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RE: Toyota GR Yaris | PH Origin Story

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Toyota GR Yaris | PH Origin Story

The GR Yaris is a hot hatch like no other - but it wasn't Toyota's first time...

With a new V8 sports car and a GT3-spec racer on the horizon, now is an exciting time for Toyota Gazoo Racing. But then, to be frank, when isn’t it? In a world of overly cautious car companies, Toyota has wholeheartedly, consistently and convincingly committed itself to making cool stuff: the GR hatches have already spawned stripped-out two-seat variants and rally driver specials, the Supra bowed out as a limited edition, manual road racer, and those markets that still get a GR86 seem to be offered a new spec most months.

None of this should be surprising, however, because of the Yaris Gazoo Racing Meisters of Nurburgring - also known as the GRMN. See, here was a car just as driver-focused, just as unlikely to happen, just as willed into production by a dedicated bunch of engineers as anything that’s subsequently come from GR. Maybe more so. But now it feels a tiny bit forgotten about, as evidenced by an odometer that reads fewer than 3,000 miles on Toyota’s 2018 test car; the 74-plated GR Yaris, for example, is already on five figures.

The GRMN wasn’t so much a toe in the water for a proper Yaris hot hatch as a test bed that was available to buy. Having initially said 600 would be produced, only 400 GRMNs were made for the entire planet (with 100 coming here), requiring all manner of hurdles to be overcome. This era of Yaris, to say nothing of its production line, was never designed with a supercharged, limited-slip diff'd hot hatch in mind, so its gestation was tricky to say the least. And its parts bin pinching was nothing if not extensive: a subframe from a Yaris hybrid, a cat from a Lexus, the wheel from a GT86 and so on. The GRMN was the kind of bitsa build no major manufacturer would really commit to, but as the next few years were going to show, Toyota was very keen not to be like other manufacturers.

So in the company of the first and latest GR-badged Yarises, the questions are abundant: did the GRMN really pave the way for the GR, or is it an outlier in the back catalogue? Can a front-drive, supercharged Toyota really feel anything like a four-wheel drive, turbocharged one? On the other hand, how different can a pair of Toyota Yarises limited to 143mph actually be? And why aren’t there more days thrashing around in two manual hot hatches, weighing less than 2.5 tonnes combined?

If the GR felt like a gift from above at the end of a miserable 2020, the reception for the GRMN was a little more muted a couple of years beforehand. It seemed expensive against similarly sized rivals, the optional stickers looked a bit naff, and Gazoo Racing simply didn’t enjoy the reputation that it soon would. If you wanted a fun Toyota for that money, the GT86 would have done the job; a great hot hatch was available for less money from Ford. Just a few years later, though, and Toyota’s commitment to the GRMN cause deserves more praise than ever as the Yaris went on to bigger and better things, but also as the GRMN still offers up an experience like no other pocket rocket. What other 1,100kg, supercharged, manual hot hatches with forged wheels and Sachs dampers can you think of? If Gazoo was to become known for doing its own thing, apparently ignoring tradition, precedent or rivals, the GRMN set out the stall pretty emphatically.

Yet it remains a Yaris to some extent. You’re still perched in the driver’s seat like your nan would be, a spindly gearlever soars like a beanstalk from the floor, and the sizeable HVAC controls are handy if your eyesight isn’t what it was. Shoes much bigger than an 8 don’t fit brilliantly on the pedals. The red accents and badges convey the GR message, but the newer car is much more convincing at creating a sense of occasion with its seats, perfectly-sited gearlever and prominent mode switches. That feeling of a car with the Gazoo-ness baked into it, against one that’s had it grafted on, is immediately apparent - and inescapable. If the styling, with slightly gaudy stickers and spoilers and centre exit exhaust against mean and moody motorsport influence, hadn’t already given the game away.

The innate dowdiness of a GRMN makes the thrill from behind the wheel (that doesn’t come out far enough) all the more shocking. Despite its humble origins, or perhaps because of them, since expectations were lower, the Yaris was - and still is - an absolute hoot. This was much more than stickers and a supercharger, representing the kind of methodical overhaul we’ve now come to expect from Gazoo. Back in the late '10s, it was less immediately hilarious than a Fiesta ST, but the effervescence of its powertrain and the staying power of its chassis won it plenty of fans. As with so many of the GR-badged cars since, you could beat on the Yaris for lap after lap and mile after mile, brake pedal staying resolutely firm, diff refusing to wilt and tyres clinging on.

The powertrain is still a highlight. The response of a supercharger is so immediate and so thrilling, goading you on at every opportunity to mat the throttle and grab another gear. The 1.8 wants revs and it wants commitment, which a perfectly weighted clutch and shift pairing are only too happy to facilitate. The ratios are short and snappy, the exhaust blares like a touring car and the performance is strong; there’s nothing like the feeling of sitting on a car rather than in it to amplify a sense of speed.

There’s the feel of a tuner car to the GRMN, like it’s a one-off passion project rather than a derivative signed off by one of the world’s largest OEMS, and that’s meant entirely as a compliment. It’s raw, it’s demanding and it’s unapologetic: the exhaust throbs, the low-speed ride is terse, there’s no help - as with the i-MT-equipped Yaris - with your downshifts. It’s a proper riot, and huge fun as a result. But there’s real quality under the bluster as well; those dampers keep a good check on mass movement with more speed, the brake pedal feel (complete with bespoke four-piston calipers) is resolute and the steering can’t really be faulted for an electric system. Toyota fiddled with software ‘to enhance feedback and linearity’, the result being a front end that’s responsive, accurate and feelsome, the workings of the diff always detectable without being overbearing. The juxtaposition of the Yaris bits with the GR elements always feels a tad strange, though it’s a long way from unsatisfying.

The later Yaris, designed as it was from the outset to be an all-conquering rally-bred hero, is cohesive, homogenous, almost a little sensible by direct comparison. That’s how rambunctious the old car is, that it can make the world’s most powerful three-cylinder engine in a four-wheel drive rocketship feel a bit too polished for its own good. It seems muted, distant and, yes, refined against the old stager - words not typically associated with the GR Yaris.

And while these things are all relative - the new car is like driving a bath bomb versus most things - it does serve as a reminder that, just occasionally, the GR Yaris isn’t quite as entertaining as you’d want a small, light, fast hatchback to be. Whereas the GRMN bombards you with sound and sensation from the off, the GRY seems solely, unflinchingly focused on getting to the maximum speed possible as fast as possible, with the experience a secondary concern. And that’s a bit of a surprise.

The flipside of that is a car that’s leagues more capable than its spiritual predecessor. It’s hard to think of anything, really, that could go any faster on moist, bumpy B-road than a GR Yaris. Its broad, muscular stance, in stark contrast to the narrow and gawky GRMN, makes for immense stability and security through bends, despite carrying more than an extra 150kg (yet still coming in at less than 1,300kg, pleasingly), it’s damped with a level of control and polish that’s unrivalled here, and pretty much anywhere. What the engine can’t offer in immediate vim, it claws back with huge mid-range punch and an equally enthusiastic rush to 7,000rpm.

Indeed, stellar powertrains have become a GR calling card, so let’s hope for something similar from the GT’s V8. The Gazoo Racing 86’s flat-four addressed all the issues of the GT’s 2.0-litre; the Supra’s manual was far better than any BMW six-speed has been; and these two, with just seven cylinders and 3.4 litres between them, prove that star quality isn’t necessarily related to cubic inches or cylinder count. The GRMN was always going to be a ripper, because that 1.8 2ZR-FE had already proved its worth in later Elises.

The G16E-GTS was more of an unknown quantity, yet charmed immediately - and continues to do so. The lag makes the rush exciting, the zesty top end means revs are always rewarded, and the three-cylinder thrum has a character all of its own (that is a bit different to a Fiesta’s.) It’s clear to see, too, where the old Yaris created a template for the current one, with a second gear that’ll just get to the 60mph benchmark, a shift that feels strong enough for a billion changes, and a proper rap-bap-bap rev limiter. It’s all in the details, see…

And while a GRMN won’t realistically see where a GR went when the going gets twisty, there are certainly shared attributes to the respective experiences. Obviously both are compact, easy-to-place hatchbacks, which is a boon now more than ever, but the resistance and weighting of key controls are a vital part of their appeal as well. Look at both gearlevers: adorned with simple knobs, yet with the kind of star quality to the shift to shame most others. You wouldn’t change a thing about the brake pedals. Each steering wheel is relatively plain, simple, and notable for offering - as well as not needing - any configuration. Nailing the basics without concern for fripperies has become a GR hallmark, and it makes both of these a real pleasure even when not going the full Ogier.

It is a shame that the GR requires such commitment, however, for anything like the old car’s thrill factor. Perhaps it would be daft to expect a car explicitly designed to win rallies to be anything but a grip monster, but even by modern hot hatch standards the Yaris leaves plenty of its potential untapped at road speeds. To some extent it means you leave the new car just a tad frustrated, knowing there’s so much more to explore but unable to. The old car is much more of an open book, and the ability to meld old school silliness with proper engineering rigour does show up the GR slightly.

Granted, even writing that down feels like a churlish complaint. The old Yaris demonstrated the considerable potential Gazoo had at its disposal, which the GR has fully exploited and then some: the influence of motorsport has become innate to the development, and created a modern hot hatch hero in the process. All that being said, the skunkworks nature of the GRMN makes it more of a giggle, more of the time. It’s a rough diamond, but a diamond nonetheless. Far from being a footnote in Gazoo's history, then, there’s still something to learn for the future from the GRMN. A car as focused as we now have with the wild side of its recent past would be something very special indeed. And you really wouldn’t put anything past its maker right now…

SPECIFICATION | 2019 TOYOTA YARIS GRMN

Engine: 1,798cc, supercharged 4-cyl
Transmission: 6-speed manual, front-wheel drive
Power (hp): 212@6,800rpm
Torque (lb ft): 184@5,000rpm
0-62mph: 6.4 secs
Top speed: 143mph (limited)
Weight: 1,135kg
MPG: 37.6 (NEDC combined)
CO2: 170g/km
Price: £26,295

SPECIFICATION | 2025 TOYOTA GR YARIS

Engine: 1,618cc three-cylinder, turbocharged
Transmission: 6-speed manual, all-wheel drive
Power (hp): 280@6,500rpm
Torque (lb ft): 288@3,250rpm - 4,000rpm
0-62mph: 5.2 seconds
Top speed: 143mph
Weight: 1,280kg
MPG: 34
CO2: 188g/km
Price: £45,405 (price as standard; price as tested £46,045 comprising Precious Black paint for £640)

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mersontheperson

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185 months