Toyota appears locked into a race with Sébastien Ogier to offer as many special editions of the GR Yaris as the Frenchman has WRC titles. Cue the latest one - a direct celebration of his record-equalling ninth drivers' championship claimed in 2025. Called the Sébastien Ogier 9x World Champion Edition, the car features special tuning for the AWD system and will be limited to 200 units worldwide, with 100 allocated for Europe.

Aficionados will recall this is not the first special edition Yaris developed with input from the man himself. The 9x follows the formula established by the Mk1 Ogier Edition of 2024: bespoke AWD modes, blue brake calipers, French tricolor detailing, and numbered exclusivity. Black Gravite paint replaces the previous Matte Stealth Grey, and the base car is now the Aero Performance rather than the RZ specification.

The headline element remains the two bespoke all-wheel drive control modes. The Track setting - which shuffles between 40-70 per cent of torque rearward depending on conditions - has been replaced by a new SEB mode, offering a fixed 40:60 front-rear split as per Ogier’s preference for consistency.

Ogier also favoured the recently developed Morizo mode in favour of Gravel, exchanging the regular 53:47 distribution for an even 50:50. No changes have been specified for the suspension or brakes, unlike the N24 inspired Morizo RR which gets bespoke dampers.

Inside, there's French tricolour stitching on a smaller-diameter steering wheel, with revised switch layout borrowed from the GR Yaris Rally2 competition car. The optional vertical handbrake - recently introduced for European markets - comes as standard, trimmed in leather with grey stitching. A numbered plaque commemorates Ogier's titles, while dedicated graphics for SEB and Morizo modes appear on the TFT instrument display. Unlike the Morizo RR, the 9x will be available with the six-speed manual transmission.

Pricing and UK availability is yet to be determined, with Toyota labelling the car as an ‘under-development prototype’ at its unveiling ahead of the 2026 Monte Carlo rally. Given the MK1 Ogier cost £60,000, expect the MK2 9x World Champion Edition to command even more. Rest assured we’ll bring the full details when they land.