Called the Sport Study, it’s been designed by the Japanese firm’s European motorsport arm.
The division, which is responsible for Toyota’s Formula One campaign, has tuned the engine and stiffened the suspension of the family model to turn it into a VW Golf GTI rival. However, unlike the German hot hatch, the Auris uses a diesel motor.
The 2.2-litre unit has been tweaked to boost power from 177bhp up to 200bhp. And to cope with the increase in performance, the suspension has been stiffened and lowered by 30mm, while 18-inch alloy wheels are added.
The hot Auris also gets an aggressive bodykit with a deeper front bumper, side skirts, rear apron and roof-mounted spoiler. Further modifications include twin exhausts, a Golf GTI-style honeycomb grille and tinted rear windows. Inside, the sporty theme continues with heavily bolstered sports seats in two-tone leather, a chunky three-spoke steering wheel, carbon fibre dash trim and alloy pedals.
Company bosses claim that the model is purely a concept and they have no plans to put it into production. However, with no hot hatch contender in the current Auris line-up, expect to see a Sport Study-inspired model hitting showrooms within the next 12 months.
