Auto NewsMarch 13, 2025

Toyota Will Take Its AT-Equipped GR Yaris To The 24-Hour Nürburgring Endurance Race


Proving the worth of its new Direct Automatic Transmission, Toyota will be taking it to the Nürburgring 24 Hours endurance race—Toyota Gazoo Racing’s first outing at the grueling race after a six-year hiatus.

The Toyota Gazoo Rookie Racing (TGRR) team will compete using a GR Yaris using the newly-developed 8-speed Gazoo Racing Direct Automatic Transmission (DAT).

Compared to conventional torque converter automatics, where gear shifts are reliant on vehicle behavior such as deceleration g-force and speed, the DAT’s optimized software intuitively senses the way the driver steps on the brakes and operates the accelerator. With these inputs, it anticipates when gear shifting is optimal even before changes in vehicle behavior occur, achieving gear selection that reflects the driver’s intentions and, thus, leads to shifting that is similar to that of professional drivers.

Given the Nürburgring Nordschleife’s challenging layout with its 20.83-kilometer length and 77-corner layout, DAT allows drivers to concentrate more on acceleration and braking as well as steering maneuvers.

While Toyota Gazoo Racing has already used circuit and rally driving courses as basis to optimize the DAT’s shift points allowing it to maximize the engine and torque delivery, the carmaker says its participation at the Nürburgring 24 Hours will allow it to further refine the technology.

Toyota Motor Philippines recently launched the updated GR Yaris equipped with the 8-speed DAT. The road-going version makes 280 horsepower and 390 Nm of torque from its turbocharged 1.6-liter 3-cylinder engine.

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