The Toyota Yaris is a popular small mainstream car from the famous Japanese car maker. It is very popular. In other news, around the year 2020 some enterprising engineers from ‘Gazoo Racing’, Toyota’s sporting arm, took a good long look at the Yaris and wondered what the car would be like if they added a touch of fire and brimstone. Thus the GR Yaris was born and then in 2024, it was born again in a new and improved iteration and it is quite a car, proving that the idea of the hot hatch is not dead.
Spectators at the roadside of any recent World Rally Championship events will be familiar with this car in full-blown rally-race specification and will be aware that the road-going version, whilst perhaps not as fierce and dramatic, is still a fabulous drive for those who like a little motoring entertainment. Here’s more:
Born For Drivers
With a premium motor sport pedigree like this, it’s hardly surprising that Toyota have a hit on their hands with the GR Yaris. A new three-cylinder engine (yes, really), a new electronic all-wheel drive system and a tailor-made chassis were all part of the plan. it is in a class of its own and an instant sports car classic. The 4WD system is claimed to be the lightest on the market. Lightest, but not the most basic, being quite a sophisticated unit. There’s an aluminium central transfer case and in Normal mode the torque is split 60:40 front to rear, but this can be varied depending upon road factors.
The GR Yaris’s turbo-charged engine once had the distinction of being the world’s most powerful three-cylinder production unit. Now it offers even more: power has been increased by 19bhp over the original model and the driver can call on an additional 30Nm of torque, with maximum figures rising from 257bhp (261PS) and 360Nm to 276bhp (280PS) and 390Nm. All of which, in short, delivers an authentic race car feel that reaffirms how Toyota has realised its ambition to build a rally car for the road. Owners can however expect the usual Toyota durability from this small power-plant. More to the point, it sounds good too.
The introduction of a brand-new eight-speed ‘Gazoo Racing Direct Automatic Transmission’ is one of the most significant changes in the GR Yaris, offered as an option to the established six-speed manual gearbox. In designing this new unit, Toyota focused on achieving the fastest possible downshift speed. Using an automatic transmission also lets the driver focus more strongly on steering and use of the brake and throttle pedals.
Where conventional human gear shifting relies on sensing vehicle behaviour, such as deceleration and speed, the new transmission’s optimised software is also finely tuned to sense how the driver is using the brakes and accelerator. By doing so, it anticipates when gear shifting is necessary even before changes in vehicle behaviour occur, so that gear selection reflects the driver’s intentions. The choice is yours; sport stick shift or automatic.
The steering is engineered for high control and linear feedback, contributing to how the driver feels that sense of connection to the car and to the road. The chassis, suspension, braking, wheels and tyres are all geared to performance driving. Really, the only similarity to the standard car is the basic shape.
A Sporting Interior
The prestige sporting interior of the GR Yaris offers an authentically sporty feel with a design that’s true to the ‘driver first’ principles that define the car. The GR team took the inputs from racing and rally drivers as inspiration for re-positioning controls and giving the driver faster, clearer access.
The instrumentation includes a 12.3inch fully digital ‘combimeter’ with two layout modes – normal and sport, the latter providing a sports performance-focused data display. The design is free of any superfluous ornamentation, so graphics are clear and information can be instantly viewed and understood. On the automatic model, the read-out includes transmission oil temperature and a visual warning in addition to a sound alarm to alert the driver when engine revs are too high for downshifting.
Precise changes have been made to give the driver the best posture. The seat has been lowered by 25mm and steering wheel adjusted accordingly. The shift direction has been changed to suit competition driving so the driver pushes the lever forward for downshifts and pulls back for up-shifts.
The Sporting Looks
Differing from the standard mainstream vehicle, the GR Yaris is a three-door car that’s very much a model in its own right: only the headlights, antenna and door mirrors are carried over from the standard hatchback. Every element has been revised to achieve optimum downforces, aerodynamics and grip. At the front of the car there is a new steel mesh for the lower grille, optimised for the best balance of thickness, strength and weight reduction.
The side grille has a larger opening and lower bumper has a new split-construction that makes it easier and less costly to repair or replace (which these days is quite thoughtful). At the rear, an opening in the bottom edge of the lower garnish allows air from beneath the floor to escape, reducing drag, improving the car’s manoeuvrability and stability and dispersing heat from the exhaust system.
The fog and reversing lights have been relocated, moving from the lower bumper to be integrated in the rear combination lamps, reducing the risk of damage. Similarly, the high mounted stop light has been moved from the rear spoiler to lower down on the back door so that all rear lamps are aligned and in a clear line of sight for following drivers. Moving the stop light also makes it easier for the spoiler to be changed or customised, if that idea takes your fancy.
Truly, this is a wonderful car. The first one was great, this model is better still, but Toyota is a huge manufacturer and they build cars with a reputation for reliability, important these days. There’s a huge range of cars to choose from in the Toyota catalogue; something for everyone as they say.
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