Toyota’s Yaris will be the next B-Spec Club Racer, joining the likes of the Honda Fit, Mazda Mazda2 and more recently, the Kia Rio, Fiat 500 and Ford Fiesta. Set to debut at this year’s SEMA Show, it’ll be the first race car built for competition in the United States from the next-generation 2012 Yaris SE.
Built by SportsCar Magazine and based on the new second-generation Yaris SE three-door hatchback, the Yaris Club racer will aim to compete in SCCA’s B-spec class race segment in 2012 with Jamie Bestwick, an Action Sports Star and BMX legend, behind the wheel. The livery on the first Club racer pays homage to Toyota’s 1998 LeMans pole-winning GT-One race car (though no pictures have been released yet).
Toyota did not mention if they plan on having B-Spec Club Racers readily available to the public for race teams interested in campaigning them. The one set to debut at SEMA however features Toyota’s 1.5L VVT-i powerplant that has minimal engine modifications such as a K&N air filter, Beta Motorsports cat-back exhaust and an AEM EMS Series 2 tuned by Church Automotive. It’ll be racing on 15×7-inch Enkei RPF1 wheels wrapped with 205/50/15 Hoosier Racing Tire A6, while Cusco’s Zero-3 suspension kit and center lock pillowball upper mounts gives the Yaris the handling capabilities it needs to succeed.
