Since the departure of the Celica GT-Four back in the mid-nineties, Toyota hasn't had a rally-bred vehicle available to the public in their line up. After the burst of the Japanese economic bubble, Toyota found themselves in a position where they needed to tighten their purse strings, forcing them to focus on their more profitable models like the Corolla and Camry. They ditched their thin margined sports cars which gave them a reputation for making some the most boring cars in the world.

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Recently, Toyota has mustered up the financial confidence to get back to their sporting heritage with the introduction of the GT-86, the Supra. And now the Yaris GR, which famed Japanese tuning company HKS was able to get their hands on. Here is the latest on HKS's take on the GR Yaris.

10 Interior

via Speedhunters

The stock dash has been replaced with a MoTec C125  color display/data logger to give the driver and pit crew all the real-time data they will need. Helping to keep track of how the motor is running as the other cars get smaller in the rearview mirror.

via Speedhunters

The seats were ripped out, clearing the way for a set of carbon fiber seats from Bride. Not only do these seats reduce the gross weight, but the driver's side was also fitted with the XERO RS model. The combination of that and the four-point racing harness keeps the driver in place. Even a fish out of water would have a hard time flopping around in this rig.

9 Yokohama Advan Rims/Tires

Via speedhunters.com

The Wheels and Tires have been upgraded to help get the power down to the pavement. In this case, to a set of 18x9.5-inch Yokohama Advan Racing R6 rims. Mold-Form Forged in A6061-T6 aluminum. Designed with six slim spokes and a deep, step-rim form to accommodate a wide range of big brake upgrades.

via Speedhunters

Wrapped in Yokohama Advan A052 performance tires made of Yokohama's own motorsport MS Compound, in an asymmetric tread pattern. This wheel and tire setup will compel any onlooker to pull their sunglasses down to their nose and crank their neck sideways to get a clearer look as they walk by.

8 Gazoo Racing Brakes/Roof

Via speedhunters.com

Toyota's own performance division, Gazoo Racing provides the stopping force to tame this beast. Four-pot calipers on the front and two-pot in the rear. Both sets of calipers are of monoblock construction to increase strength and decrease flex for improved brake feel and even pad wear.

via Speedhunters

The roof is also coming from Gazoo Racing. It's a carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic panel. Reducing overall weight and center of gravity to make short work of those mountain hairpins. Keeping this car slim and nimble enough to conduct a hot yoga session.

7 Rocket Bunny Fenders/Wing

Via speedhunters.com

Kei Miura of Rocket Bunny provides these wicked overfenders that were needed to fit the wider rims and tires. The aggressive widening and air channels take the typical eco-box Yaris through a year's worth of assertiveness training and make its presence felt.

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Via speedhunters.com

The Rocket Bunny hatch/roof spoiler has an additional two metal support rods needed to get all the downforce generated by that massive wing down to the rear wheels. The metal left bare to amp up the intimidation factor to give it the psychological edge against the competition on the starting grid.

6 HKS Suspension Coilovers/Arms

hHKS Toyota Yaris (475 Hp) - Front
via Speedhunters

HKS engineered the coil-overs and suspension arms in-house. The coil-overs lower and stiffen the overall ride, keeping the body roll to a minimum. It now has the grip needed to make use of the engine's ample power while turning.

via Speedhunters

HKS fitted custom suspension arms in the front and rear of this Yaris. Extending the hub position to widen the track and providing the much-needed space to fit the wider rubber on all four corners. As an added aesthetic bonus, the wheels now sit perfectly flush with the over-fenders.

5 HKS Exhaust

Via autoevolution.com

The HKS Super Turbo muffler is kept straight, with an intermediate pipe that is 74.7 mm in diameter and an axle-back pipe that is 60.5 mm. Reducing the exhaust pressure by 30% and drastically increasing horsepower capacity. The tail is coated in titanium, treated to give it that cool blue color.

via Speedhunters

Slits have been cut into the tip and the structure of the silence chamber was changed giving it that perfect bass tone. Surely this was done to fool people into thinking that the late Luciano Pavarotti is still alive. The driver will not be able to help but put the foot back down for an encore.

4 Gazoo Racing Drivetrain

Via performanceforums.com

The AWD system was left as it was as Gazoo racing has perfected it over the years at the World Rally Championships. The GR-Four sports AWD with a front and rear variable system enabled by a multi-plate clutch, minimizing the power loss to the wheels.

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via Speedhunters

Two Torsen limited-slip differentials were also used in the drivetrain, one for the front wheels and one for the rear, to minimize the power loss even further. Sending the power to the tires with grip rather than the ones that have lost traction. The Yaris GR is ready to tackle any terrain coming its way.

3 HKS Intake/Turbo Kit

Via speedhunters.com

HKS decided to keep the little Toyota 3 cylinder G16E engine and see how much horsepower they could squeeze out of it. Adding a prototype bolt-on turbo and intercooler made by the geniuses at the HKS factory where they also integrated an intercooler spray system.

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The stock airbox was deemed expendable as well and replaced by HKS's Super Power Flow filter, increasing the amount of air to the peppy little three-banger.

2 HKS Tune/Nitrous

Via speedhunters.com

The ECU settings were in need of some adjustments to maximize the effect of the added parts under the hood, starting with the boost. Raising it from the factory 1.4 BAR (20.6 PSI) to an almost double, 2.7 BAR (39.7 PSI) increased the factory 275 horsepower by 100 to 375 horsepower.

via Speedhunters

As impressive as 375 horses sounds, HKS clearly didn't think that was enough and added a 100-shot of nitrous for an extra 100 ponies. This makes the total horse count a whopping 475, placing this engine's output up near the top in the world for 3-cylinder engines.

1 Sub 1 Minute Lap Time at Tsukuba Circuit

Via emanalonline.com

Tsukuba Circuit has been the track of choice for the greatest Japanese tuners, to gather real-world data of their latest creations. Tsukuba, being a short track at 1.271 miles (2.045 km), typically takes less than 2 minutes to get around. Few have broken that 1-minute barrier and now the HKS GR Yaris had joined that exclusive club.

HKS GR Yaris 475hp - Front
Dino Dalle Carbonare -  Speedhunters

Some big-name examples such as the Porsche 911 GT3 RS, Ferrari 458 Italia, and Nissan GTR have failed to go below the 1-minute mark. With Japan's legendary race car driver, Nobuteru Taniguchi, behind the wheel, this machine has accomplished a feat not likely to be matched by another car with 3 cylinders for a long time.

NEXT: 10 Reason Why The Toyota Yaris GR Could Be The Car Of The Year