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Ever wondered what a Toyota Yaris might be like with over 250 braked horses beneath the bonnet? Well Toyota made it, this wild GR Yaris. It's a rather unique confection. Here, we look at the original version as a used buy.
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Detailed ratings
Family Hatch - GTi Hatchbacks
History
This car was actually rather significant, back in 2021 the first true performance model developed entirely in-house by Toyota in more than 20 years. Prior to then, we'd had quick models from the brand, but only with outside assistance; the GT86 (developed with Subaru) and the GR Supra (co-created with BMW). The GR Yaris in contrast, was entirely the work of Toyota's Gazoo Racing performance division, hence the 'GR' moniker.
There was a wild version of the Yaris generation previous to this too, the Yaris GRMN, but this fiercer GR Yaris model was quite a bit more powerful, gained 4WD and was made in much greater numbers. Its original purpose was to aid homologation of a next generation Yaris World Rally Car, though ultimately, that competition model never saw the light of day because of Covid cut-backs. Thankfully, this homologated road model was spared the axe though, its purpose being to boost the image of the then-freshly launched fourth-generation Yaris supermini. Chief engineer Naohiko Saito couldn't believe his luck when Toyota asked him and his team to create a Yaris like no other. He did exactly that.
Here, we're going to look at the earlier 2021-2023-era version of this model, which sold until an updated version arrived in early 2024.
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What you get
Engineer Naohiko Saito was put under pressure here to retain the regular Yaris model's 5-door body shell, but he wasn't having it, holding out for the stiffer, bespoke 3-door body that no other Yaris model in the range can have. That's not the only thing that's different over an ordinary hybrid Yaris; virtually everything else changed too. In fact, only the headlights, door mirrors, rear light clusters and the shark fin antenna on the roof were carried over to this wild GR model, which is 55mm longer and sits 45mm lower than its more conservative showroom stablemate.
Inside, it's quite a bit more restrained than the exterior. But that doesn't mean it'll be more like your granny's Yaris Hybrid. Quite the opposite in fact. For a start, there's a manual gear lever, set high and close to the unique three-spoke GR Yaris wheel for rapid shifts. And you sit on specially designed and very supportive race-style sports seats, trimmed in lovely 'Ultrasuede' upholstery with contrast stitching and set at just the right angle to reach the drilled aluminium sports pedals. The instrument binnacle's two analogue meters have white figures with red needles; and if you look closer, you'll see a rev counter that red lines at 7,000rpm and a speedometer that goes to 180mph - yes, in a Yaris!
Between these two gauges, the 4.2-inch TFT colour multi-information display adds an all-wheel drive indicator showing the torque distribution and mode selected for the GR-Four all-wheel drive system, plus there's also a turbo pressure monitor. There's a mechanical hand-operated parking brake, which Toyota suggests the driver can use for cornering in rally stage driving. And a GR-Four selector, which is set just forward of the gear lever, for easy changes between the car's provided 'Normal', 'Sport' and 'Track' modes. Plus plenty of GR badging is scattered around the cabin to remind you what you've bought - you'll find it on the steering wheel, the engine start button and the floor mats, plus there's a little plaque on the centre console.
And the rear? Well access is made easier than it might be thanks to the generous forward tipping angle of the front seats. Once in the back, there's not a lot of space, with headroom especially at a premium thanks to the lowered roof line. For more than a short trip, you'd need to be of school age not to grouse about the prospect of being confined here for very long. There's not a great deal of luggage space either - the trunk is compact, 1,880mm long and 1,4230mm wide, which means that its capacity is rated at just 174-litres.
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What to look for
We come across a few problems. There were reports of a few models going into limp mode after leaving a petrol station, with warning lights coming on. This turned out to be nothing more alarming than an insufficiently-tightened petrol cap. Make sure you do half a dozen clicks to tighten it and secure an airtight seal. We've come across reports of the central clutch pack in the AWD system over-heating during track use and disconnecting the rear axle. Some owners have had problems with a gearbox popping out of 2nd and being notchy on the change-up from 1st. Dealers will adjust the cable linkage under warranty if requested. Oil changes are supposed to improve shift quality too.
The dust boots on the brake calipers are known to melt during hard track use. The mesh in the lower grille is plastic and prone to breaking when hit by gravel. Bash the bumper in one corner and you'll have to replace the whole thing (Toyota corrected this issue with the facelifted model, creating a multi-piece bumper). You might quite understandably be nervous of a GR Yaris that's been chipped up to go faster. It's been known for this original model to get an induction kit, a bigger intercooler and a cobra exhaust and have output up to 340hp or more. In theory, you can have your GR Yaris serviced anywhere but ideally, you'd go to one of the brand specialist GR centres.
Check the wheels for kerbing damage that may have forced the steering out of alignment - betrayed by steering wheel juddering. As usual, prioritise models featuring a fully stamped-up service record.
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Replacement parts
(approx - based on a 2021 GR Yaris ex VAT) The bespoke Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tyres cost around £102 (from Blackcircles); for a little more, you can get Pilot Sport 5 rubber. As for servicing, budget around £270 for an oil change, filters and brake fluid service. You can get a factory seat lowering kit for around £270 or an after-market kit that does the same thing for about half of that. You might want to look at wingback seats like Cobra Nogaros, which with the mounts are about £750 each, or £2,700 trimmed in carbon. Body kits are available from companies like Giacuzzo in Germany.
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On the road
This, the second Toyota GR Motorsport-influenced product, was quite differently orientated to the first. Whereas the GR Supra was a sports car developed through track racing, the GR Yaris was a model engineered through participation in rallying. A car much in the mould performance classics of the past like Subaru's Impreza WRX and the Mitsubishi Evo. Those cars used 2.0-litre engines, but units of that size wouldn't fit in the Yaris - and anyway would be too heavy. Even the 1.6-litre powerplant that is used here has just three cylinders - but it packs quite a turbo punch; the stats for the original version of this model are 257bhp, 360Nm and 62mph from rest in just 5.5s on the way to a maximum of 143mph. The old Yaris GRMN, for reference, put out 209bhp.
This GR Yaris's powertrain, at launch the world's most powerful three cylinder engine, was mated with the original version of the GR Yaris only to a 6-speed 'IMT' 'Intelligent Manual Transmission' stick shift gearbox with permanent four-wheel drive provided by the brand's GR-Four system. This was the first original sports all-wheel drive system Toyota had created in 20 years and it featured a multi-plate clutch delivering power to all four wheels via three pre-set torque distribution levels; 'Normal' has a 60:40-split front-to-rear; 'Sport' pushes nearly all the power to the back 30:70; and 'Track' has an equal 50:50-split. There are big brakes too - 356mm grooved front brake discs featuring 4-pot calipers. And a set of sticky tyres - either Dunlop Sport Maxx or Michelin Pilot Sport rubber. Plus the regular Yaris model's basic torsion beam rear suspension was replaced by a more sophisticated double wishbone set-up.
It all works brilliantly. In fact, if you drive this car hard, as we have, you might conceivably conclude that the 4WD system is almost too good. Even in the wet, getting traction to break free requires hooligan tendencies that would attract the attention of the local constabulary. Otherwise, the car sticks rigidly to almost any chosen cornering line you care to give it in a determined manner that might not please those in search of the kind of tail-out antics the designers of this Toyota would probably frown upon. It's worth pointing out though, that our experience was of a car fitted with the optional 'Circuit Pack' which many GR Yaris customers will want. That gets you track-tuned GR Circuit Suspension and Torsen Differentials both front and rear that better transmit torque to tarmac.
And efficiency with a GR Yaris? Likely customers probably won't care too much that the official WLTP-rated efficiency figure is 34.3mpg on the combined cycle; if you ever get near that on a regular basis, then you probably shouldn't have bought this car in the first place and it deserves a better home; you know where we are. The official WLTP emissions return is 186g/km of CO2.
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Overall
Motorsport homologation rules, those requiring competition cars to be based on a limited production run of a similar roadgoing variant, have brought us some of the greatest drivers cars of all time - models like the Lancia Delta Integrale, the '993'-series Porsche 911 GT3 and the Ford Sierra RS Cosworth. Here's another to add to that exalted list. It's that good. And it's a lot more than just another hot hatch.
In summary, there's nothing remotely sensible about this car - and that's exactly why its small band of loyal owners like it. There are lots of supermini hot hatches that on paper seem a no-brainer choice over a pricey GR Yaris. But on the road, none of them will feel as raw or perhaps as exciting. This is as close as Toyota Gazoo Racing can get to bringing you a Yaris World Championship Rally car fettled for road use. More power to them.
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