Here's What Makes The Three-Cylinder Toyota G16E-GTS Engine So Good

The three-cylinder Toyota G16E-GTS engine marks the return of Toyota to the production of high-performance vehicles that are still affordable for the average person. The G16E-GTS engine is not only a technical tour de force, but it has been placed within two vehicles that can display its performance well. While the rest of the world gets the GR Yaris, we receive the GR Corolla, a more American-sized version of Toyota's hottest hatch.

It has been a while since "Toyota" and "high performance" could be spoken in the same sentence. The days of the 4th-gen Supra Turbo (not the current BMW-derived version), the Celica All-Trac, and the supercharged MR-2 are long gone, unless you are searching the classic car auction sites. But now the good old days are back again with the Toyota G16E-GTS engine as a potent source of power. 

The world has Toyota's Chairman Akio Toyoda to thank for this welcome resurgence of Toyota technological prowess directed toward the enthusiast community. Toyota's leader is passionate about motorsports, with a record of many entries into a wide variety of races. As a Master Driver, he has assisted in the development of many of Toyota's performance vehicles. Chairman Toyoda has also entered Toyota products in these races, often using the alias Morizo Kinoshita to compete (which explains the origin of the hardcore, stripped-down Morizo Edition of the GR Corolla).

The Toyota G16E-GTS engine debuted in the GR Yaris in January 2020. It is a 1,618cc, three-cylinder, direct-injection, 4 valves per cylinder, turbocharged powerplant. The output of the G16E-GTS engine at this time was 268 hp. It has been bumped up to 300 hp in the GR Corolla. 

The primary reason for the Toyota G16E-GTS engine's small displacement relates partly to rallying regulations and partly to the Japanese home auto market's tax structure. Vehicles in Japan are taxed heavily based on engine displacement, making a 1.6-liter engined car much more affordable than the equivalent car with even a 2.0-liter engine. Toyota's desire to keep this car affordable for the Japanese consumer led it to use a small but massively boosted engine. Toyota later adapted it for the rest of the world. 

With an output of nearly 200 hp/liter, the block of the G16E-GTS engine had to be extremely strong. The block is made in three pieces, with a large one-piece support for the main bearings. The steel crankshaft and the connecting rods are forged, with balance shafts being used to control the three-pot's vibrations. The pistons are lightweight, the camshaft is hollow using a VVT-i valve timing system, and the compression ratio is 10.5:1. 

The Toyota G16E-GTS engine uses a single-scroll, ball-bearing turbocharger that has been integrated into the exhaust manifold, which allows for faster warmup of the catalyst and saves some weight. The intake mixture goes through a cross-flow intercooler to reduce the charge temperature. The turbo's wastegate is located very close to it to minimize any turbo lag. 

The Toyota G16E-GTS engine produces an incredible amount of heat due to its high specific output and turbocharger setup. The head features two cooling jackets instead of one, as well as an oil cooler that's water-cooled to better manage the oil temperature. There are a total of nine oil jets to keep the undersides of the pistons cooler. 

For fueling, the G16E-GTS engine has both direct injection and port injection systems that operate at high pressure (22MPa). It has been designed to operate at the high temperatures associated with rallying competition. This fueling system also helps the engine to achieve both high performance and low emissions. The intake ports are CNC ported and polished, with sodium-filled exhaust valves and a free-flow exhaust to quickly evacuate combustion by-products. Moving the car's battery to the rear allowed for a significantly larger air intake system. The intake system even includes a "hydro-lock filter" to prevent water from entering the cylinders when driving through deep water, a nod to the car's rally potential.

For use in the U.S. market GR Corolla, the Toyota G16E-GTS engine has received some additional enhancements to help it to produce 300 hp. The fuel pump's capacity was increased by 20%, the engine cooling system was improved, the exhaust camshaft received modifications for reduced back pressure, and the turbo's boost was increased.

The Toyota G16E-GTS engine is a dedicated performance powerplant that is built in Toyota's Motomachi factory. It has been designed from the ground up to provide Toyota's GR Yaris and GR Corolla with an exceptional power-to-weight ratio, both as an engine and as part of a rally-inspired vehicle that can withstand the rigors of competition right off the showroom floor.