Toyota's Return To WRC
Toyota was a major name in rallying for a number of years; with cars like the Celica GT-FOUR, the manufacturer won multiple championships, beating competitors like Audi, Subaru and Mitsubishi.
The last year Toyota participated was in 1999. That year, a four-wheel drive European Corolla enabled them to win the manufacturer's championship. The Japanese automaker then left WRC, leaving other brands to battle it out on the dirt tracks.
That decision came from a desire to be more democratic, but in today's market, it seems that Toyota will get back into this exciting competition: in 2017, they will once again field a WRC car.
Since a few rules have changed in the last years, Toyota will now use its sub-compact Yaris for rallying. Don't worry though, this Yaris is far different from one you can buy in a dealership. Featuring a 1.6-litre turbocharged engine, a six-speed sequential gearbox and an AWD system, the little car should have what it takes to defend Toyota's honour.
We will see the WRC Yaris participate in the first race of the 2017 season.