Toyota’s new 400bhp four-cylinder aims squarely at Mercedes-AMG

It’s been almost a year since we first saw the mysterious mid-engined GR Yaris M make its debut as a test bed for Toyota’s new high-performance engine. Now we have an even clearer picture of what Toyota has in store for this exciting new power plant, as we spent time with the minds behind it in Japan.

The new Gazoo Racing-developed 2-litre G20E is a derivative of the 1.6-litre G16E three-cylinder seen in the GR Yaris and GR Corolla, but this time Toyota’s gone for four-cylinders. Why move away from three-cylinders in today’s world of downsizing? Toyota says that while the three-cylinder was great for torque and efficiency, the additional damping and software tweaks required to mask the harsh vibrations inherent to a three-cylinder made them hard to justify.

> Toyota GR Corolla is now even more capable, and UK-bound?

While Toyota’s also hard at work developing a new naturally aspirated 1.5-litre four-cylinder for use in its more ordinary hybrid offerings, this high performance 2-litre will come with a turbocharger to give it an output of around 400bhp. This output puts it in-line with Mercedes-AMG’s 415bhp M139 four-cylinder as one of the highest specific output four-cylinder engines on the market, and Toyota’s not planning to stop there.

We don’t have many details, but the firm did confirm that it’s aiming for outputs higher than 400bhp and could even pair it with its existing dual-motor hybrid system should there be an application for it. While the GR Yaris M might be bound to the confines of a circuit, Toyota says this engine is designed for road cars too and has tested it in more forms than just an obscure Yaris.

This is no concrete indication of exactly where we’ll find this engine in production-guise, but Toyota’s already experimented with it in an automatic Lexus IS saloon, and even a Lexus RC coupe equipped with a manual transmission. Should it be paired with a manual for public consumption like its three-cylinder siblings, this would put it in an exclusive class given every other current ‘hyper’ hatch is auto-only.

Rumours point towards this being the power plant destined for the GR Corolla when it receives an overhaul, an upgrade that would dwarf the 296bhp current car. Official word on UK GR Corolla sales is yet to be announced, but given it’s now being produced on UK soil, hopes for it reaching UK dealers may not be so far-fetched.

Toyota’s Chief Technology officer, Hiroki Nakajima, might believe that ‘...the enemy is carbon,’ but it’s clear that the brand still believes in combustion power where it’s needed most.