We've said it before and we'll say it again – Toyota has completely changed the way we look at the Yaris, more so with the new GR Yaris hot hatchback that was launched at the Tokyo Auto Salon. The once humble city cruiser is now a pocket rocket, thanks to a recipe that would excite fans of small yet fast cars.

While the GR Yaris already looks incredible with a sheet of metal on top, a convertible version has been rendered by X-Tomi Design. Our thoughts? We love it and we think it would be a great addition to Toyota's lineup – but don't get your hopes high up just yet.

 

See, this is just a rendering and we think it's closer to staying as fiction rather than making it to production. There are many things to consider when taking off the roof of a car, more so if it's a pocket rocket that produces 257 horsepower (192 kiloWatts) and 360 Newton-meters (266 pound-feet). Safety, structural integrity, and cost of production are just among the few to consider.

Though the chances of seeing this imagined GR Yaris seeing the light of day is slim, we can't help but admire its looks. We also can't help but reckon whether a convertible Toyota will sell, seeing the world has an insatiable thirst for high-riding SUVs.

Which brings us to the Yaris crossover. Officially announced this week for the European market, the high-riding version of the Yaris is said to be underway and we won't have to wait long until we see the final design.

"This model will add to the success of Yaris in Europe and together, we expect these vehicles will account for around 30 percent of the Toyota sales volume in Europe by 2025," Matt Harrison, Executive Vice President of Toyota’s European business, says.

See our point?

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