The mid-engine racer will compete in Japan's Super Taikyu series with turbocharged four-cylinder power.

In the world of Pokemon, every pocket monster has several forms it can evolve through in order to reach its final powerful form. So, you start with something that looks like a spicy salamander and eventually end up with what’s basically a dragon. In Japan’s Super Taikyu series, Toyota appears to be racing something in the middle form of a Yaris evolving into an MR2, as spotted by CarBuzz.

It’s called the Yaris M concept, and it’s a further developed prototype of the car of the same name that Toyota showed off at last year's Tokyo Auto Salon. Formerly just a Yaris hatchback shell with a turbocharged four-cylinder engine where the rear seats should be, the new Yaris M features full-on coupe bodywork with massive rear flares.

The silhouette isn't a complete surprise, as it’s a near match for Toyota’s 2027 WRC concept, which was spotted testing in Portugal this past spring. This Super Taikyu racer looks to be the tarmac version of that prototype.

The engine isn’t the GR Yaris’ frenetic little three-banger, but a new four-cylinder called the G20. Displacing 2.0 liters, it's turbocharged up to around 400 to 450 horsepower and has already proved its mettle in endurance racing.

Everyone who owned a second-generation MR2 Turbo has permission to start jumping up and down excitedly because this new car looks like a return of that particular F355-on-a-budget machine. Note also that one of the four drivers who will be campaigning the car in Super Taikyu is none other than Akio Toyota, using his Morizo nom de guerre.

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