Rally Japan 2023 was round 13 of the FIA World Rally Championship, the season's closing round held across the Aichi and Gifu prefectures from 16 to 19 November 2023. For Takamoto Katsuta, the only full-time Japanese driver competing at WRC's top tier, this was the highest-profile event of the year. Car #18, co-driven by Aaron Johnston, crossed the finish line fifth overall — a solid result in front of a home crowd and within a dominant Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT squad.
The Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Hybrid
The GR Yaris Rally1 is derived from Toyota's road-going GR Yaris but comprehensively reworked to meet the 2022 WRC Rally1 technical regulations. Its powertrain combines a 1.6-litre direct-injection turbocharged three-cylinder engine producing approximately 380 bhp with a mandatory 100 kW (134 bhp) hybrid unit supplied by Compact Dynamics, bringing combined output to around 500 bhp. The hybrid system was standardised across all Rally1 manufacturers from the 2022 season onwards, marking the most significant regulatory shift in top-level rallying in decades.
Katsuta, Johnston and the Home-Round Result
Takamoto Katsuta joined Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT as a nominated full-season driver for 2023, running alongside team-mates Ogier, Elfyn Evans and Kalle Rovanperä. At Rally Japan — the WRC's only round on Japanese soil — Katsuta and co-driver Aaron Johnston carried car number 18 with the standard 2023 Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT livery: predominantly white bodywork with red and black GR branding, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing wordmarks, and livery decals from DHL, Michelin and OMP. Their fifth overall finish placed them just behind the leading Toyota entries.
The 1:43 Scale Model by Spark
This 1:43 scale model is produced by Spark Model in resin, consistent with the construction standard across Spark's contemporary rally and circuit car range at this scale. Photo-etched metal details are incorporated as part of the standard Spark 1:43 process, contributing to the precision of sponsor graphics, aerodynamic elements and surface textures. The model reproduces car #18 specifically as it ran at Rally Japan 2023, capturing the full 2023 season livery including all major sponsor markings.
In the Display Cabinet
The #18 Katsuta/Johnston car sits naturally alongside Spark's companion pieces from the same event: the #33 GR Yaris Rally1 of Elfyn Evans and Scott Martin, who won Rally Japan 2023, and the #17 entry of Sébastien Ogier and Vincent Landais, who finished second. Together the three models document Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT's complete front-running presence at round 13. Collectors building a Takamoto Katsuta retrospective can extend the sequence with Spark's earlier-season 2022–2023 entries in the same #18 livery family.
Frequently asked questions
Who drove car #18 at Rally Japan 2023?
Takamoto Katsuta and co-driver Aaron Johnston drove the #18 Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Hybrid for Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT, finishing fifth overall.
What is the Rally1 hybrid system on the GR Yaris?
From the 2022 season, all Rally1 cars carry a standardised 100 kW (134 bhp) hybrid unit supplied by Compact Dynamics, working alongside a 1.6-litre turbocharged three-cylinder engine for a combined output of around 500 bhp.
What material is the Spark 1:43 model made from?
Spark Model builds its 1:43 rally car models in resin, with photo-etched metal detail parts as standard for this range.
What is the significance of Rally Japan for Katsuta?
Takamoto Katsuta is the only full-time Japanese driver at WRC's top level, making Rally Japan — held in the Aichi and Gifu prefectures — the most prominent home event on his calendar.
