The Toyota GR Yaris is a monster hot hatch
This is what Toyota has made after saying they aren’t going to make as many boring cars, a GR Yaris. Imagine a regular Yaris but after it decided to go to the rally because that is exactly what happened. Toyota wants to take this hot hatch into the next World Rally Championship (WRC) and that means there needs to be a production version of the car too.
Toyota designed this GR Yaris for the WRC.
Just looking at the car you can already see what it’s screaming, “I’m sporty and you want to drive me!” It does look like an incredibly fun little hot hatch. The first thing that stands out is its massive grille and wide stance.
The body panels are actually made of aluminium and the roof of the car is carbon fibre. Taking a look at the side of the car, you’ll spot 18-inch alloy wheels with bright red brake callipers. Moving right to the bag you get the regular hot hatch shape but with an additional fake diffuser. Toyota didn’t even try to make it look a little useful.
Overall, I love the design keeping in mind it’s based on what they are bringing to the WRC. It just looks like something you can have a lot of fun driving.
What did Toyota do to make this GR Yaris WRC worthy?
Under the hood is a turbocharged 1.6-litre 3-cylinder petrol engine that with the lightweight and other upgrades creates 192kW and 360Nm. Toyota has even said it can reach 0 to 100km/h in just 5.2 seconds with a max speed of 230km/h. It’s a monster of a Yaris.
To get the turbocharger to be as effective as it is, Toyota has used a heat management system so that nothing will explode. For this GR Yaris, Toyota has also developed its own all-wheel-drive system and suspension. Because it is a rally car, it’s got all-wheel-drive and it will only come with a 6-speed manual gearbox.
If it’s more of a circuit car you want, you can pay more to make that happen. The optional circuit pack makes this Toyota GR Yaris more suited for roads which may make it more comfortable for everyday driving.
It’s the same Yaris’s interior.
Toyota will be stripping down the insides for the WRC but thankfully not for the production car. Inside is exactly like a normal Yaris but with some sporty accents. There are sporty seats, steering wheel and aluminium pedals. You’ll also find some red stitching and GR badges around the cabin. 
If you want a Toyota GR Yaris, you should act now.
If a jacked-up Yaris that promises a lot of fun is something you want to buy, Toyota is only making a limited amount of these GRs. So, if you’re serious, you should get your name on the order list as soon as you can. It does all come at a higher price almost reaching R600,000, but considering the punch you get in this car, it’s probably one of the cheapest performance cars on the market.
Source: Carwow | IOL | Toyota
