Jari-Matti Latvala is behind the scenes preparing Toyota’s new US project

Passionate automies Jari-Matti Latvala has been working on an interesting project lately.

This is evident from the press release sent by the Japanese car manufacturer Toyota.

Toyota is bringing its Corolla model back to rally driving, and Latvala, 40, and Juho Hänninen44, have participated in the development work of ajok.

According to Toyota, the GR Corolla RC2 rally car will be raced in the US ARA rally series next year.

Toyota says that the technology of the new Corolla rally car is largely based on Toyota’s GR Yaris Rally2 model. Toyota has marketing-related reasons for thinking of the Corolla in the United States.

According to Toyota’s announcement, at least a 23-year-old American will compete in the ARA race series with a Corolla next year Seth Quinterowhose second driver, i.e. map reader, he works for Topi Luhtinen31.

Toyota says that in addition to Quintero, Latvala and Hänninen have also participated in the development of the car.

According to the release, thinking about another Corolla in the ARA series is “under consideration”. Latvala himself is in the past told that he had agreed with the Toyota management that he would run “some races” in the US series. However, he did not talk about the development of the new Corolla rally car in that context.

Both Latvala and Hänninen are former racing drivers of Toyota’s World Rally Team. Since then, both men have continued on Toyota’s payroll. Latvala has worked as the boss of Toyota’s World Rally Team, and Hänninen has worked on the brand’s rally project in various positions.

Latvala has, after his career as a professional rally driver, competed for Toyota in, among other things, the historic class European Championship and the World Championship in Jyväskylä. Among other things, Hänninen has worked as Latvala’s second driver.