2012 Toyota Yaris B-Spec Club Racer

TopSpeed

By Kirby Garlitos

Published Oct 30, 2011

The Toyota->ke88 Yaris B-Spec Club Racer is more than just an upcoming display at the 2011 SEMA Auto Show->ke216. It actually has far bigger objectives that that.

The car, which is the first of the 2012 Yaris SE generation to be built for race competition, will actually be competing in the SCCA B-spec class race in 2012. But that's another discussion for another time; we're here about SEMA.

It's quite funny that a car that few people have time for is being showcased at a grandiose event like SEMA. To that we have to give props to the people behind it, most notably SportsCar Magazine, the fine people that responsible for building the car. Looks can be deceiving and you probably wouldn't recognize this as a Yaris under that Toyota GT-One-inspired racing livery paying tribute to the company's 1998 LeMans pole-winning GT-One race car. Add that to a new Cussco Zero-3 Series suspension kit and a set of 15" Enkei RPF1 wheels wrapped in Hoosier Racing Tires and you probably wouldn't think that this was a Yaris at all.

The car's overall sporty styling, is even more punctuated by an interior that offers all the latest in racing technology, including an 8-point an FIA race seat with a 6-point harness, a WRC steering wheel, an Autopower window net, a 2.8-liter fire system, an SCCA-spec roll cage, and RLC Racing Track Commander data acquisition system.

Then there's the matter of the powertrain, to which this race car carries a 1.5-liter Toyota 1NZ-FE engine with VVT-i technology wired to an AEM Performance Electronics EMS Series 2 system. No word yet on how powerful the car is, but considering that it's a race car, expect it to offer a lot more punch than a standard Yaris.

UPDATE 11/07/2011: We have added new images of the Yaris B-Spec Club Racer from the SEMA Auto Show. Check out all of the new images in the picture gallery provided!