the main special drive mode to be called ‘Seb.’, sending a majority (60 per cent) of the torque split to the rear wheels, while the Morizo mode is balanced between the front and rear.
There’s been no changes to the 221kW and 400Nm outputs from the GR Yaris’ turbocharged 1.6-litre three-cylinder petrol engine, however it appears to only be available with a six-speed manual transmission, unlike the upcoming auto-only Morizo RR.
Just 200 examples will be made, 100 for Japan and 100 for Europe, with Australia likely to miss out.
However, local buyers can purchase the fitted Aero Performance Package to the GR Yaris GTS here, consisting of a cooling duct and vents on the bonnet, a new front lip and an adjustable rear spoiler, altered front wheel arches with new vents, two ducts on the rear bumper, and a new underfloor.
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