(from Toyota Press Release) 2011 SEMA Show: Toyota Yaris B-Spec Club Racer

The 2011 SEMA Show will feature the debut of the Toyota Yaris B-Spec Club Racer at a press conference in the Toyota exhibit in Nov. 1 at 10 a.m. Pacific Time. It is the first race car built for competition in the U.S. from the next-generation 2012 Yaris SE.

The Yaris Club racer will compete in the SCCA B-spec class race category in 2012 with Action Sports Star and BMX legend Jamie Bestwick behind the wheel aiming to qualify for and compete in the 2012 SCCA National Championship Runoffs, held at the famed Road America circuit in Elkhart Lake, Wis. The seven-time X Games champion and former Dew Tour Athlete of the year will be on hand to talk about the Yaris B-Spec Club Racer at a Toyota press conference.

The Yaris B-Spec Club Racer was built by SportsCar Magazine utilizing an all-new second-generation Yaris SE three-door hatchback. It demonstrates how the all-new Yaris offers a cost friendly avenue for amateur racers eager to gain experience in SCCA wheel-to-wheel racing. The Yaris B-Spec Club Racer’s livery also pays homage to Toyota’s 1998 LeMans pole-winning GT-One race car, as Toyota celebrates it return to the famed racing series next year.

With the right size for drivers who need an agile and functional vehicle, the all-new 2012 Toyota Yaris Liftback features sporty styling, outstanding safety features and improved fuel economy.

The all-new Yaris features a remarkable attention to detail in the design and engineering of the vehicle. From its smart, interior design and quiet, refined passenger cabin to its responsive driving dynamics, the 2012 Yaris answers car-shoppers’ demands for a no-compromise vehicle.

TOYOTA YARIS CLUB B-SPEC CLUB RACER FEATURES

EXTERIOR
– Toyota Le Mans GT-One inspired graphics
– OMP tow hooks

INTERIOR
– Autopower Industries 8-point SCCA-spec roll cage
– Autopower window net
– OMP AFFF 2.8L fire system
– OMP HTE FIA race seat
– OMP 805 6-point FIA harness
– OMP WRC steering wheel
– RLC Racing Track Commander data acquisition system

TIRES/WHEELS
– Hoosier Racing Tire A6 P205/50ZR15
– Enkei RPF1 15×7

SUSPENSION
– Cusco Zero-3 Series Suspension kit
– Cusco Center Lock Pillowball Upper Mounts

BRAKES
– Pagid RS29 brake pads

POWERTRAIN
– Toyota 1NZ-FE 1.5 liter with VVT-i
– AEM Performance Electronics EMS Series 2
– Beta Motorsports cat-back exhaust
– Church Automotive Testing custom tune
– Joe Gibbs Driven XP1 Racing Oil
– Joe Gibbs Driven Super Speedway Gear oil
– K&N air filter
– K&N oil filter

CONTRIBUTORS AND SUPPLIERS
– AEM Performance Electronics: aemelectronics.com
– Autopower: autopowerindustries.com
– Beta Motorsports: betamotorsports.com
– Church Automotive Testing: (310) 518-4966
– Cusco: cusco.co.jp/en
– Enkei: enkei.com
– Garage Graffix: garagegraffix.com
– Hiro’s Auto Repair: hiros-auto.com
– Hoosier Racing Tire: hoosiertire.com
– Joe Gibbs Driven: joegibbsdriven.com
– K&N Filters: knfilters.com
– OMP: ompamerica.com
– Pagid: braketechnology.com
– RLC Racing: rlcracing.com

Body kits and tuning are nothing new to fans of Japanese imports, although they tend to remind us of Supras and Civics, rather than the fuel sipping hybrids of the 21st century. Hybrids, by nature, are not the speedy performance machines generally associated with aggressive body styling and over sized rims, so this seems like an unlikely market for tuner accessories.

Japanese tuner, Tommy Kaira has taken a chance that hybrid owners will still pay to make their green cars look mean. They have introduced cosmetic and performance upgrades for Japan’s hybrid hot shots, the Pruis and Insight. Accessories include body kits, suspension components and custom wheels.

So why bother to to make them look more sporty than they are designed to be? Well why not? Why can’t the forerunners of the hybrid consumer market feel like the cars they drive are fast and furious? Even if they’re not, I see no reason not to make them look that way. Although I’m generally a fan of European sports cars and American muscle cars, I actually don’t think the kitted Prius looks all that bad… for a hybrid.  What do you think?  Are hybrids too dorky for upgrades like this, or do the Tommy Kaira kits make you want to want to see a drifter slide around in an Insight?

Source: Tommy Kaira [via AutoBlog]