Toyota’s GR Yaris very much set tongues wagging and got the pulses racing when it was launched in 2020. This unassuming little car has almost become a cult icon overnight, being totally not what many people expected. Jeremy Clarkson even called it his car of the year this year, and Top Gear gave the mighty little car a 10 out of 10 rating, and it had similar ratings among a lot of publications such as Evo and What Car. What is it that makes the car so special, though?
There are plenty of reasons for that, which we will explore in detail here. It is probably fair to say it's been the surprise of the decade so far, and any negative things people have said about it have been so minor that they’ve simply not been worth documenting. The car also harks back to the glory days of rally homologation specials, as this car was very much set to be such a homologation special before the World Rally Championship changed the rule set for the series to go hybrid from 2022 onwards. This is everything you need to know about why the GR Yaris is so good.
A Truly Great Homologation Special
The first point to explore is the car's homologation special status. What are homologation specials? These are cars for the road that have to be built to allow a manufacturer to build a car for rallying competition. Think of the likes of the Lancia 037 or the Audi Quattro. All of these had to have a certain number built for the road before they could be unleashed on the worlds rally stages. That is exactly what the GR Yaris was set to be.
Initially, 2,500 units would have to be built by Toyota in a 12-month period for it to qualify for the WRC. The rally cars need to use the same basic body shell. The problem is that the World Rally Championship has changed the rule book since then. The WRC is going to a hybrid formula, and so the GR Yaris won’t be making an appearance in the WRC. Which is sad, as it was certainly rekindling the days of the truly great homologation specials, with every other rally car in the current era of the WRC has been nothing short of a car based upon a mass-produced production car.
The Way The GR Yaris Drives
The way the GR Yaris drives has truly been something to behold. Top Gear in their online review of the car describe it as driving “like you hoped it would. Like you dreamed it would”. In essence, what this means that it feels every bit as punchy and lively as you would expect the car to do so. Top Gear also describe it as being the size of a Ford Fiesta ST, but driving much more like something bigger and more aggressive, and crucially, it has the mindset of a rally car. This is what Toyota was after.
Under the hood of the little GR Yaris is a 1.6-liter turbo engine. This engine produces 257 hp. That might not be as much as some rivals, even if it is pretty punch, but remember something. First off, this car is four-wheel drive. So it is incredibly grippy. Secondly, it’s a cornering focussed machine, and it is incredibly light. The car only weighs 1,280 kg. That is incredibly light. And with a top speed of 142 mph, it is certainly no slouch off the line, especially with its 5.5-second 0-62 time. This car is pretty damn potent.
The Best Toyota Product In Years
Remember, whilst some of its rivals have perhaps north of 300 hp, they probably weight around 150 kg more. And it's not like Toyota have skimped on interior quality, either. Step inside, and you might be a bit freaked out by the quite high seating position, but that’s fine. That’s what a rally car is like, as it improves visibility. The seats are incredibly soft and comfortable, with nice padding and all the controls are within easy reach, and everything feels crisp and sharp. There is no two-ways about it. This might be the best Toyota in years.
A Car That Everyone Should Own
This is, quite frankly, a car everyone should own. It just is. The formula might sound somewhat dull at first glance. But then you really look at the specs, look at the car itself, its interior and feel how it drives. The Toyota GR Yaris is one of the most special cars of the last few years. Most of us probably would love more cars to be like this. But equally, do we want that? Because in many ways, the Toyota GR Yaris deserves to stand out on its own as a one of the best rally/road specials we have ever seen.
Source: Top Gear, CAR Magazine, Toyota UK Blog, Car Throttle