Toyota GR Yaris Circuit Pack

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So before I begin with my current car here's the very short history of the cars I have owned (from a copy and paste from my last thread.

My first car:



(The only decent photo I have and no it's not the Ralt racing car sadly)

A 1999 Citroen Xsara VTR 1.8 16v, 112bhp and a 0-60 of 9.1 as a first car I gave it hell and it survived everything I gave it, I also knew when pushing it to much as it had a tendency to lift a wheel, sadly I sold it after buying my second car for £500 and this is something I've regretted ever since, I had great fun with that car and it lasted me 3-4 years of solid motoring.

I then wanted something more sporty I looked at RX8's and TypeR's but a move in jobs meant I was commuting 500 miles a weekend to see the girlfriend of the time so decided to go for a more economical choice a 2007 Honda Civic TypeS GT.



The best bit about the car was the colour Deep Bronze Pearl



138bhp with a 0-60 of 8.6, it served me well but I found it a dull car to drive but on a B road the handling was solid and just about managed to hang on to friends in higher powered cars on drive outs



Here it is on a Boxing Day drive out, a memory that I will hold forever. In the photo is Blancpain GT driver Dean Stoneman and sadly 2 friends who have passed away Dean Palling (In a car accident) and Mike Lovell (P1 Powerboat accident)

4 years ago I then moved onto an Abarth 595 Competizione with performance pack (LSD). More about it can be found in my thread here: https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...





180bhp 0-60 6.5, it served me well as my daily along with a couple of trips to the Nurburgring, my first track day, my first auto solo and numerous European trips. It certainly had a lot of character and I genuinely miss it but it was time to move on to something with a bit more power.

So just as I was deciding that I’d get rid of the Abarth so Toyota announced the GR Yaris SaveFerris on Pistonheads is a local Toyota dealer and so I contacted him for a bit of info back in March when the order book opened however a house sale dragging on I decided not to put a deposit down.

June was soon upon us and now in the new house I decided to put a deposit down whilst also keeping an open mind about what the finished car would be like and what other cars could I get for similar money. Cars I considered:

Hyundai i30n
BMW M135i
Mercedes A35 AMG
Mini GP3
Civic typeR

Most I ruled out although pretty capable that just weren’t for me. The civic typeR probably is the car for me but whilst I couldn’t care what others think of me and my car I just cannot look at one without thinking it looks awful. However the Hyundai i30n peaked my interest and kept popping up especially when they have announced an automatic coming soon, so of course I went for a manual!

So I was fortunate enough to get one of the first cars in the country mainly because I went for an optional colour which cost a bit more, after a few delays caused by press embargo’s my car arrived at Snow’s Waterlooville about a week after I had a test drive.





I requested that the car not be cleaned and collected it and took it straight over to Tim at Envy car care in Gosport who did a fabulous job.













So onto the spec:

ENGINE

1618cc , straight 3 cylinders

Max power output - 257bhp @ 6500rpm (most euro cars dynod around 270bhp

Max torque - 360Nm @ 3000-4600rpm

Turbo - Single scroll

TRANSMISSION, DRIVETRAIN

Gearbox - 6 speed Manual iMT
Drivetrain - 4WD, normal 60:40, sport 30:70, track 50:50

Suspension

Front: Mac-Pherson suspension with anti roll-bar
Rear: Trailing double wishbone with anti roll-bar

Braking system

Front: Drilled and ventilated 356mm 2-piece front brake discs, four-piston aluminium fixed brake calipers

Rear: Drilled and ventilated 297mm rear brake discs, two-piston aluminium fixed brake callipers

PERFORMANCE

Top Speed - 142 mph limited

Acceleration 0-62 mph - 5.5 sec

Performance Pack

Torsen Limited-Slip Differential
Thicker front antiroll bar
Stiffer front suspension springs
18” BBS forged wheels with Michelin pilot sport4s tyres
Red calipers

Audio

Apple CarPlay standard system


I’m at 901 miles after a month the first 620 running it in as per the manual to a degree and mainly in wet weather plus a bit of commuting. The biggest thing is you go round a corner think how well it gripped look at the speedo and it’s 10-20mph quicker than you probably should have been. If I’m going to get a ticket I expect it to be this car!

The car will be a daily driver, will do some auto solos and will be off to the Nurburgring in May (if Covid allows) so hopefully the miles will soon build up.

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Koolkat969 said:

Finally, a readers car thread of the GR Yaris on Pistonheads. I was wondering why it took so long. How does it compare to the Abarth in both performance and practicality?

I’d been meaning to post it up a week or so ago but I’ve been so consumed by all the other threads I didn’t think there would be any interest.

I was actually discussing the differences today with a colleague who purchased an Abarth 595 Competizione after my constant raving about mine.

Performance wise it is a huge step forward nearly 2 seconds to 60 quicker and grip levels that just don’t seem to disappear. I have had a few slides in the Yaris but only through excessive speeds on large roundabouts in what could be considered appalling weather where I’m just trying to find where the limits of the car is.

Yaris pros:

Faster
More grip
No rattles in the cabin
Styling (in my opinion)
Carplay (my Abarth was meant to come with CarPlay as a demonstrator but got delayed so they binned it off for a year)
With seats down flat floor with more interior space

Abarth pros:
The exhaust sound (despite sounding like a tractor at idle having it bang on an upshift when pushing on was always amusing/satisfying)
Interior (whilst the interior is clearly bolted together better in the Yaris the Abarth felt special especially with the carbon backed seats. I also think they gripped better and will notice a difference on track)

Whilst mpg does not bother me I’m currently getting 27mpg compared to an average (over 45,000miles) of 37mpg with the Abarth that’s going to get a bit boring when heading to Europe a few times a year but I’m hoping that will improve on a long journey.

The Abarth I’ve always said was a childish car, in 4 years I always had a laugh driving the car even on the commute, the Yaris feels more sensible and seems to blend in with the world around it, the plus side though is that I’ve encountered less idiots so far than I’d normally meet in the Abarth or our C1 that may change as more people know what the car is.

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Col 666 said:

Lucky you, it looks fantastic in that colour.
I've been running a slightly modified 595 Competizione for nearly 2 years and love it, if it wasnt for Covid and work being very thin on the ground I would have stuck a deposit down on a Yaris last year.
How do they compare? I'm sure my work will pick up very soon but Im in 2 minds whether to go for the Yaris or throw £5k at the Abarth and make it even more manic than it already is! As much as I lust after the Yaris i'm not sure i'd have any more fun in it than the wee Fiat.......and its over £20k cheaper!

If Abarth made a new 695 biposto I’m sure I’d be in that. I’d prefer something a bit more hardcore but the GP3’s arches and the reviews discounted that car.

For me I prefer to spend the top of my limit on something that’s already capable with warranty than buy cheap and modify. It always amazes me the amount of people buying a turismo then spending more than a comp “because I want to put my stamp on it” and yet they come out with a lesser car (obviously different when you start with a comp).

I think the Yaris will certainly shine over winter but may lose its edge come summer and the warmer and drier weather. But as we have more wet than dry I think it’s perfect for the UK conditions. I will consider a remap, exhaust and pads/lines but will leave it a year.

But back to how they compare it really is a huge jump in performance at the cost of character.

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Col 666 said:

Thanks for the reply. Yeah the Yaris must be like night and day in the winter compared to an Abarth.
There is one thing they will have in common and thats trying to explain to non-car people what it is. People have no idea what an Abarth is and I'd imagine telling people you have a Toyota Yaris will have you trying to explain what makes it so special too.

I’m not precious. If people asked I used to own “a sporty Fiat 500” I now own “a Toyota Yaris” people think I’m saving the world so I’m like a god to most people......

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Mike1990 said:

Bookmarked!

Followed your Abarth thread with enthusiasm, so i’am really looking forward to your ownership with this.

Cheers!

kingkongsfinger said:

Absolutely stunning, favorite spec and colour.

Would love to see the wheels painted gold, that’s the only modification I would do.

If I get a set of winter wheels gold is my thinking.

Bright Halo said:

I really like the red but don’t think you can wrong with any of the colours it is available in. Strange they do a metallic and none metallic white when there is only four colours available.

Not sure why they the offer 2 whites but the colours on offer are those of Gazoo Racing. I’m not a fan of red cars despite this being my 2nd. If they offered it in blue that would have been my choice.

Psycho Warren said:

Does the car meet the high expectations in terms of performance that most of the online reviews give?

Im no driving pro/god however I feel the press have given a fair review of the cars performance (although I’m yet to see a review that is 100% factually correct) I’ve found a lot of negatives that I’ve read from those who’ve test driven/reviewed is because they’re comparing to cars way beyond £34,000 I guess due to its performance being on par with cars of a much higher price point. Things like poor lights and interior, yes compared to a top of the line Porsche but compared to other cars of that price range its on par or better.

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RS Grant said:

I'm into all the technical and mechanical changes of these, I'm not sure about the looks or the price.. but the reviews would suggest that my mind would be put at ease after a drive of one.

I would love all the other manufacturers to start knocking 'bespoke' stuff like this out for the enthusiast, but I can't see it happening unfortunately... which means if the options are so limited then I expect that longer term values of the Yaris should stay fairly solid because of it.

A friends dad who has a pretty serious collection of cars just bought one and plans to track it.. so I'm looking forward to seeing what it can really do.

The price reflects the technical and mechanics changes. I think you get a lot of car for the money but it’s also very clear where compromises have been made to save money vs saving weight.

Manufacturers not only need to have the want to produce something like this for the UK market given that our government are pushing for 2030 going electric, they need it to fit within their emissions targets something I believe Toyota have been good at managing due to Hybrid sales and then they’ve got 9 years to design and produce a car as bespoke as this for no real purpose.

Some manufacturers may do it but sadly I think it will be slim to nil.

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Not much of an update really but have run the car until the fuel light came on which was 14-15 miles left to run on the trip computer. I fuelled up at 9-10 miles and the app showing 2% fuel.

I filled the car up with 40.88 litres to full and it’s a 50litre tank so 9 litres to play with once the trip computer reads zero. Not that I ever intend to do that I don’t even like the light coming on!

And a slight annoyance. I’m so used to puts closing gently under their own weight but I’m guessing being aluminium and light weight I’m constantly closing the boot too softly. I’m sure I’ll get used to it.

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A bit of an update as there’s a bit of chat on here. I’m still sadly like most only commuting so not getting to stretch it’s legs or truly get used to the car but hopefully lockdown ends soon.

Because I’m only commuting I’ll share some economy which I think I’ve touched on before. I’m now at 1,600 miles and I’ve averaged 27.7mpg over that period (around 12miles each way mix of city and motorway)

I’ve had the car sideways a few times and finding its limits I’m starting to actually prefer sport mode (rear bias) over track mode although poor weather I’ve been switching to track mode.

An odd thing with the car, the manual states auto start stop only with normal mode but it’s kicking in with track mode also (sport it doesn’t) although commuting I’m not against having it on.

The gearbox has loosened up and my concerns with finding 2nd gear (I think I mentioned this) have almost completely gone.

I get 4 random beeps at different times whilst driving (not every journey), they’re different to lane departure beeps and hazard detection and nothing comes up on the display so will need a chat with the dealer when it’s in for a service which at this current rate will be early summer.

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Not much to add other than 4,500 miles in and still having great fun.

I’ve taken part in 2 autosolos at Goodwood the first event I hadn’t participated in an event for about 4 years so was not competitive until the end of the day where I managed to get the 2nd quickest time of the day on the course but it’s all about consistency. The handbrake works well though: https://youtu.be/3r2n-XOqkUo



The 2nd event was raining and despite only 2 cars in the class Goodwood decided to keep us separate for our perceived advantage in the conditions, my competition was a 740bhp R35 but the smaller size no doubt helped and I got a class win. The handbrake still works: https://youtu.be/2gmxMgVN6IM



Saturday I had a drive around Dorset with perfect weather and surprisingly little traffic the morning I spent with a group of Porsche's including a GT4 and singer! Then the afternoon decided to travel at a slightly quicker pace.





I’m still amazed how many people want to talk about the car or who have one on order ready to add to some very nice collections.

I also figured out the random beeping, it appears to be when cruise control can’t break in a downhill scenario.

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Johnnytheboy said:

Hey, that's my manor!

Question: how wide does it feel?

It looks narrow, but on paper it's quite wide.

It only feels wide as I don't want to damage the ridiculously expensive wheels, but otherwise no it doesn’t feel wide at all.

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So a bit of an update, I had my 6,000miles service about 2 weeks ago with no issues it’s nothing more than an oil change really but it keeps the warranty going and adds another year on up to 10 years now so worth paying for the privilege.

Today I went over to wheel alignment solutions in Southampton to get OEM camber bolts fitted to give the front end 3deg camber. From the GR forum and Toyotas parts list it was suggested 4 bolts needed to be swapped but I had seen some people getting away with 2 and I was one of them. The steering has been transformed so looking forward to some proper miles on B roads to confirm the initial feeling.

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So a bit of an update, had a run out to cheddar gorge with some other PHers the other day which was a good run despite some hill fog slowing us down.



I felt a knock of a rock and the next day had a flat tyre due to it being on the sidewall I couldn’t get a repair. Trying to find Michelin PS4S tyres is impossible and was looking around £180 per tyre. Goodyear seem to be on a hard push on the Eagle F1 super sports and I managed to get all 4 swapped for £355.

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Terminator X said:

Looks good in red. Is that a 4C there too? How does yours fair against that?

TX.

Yes a 4C. Obviously quite different cars but on some bumpy roads I just felt sorry for him with the stiff suspension and no doubt uncomfortable tide whereas I could just keep my foot down.

Also went along with an R8 and I realised just how little mechanical breaking there is compared to the R8 he hardly touched his brakes and I just couldn't slow down without using mine.

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So a bit of an update.

Today marks 1 year of ownership of the Yaris and 10,000 miles complete.

In that year I’ve competed in 2 autosolos (and won one), taken the car from Hampshire to Scotland, Hampshire to Cologne (where I achieved 37mpg!) And then corrected that shameful mpg by hitting the limited top speed of 142/143mph on the speedo and about 137mph on GPS along the autobahn.

Boot space can be an issue any journey more than a night away I drop the rear seats but for the 2 of us that’s not an issue, once they are dropped it’s quite spacious.

Only niggles have been a common gear linkage adjustment, I’m still not 100% convinced it’s fixed but certainly far better than what it previously was, and a few reduced engine power messages which an off and on reset (this as only on the early cars and a software update fixes it).

There is a recall out for the SOS button but my car is not one of those requiring a change (this I believe is a Toyota wide issue).

And a photo from a brief visit to Toyota Gazoo Racing Europe.