Toyota GR Yaris and GR Corolla look set for eight-speed automatic transmission

The Toyota GR Yaris could open itself up to a much wider audience, with news the company is developing an eight-speed torque-converter automatic transmission for the hot hatch.

The model is only available with a six-speed manual currently, though Toyota is expected to use the automatic in both the GR Yaris and the upcoming GR Corolla, with a report from Japan’s Best Car in January suggesting an automatic is being considered for a 2024 launch.

In order to test the auto 'box to its limits, Toyota entered a GR Yaris into the Gazoo Racing Rally Challenge – an entry-level motorsport category catering for Yaris and 86 models in Japan – with Toyota’s Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors Shigeru Hayakawa piloting the vehicle.

"I'm told that it's okay to break it,” Hayakawa told Japanese publication Car Watch.

“I've already broken it once," he added.

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Toyota has reportedly created an all-new conventional torque-converter automatic, using a planetary gear set rather than relying on a continuously variable transmission found across the brand’s current small car line-up.

The carmaker appears to be following BMW’s lead by developing a fast eight-speed auto, rather than going down the Volkswagen Group route of offering automatic dual-clutch gearbox.

While there are paddle-shifters fitted behind the steering wheel for manual gear selection, the engineers are aiming for the transmission to “shift quickly and comfortably, resulting in fun and rast running” when driven automatically in Drive, and all without sacrificing fuel efficiency.

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The centre console shifter in the rally car appears to be an early production prototype, using a slightly changed design from the standard auto Yaris to incorporate manual mode. The front spoiler has also been modified, with wider intakes to increase airflow to the transmission oil cooler.

It’s expected the 1.6-litre turbocharged three-cylinder engine and all-wheel drive will remain unchanged.

Toyota has yet to announce an automatic for the GR Yaris or the upcoming GR Corolla, but all signs are hinting at a two-pedal option arriving in the future.