by Toyota GR hardcore division may soon offer automatic transmission options to customers in the market for a price GR yaris or Corolla GR.
Toyota GR Corolla Chief Engineer Naoyuki Sakamoto said auto expert the brand is working on an automatic transmission option for buyers right now.
“Maybe. We are testing the automatic transmission on the GR Yaris in the Japanese racing team,” said Sakamoto-san.
“We took part in a series of demonstrations with a GR Yaris with an automatic transmission and with each demonstration if we find some problem we will improve it. This kind of activity is the main idea of the GR company – always from the development of motorsport.”
The Corolla GR The chief engineer – who has just been nominated as World Car Person of the Year – agreed that in markets like Australia, where automatic transmissions are thought to account for more than 90% of vehicle sales, having a Automotive options for buyers are an important consideration.
“If the automatic transmission is good enough for the GR models, it could be applied to the GR Yaris, GR Corolla or other GR models. It is possible,” he said. But he went on to say that it can’t just be a gearbox that does the job for the driver, it needs to be fit for purpose.
“The automatic transmission needs to be good enough for a sports car, not simply easy driving. That is the minimum requirement for the GR model. So if we don’t get there, maybe we have to give up! I’m not sure!” he laughs.
“Our boss wanted us to develop something, so we needed to get it done.”
Sakamoto-san says the car currently being developed by the team is a ‘regular’ torque converter automatic with eight gears, rather than a dual-clutch automatic or a CVT.
“In the test car, it was a ‘normal’ automatic transmission, but with a variable gear ratio – we modified it. We are developing it, so every time we modify something to improve it. Every time we can change something, nothing is fixed. We’re working on what gear ratios are good, how many gears are good.”
He further explained that the GR-Four all-wheel drive system in Yaris GR and the GR Corolla will not be affected by the use of an automatic transmission.
“It basically doesn’t affect that – the transfer coupling is just [behind] gearbox, so the transmission itself doesn’t affect the four-wheel drive,” he said.
Toyota Australia Product Public Relations Spokesperson Sam Dabestani said auto expert that it is a process that tries to refine the offering to ensure the car version will meet the requirements of the GR team as well as the customer.
“It’s a development process – they’re testing concepts with sports cars, learning from that and if it fits, if it’s high enough performance to apply to a sports car like this, if it’s basically up to the standard, it makes the grade, he said.
“But if it doesn’t, it’s back to the drawing board, and that’s what they’re in the process of doing right now,” said Mr. Dabestani.
Both Toyota GR Corolla and Toyota GR Yaris models use a 3-cylinder, 1.6-liter turbocharged gasoline engine, combined with a 6-speed manual transmission and Toyota’s GR-Four four-wheel drive system. .
Hot hatch competitor from Volkswagen (front-wheel drive Polo GTI And Golf GTIand Golf R four-wheel drive) use a dual-clutch automatic transmission as standard in Australia.
outward Renault Megane RS, a front-wheel drive hot hatch is coming to an end here and globally, with a choice of manual or DCT automatic transmissions. And CHEAP Honda Civicalso front-wheel drive, only available with a six-speed manual transmission.
The Hyundai i20N only comes with a six-speed manual, but bigger i30N The range is offered with either a six-speed manual transmission or an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic. The second transmission option appeared on the market about two years after the manual model debuted.
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