The Toyota Yaris GRMN has arrived! The latest performance machine to come from the Japanese manufacturer, this hot hatch is developed by Gazoo Racing — the brains behind Toyota’s motorsport activities including entries in the Le Mans 24 Hours, World Rally Championship and VLN Endurance Series.
As a result, this is a Yaris unlike any other — it’s powerful, seriously quick, fun to drive and just as well-suited to the track as a country road. We’ve had a drive, and here’s seven of the coolest things about the Toyota Yaris GRMN.
Race car-inspired aesthetic
It just takes one look at the Yaris GRMN to realise this is no ordinary hatchback. It has aggressive-looking bodywork, 17-inch BBS alloy wheels, a centre-mounted exhaust, a rear spoiler and to finish the package — an eye-catching set of stickers.
This is all inspired by the Yaris WRC car, and it’s fair to say Toyota have pulled off the race-car-for-the-road look.
Big engine, small package
Under the bonnet of the little three-door Yaris is a supercharged 1.8-litre petrol engine — a reworked version of that currently found in the Lotus Elise.
It develops 209bhp and 250Nm of torque, taking the tiny hatch from 0-60mph in 6.2 seconds and up to an electronically limited top speed of 143mph.
The exhaust is pretty raspy
Providing vocal chords to the fruity engine is an exhaust system that has been heavily reworked just to be able to fit in the Yaris’ chassis.
The original car was not designed with a high-performance variant in mind, so the team at Gazoo had to get creative with a single-catalytic convertor system. The end result sounds incredible.
Fancy racing seats
Move over, Alcantara, there’s a new kid on the block. The GRMN’s front bucket seats are coated in a plush material called Ultrasuede, which looks and feels better than most other options on the market.
The units themselves were designed specifically for the car by component manufacturer Toyota Boshoku. They provide incredible support, even under the hardest of track driving, while remaining extremely comfortable.
Not as difficult to drive as looks may suggest
While the Yaris GRMN looks and sounds wild, it’s actually a pretty easy thing to drive.
Sure, it’s seriously quick and precise, but it doesn’t require mountains of effort to have fun and you’re unlikely to end up outside your comfort zone both on the road and track.
The best bit? You’ll have a smile on your face every single time, too.
Production is ultra-limited
Sure, at £26,295, the GRMN is a pricey thing but those willing to pay the cash will be in something of an exclusive ownership club.
Just 600 examples will be made — 400 for Europe and 200 for Japan, where it’s called the Vitz — and all have already been sold. Don’t expect prices to fall much on the second-hand market either, as a car of this rarity is likely to hold value for a long time.
It exists
With the world of all-electric powertrains and autonomy looming, it’s a relief to see a company put out a low-volume, insane little hatchback for no reason other than “why not?”.
There’s no electrification here, no CVT gearbox, no innovative fuel saving solutions. Just raw performance, and for that we’re glad.