Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 H2 Concept Takes Hydrogen Tech to WRC

The Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 H2 Concept is a hydrogen-powered alternative to Toyota’s Group Rally2 racer.

Toyota’s involvement in hydrogen technologies is simply unrivalled, as it not only pioneered the tech in road-legal applications but also partook in several motorsport activities. Not content with both the GR Corolla H2 and the GR LH2 Le Mans hypercar hydrogen concepts, Toyota has now unveiled yet another hydrogen-powered racer, the Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 H2 Concept.

Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 (left) & Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 H2 Concept (right)

As its name suggests, this hydrogen-powered GR Yaris has been built to meet the WRC’s Rally2 class regulations, of which Toyota also partakes in with their fully-combustion GR Yaris Rally2. Similar to its ICE twin, the GR Yaris Rally2 H2 concept features the same wide bodykit and prominent aero parts, while underpinning a similar chassis setup too.

What sets the H2 concept apart from the standard GR Yaris Rally2 is the unique livery that looks similar to the GR LH2 concept, as well as vented rear panels replacing the standard side windows.

Development for this hydrogen-powered rally concept took place at Toyota’s TGR-WRT headquarters in Jyväskylä, Finland, with testing conducted on both gravel and tarmac. That being said, Toyota has yet to reveal the juicy bits beneath the hood of this hydrogen rally concept, but it is best to assume that it will feature a modified version of the standard GR Yaris’ 1.6-litre 3-cyl turbocharged engine.

Fuelled by liquid hydrogen, Toyota claims this setup promises to deliver “near-zero emissions” from the tailpipe, while the similar engine setup retains “the sounds and sensations” of an ICE car, meaning that it’ll scream as loud as the standard GR Yaris rally car.

The Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 H2 Concept is set to make its racing debut at the upcoming Rally Finland, which is touted as the fastest round in the entire WRC’s racing calendar. Behind the wheel of this hydrogen concept will be the four-time World Rally Champion Juha Kankkunen, who also serves as Deputy Team Principal at TGR-WRT. Once its rally debut concludes, the hydrogen concept will be displayed in the service park alongside two other Toyota hydrogen models—the Mirai FCEV and the Tundra H2 prototype.

Toyota GR Yaris H2 Concept

Prior to this rally concept, Toyota had already previewed its hydrogen technology in a road-legal GR Yaris. The experimental GR Yaris H2 concept also adopts the 1.6-litre turbocharged engine from the standard GR Yaris, while its hydrogen component was initially developed for the Corolla Sport race car that was supposed to compete in Japan’s Super Taikyu racing series back in 2021.