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How good is the Toyota GR Yaris?

Well it's paid for and ordered. One circuit pack in red with a long wait. Test drive this morning was in the rain/sun and greasy conditions so perfect to try it out. I was truly amazed how planted this thing felt on A roads and down a country road I know every bump on. No matter how I drove the thing it just inspired confidence. I have a feeling this car could quite easily get you in to trouble as the feeling inside the cabin is deceptive. It does has a raw feel to it but is nicely engineered and it just feels right.

Pete
 
666":6ql1e3j0 said:
Well it's paid for and ordered. One circuit pack in red with a long wait. Test drive this morning was in the rain/sun and greasy conditions so perfect to try it out. I was truly amazed how planted this thing felt on A roads and down a country road I know every bump on. No matter how I drove the thing it just inspired confidence. I have a feeling this car could quite easily get you in to trouble as the feeling inside the cabin is deceptive. It does has a raw feel to it but is nicely engineered and it just feels right.

Pete
Congratulations Pete! :approve: When does your GRY arrive?


You must have felt like this chap, driving on roads he knew well in damp/greasy conditions, which he usually covers in more powerful/quicker cars, but thinks that the GRY will trump them all: 1st Drive GR Yaris - Honest opinion 2021 Toyota

....and a comparison with the Mini GP3: Toyota GR Yaris vs F56 Mini GP3

Can't wait to collect mine, and have a proper go in it...
 
Lankan":afndw6oo said:
666":afndw6oo said:
Well it's paid for and ordered. One circuit pack in red with a long wait. Test drive this morning was in the rain/sun and greasy conditions so perfect to try it out. I was truly amazed how planted this thing felt on A roads and down a country road I know every bump on. No matter how I drove the thing it just inspired confidence. I have a feeling this car could quite easily get you in to trouble as the feeling inside the cabin is deceptive. It does has a raw feel to it but is nicely engineered and it just feels right.

Pete
Congratulations Pete! :approve: When does your GRY arrive?


You must have felt like this chap, driving on roads he knew well in damp/greasy conditions, which he usually covers in more powerful/quicker cars, but thinks that the GRY will trump them all: 1st Drive GR Yaris - Honest opinion 2021 Toyota

....and a comparison with the Mini GP3: Toyota GR Yaris vs F56 Mini GP3

Hi Dulan,

They are quoting July/August but think it will be sooner. No problem the best things come to those who wait.

I did have some fun with a cooper s who let me go past him then tried it on. Well we got tot be twisty stuff so I went for it. It left the cooper for dead. He caught me up at the junction when I backed off wound his window down and said cool car but he couldn't keep up lol.

They had a solid white, red and black car down there and TBH the intention was to always go white. We ended up with red surprisingly but the thinking was it may be a bit more unsusal. I'm sure time will tell on that front but I wished they made it in nardo grey ;)

Pete
 
Well my GRY plans have hit the skids... Wales has unexpectedly entered Tier 4 lockdown without notice. All non-essential retail is now closed until mid January - so I won’t be test driving on Wednesday.

d60973b0cc138999a48ddb326e520238.jpg
 
666":g9vwb6nd said:
Hi Dulan,

They are quoting July/August but think it will be sooner. No problem the best things come to those who wait.

I did have some fun with a cooper s who let me go past him then tried it on. Well we got tot be twisty stuff so I went for it. It left the cooper for dead. He caught me up at the junction when I backed off wound his window down and said cool car but he couldn't keep up lol.

They had a solid white, red and black car down there and TBH the intention was to always go white. We ended up with red surprisingly but the thinking was it may be a bit more unsusal. I'm sure time will tell on that front but I wished they made it in nardo grey ;)

Pete
Well done Pete, and here's hoping you get yours sooner... :approve:

In case you haven't seen them already, here is some reading material to keep you occupied whilst waiting for your GRY:
New Toyota GR Yaris 2020 - Official Launch Presentation
GR Yaris bodywork: how it is bespoke
GR Yaris drivetrain: how it is bespoke

Keep an eye on the blog posts as two more write-ups on the development and manufacturing are to follow.

Kett":g9vwb6nd said:
Well my GRY plans have hit the skids... Wales has unexpectedly entered Tier 4 lockdown without notice. All non-essential retail is now closed until mid January - so I won’t be test driving on Wednesday.

d60973b0cc138999a48ddb326e520238.jpg
That's a shame Kett!

I only hope we don't go into lockdown next week since I am due to collect mine on Wednesday (23rd)!
 
Kett":11eu7ppw said:
Lankan":11eu7ppw said:
New 3-cylinder, 1.6-litre Turbo engine (G16E-GTS) that puts out 257bhp from the factory (and is the ost powerful 3-cylinder engine today), but where some Japanese tuners have already taken this up to 375bhp without making any changes to the block or any internals, and 475bhp with NOS.

Looks like ‘you know who’ is at it too!

8f3b348cfe2e42176a3f7ec2512bad17.jpg
Looks like Litchfield's GRY has already joined the '300bhp club', with much more to come, when they manage to crack the ECU: LINK

"300bhp is a good start as we get into our @toyotauk GR Yaris tuning"

"With ECU access being a little way off we have started exploring the options of a simple boost increase with our plug&play tuning box. Our Black development car produced around 269bhp on the dyno in standard form but after some changes to the boost profile we were getting consistent results of around 295-300bhp. Torque also increased by a healthy 20lbft."
 
Lankan":2zpzmvm3 said:
Kett":2zpzmvm3 said:
Lankan":2zpzmvm3 said:
New 3-cylinder, 1.6-litre Turbo engine (G16E-GTS) that puts out 257bhp from the factory (and is the ost powerful 3-cylinder engine today), but where some Japanese tuners have already taken this up to 375bhp without making any changes to the block or any internals, and 475bhp with NOS.

Looks like ‘you know who’ is at it too!

8f3b348cfe2e42176a3f7ec2512bad17.jpg
Looks like Litchfield's GRY has already joined the '300bhp club', with much more to come, when they manage to crack the ECU: LINK

"300bhp is a good start as we get into our @toyotauk GR Yaris tuning"

"With ECU access being a little way off we have started exploring the options of a simple boost increase with our plug&play tuning box. Our Black development car produced around 269bhp on the dyno in standard form but after some changes to the boost profile we were getting consistent results of around 295-300bhp. Torque also increased by a healthy 20lbft."

So does this mean you have future tuning plans with your GRY Dulan?

Pete
 
666":1i1cxm7v said:
So does this mean you have future tuning plans with your GRY Dulan?

Pete
It depends on what you mean by "tuning plans" Pete.

I don't strive after power upgrades for the sake of it, and, at this point in time, I am not planning on anything of the sort, except perhaps a replacement exhaust so that I can switch off the artificial engine sound piped into the cabin. I don't think the GRY needs any more power than it has for one to enjoy it on the road to its fullest potential. However, if one is to take the GRY on track, with suitable wheels and tyres (e.g. 255 profile semi-slicks), they will certainly be looking for a bit more, especially at high-speed circuits such as the Nordschleife, Silverstone, Spa etc.
 
Kett":1vhrfrre said:
I did the same for years! Driving mud-pluggers as my daily driver to make the Vee performance seem special.

Possibly why I drive a Volvo 480 (which I think is a great car) and a Discovery 3! I have wanted a Fiat Panda 4x4s (the original) for a while and will likely be the next purchase; the internet seems to be going a bit mad with them at the moment and what should be a cheap car is becoming a bit 'expensive' for what it is.

Lankan":1vhrfrre said:
With the GRY, it was the whole concept, design and engineering that called out to be. It was exactly the type of car that switches me on, and the fact that it drives so superbly, albeit it not at raw as either the Lotus, or have its steering feel, or is not dynamically challenged as the Vee (the reason that makes the Vee such a draw), is just a mega bonus. Unbelievably, some criticise the GRY's interior, the fact that it has no rear wiper etc. and I cannot help that they have missed the point about what the GRY really is and what it stands for.

All cars that I consider 'great' are compromised in one way or another, so one needs to get one knowing what those are. In the case of the GRY, its the steering feel, which probably is because it is electrically assisted, and has a dead spot at 12 o'clock. This is something I noticed with the Alfas Quadrifoglio as well (it was more pronounced in that). The other is that the driver's seat is too high (a hatchback thing - same with the Vee and 182 Trophy, but this is a rally car and drivers sit higher). The space between the brake and accelerator pedal is too wide for comfortable H&T. However, opinion is split on this as some don't find it a problem, but I will need to find a solution for it. The exhaust noise is non-existent, but that would be an easy fix and some are even starting to like the sound piped into the cabin, which can be turned off. :approve: If one needs the GRY to be a bit 'loose' then, in a CP car, changing to less grippy tyres will sort that out. IMO the GRY's mix of gearing, damping, power, ride and handling are perfect.

The Vee is full of character, and one can get it to drive and sound well with some fettling (suspension, TTV, LSD, exhaust, induction etc), or just leave it as is and enjoy it. Based on my relatively short exposure (of 3 hours) to the GRY, and the Lotus, need to be driven relatively hard to be enjoyed. I felt the same with the 182 Trophy, which was absolutely awful on a motorway but came alive on a B road. The GRY is far less compromised on a motorway than the 182 Trophy, but it is hugely more competent on a B-roads. On a circuit, it wouldn't have the feeling that the Lotus has, but, as can be seen, will be plenty fast, especially in wet or greasy conditions.

I think my disdain for the marketing world in which we live has given me a great deal of skepticism, leading me to have negative preconceptions when it comes to anything 'special', 'limited edition', or 'homologated'. My initial reaction to the GRY 'homologation' appellation was 'yes, but what exactly is homologated' - clearly, as you say, its clear that a great deal of the car has been! I let things like like the synthetic exhaust noise really bother me as I just don't know why they would do it, probably a 'feature' dreamt up by the aforementioned marketing goons. Basically I am a bit too negative about the current automotive industry (particularly design wise) so I'm just being grumpy. BUT ANYWAY. Upon reflection, I would love to have a look around a GRY and drive one so I'm going to try and source a test drive as it's the special and interesting cars we all need to buy to make sure a market exists for future ones - wish me luck!
 
10":3b8c2itn said:
I think my disdain for the marketing world in which we live has given me a great deal of skepticism, leading me to have negative preconceptions when it comes to anything 'special', 'limited edition', or 'homologated'. My initial reaction to the GRY 'homologation' appellation was 'yes, but what exactly is homologated' - clearly, as you say, its clear that a great deal of the car has been! I let things like like the synthetic exhaust noise really bother me as I just don't know why they would do it, probably a 'feature' dreamt up by the aforementioned marketing goons. Basically I am a bit too negative about the current automotive industry (particularly design wise) so I'm just being grumpy. BUT ANYWAY. Upon reflection, I would love to have a look around a GRY and drive one so I'm going to try and source a test drive as it's the special and interesting cars we all need to buy to make sure a market exists for future ones - wish me luck!
Yes, I think you ought to drive one to satisfy yourself whether or not the GRY is for you.

Of course, I got into it well before it was announced, and did trace its journey from the time it first broke cover as a pre-production model, which was well before all this hype and drama that we see today, with every tom, dick and harry having a go and raving about it ad nauseam. As such, I was able to assimilate all the information I can lay my hands on, at my pace, and decided for myself that the GRY was going to be the real thing, and having missed all the glory years of true homologation specials, that I am not likely to see one ever again, or at least a creation that is powered by fossil fuel. Don't think I will have the same affection if it was an EV. As such, I needed no convincing. The fact that it drives so brilliantly is simply a bonus. I don't think I followed any other car to that extent, not even the GT4, which I had actually quite made up my mind on acquiring, but that was before Jan 2020, which was when the GRY broke cover.

Lastly, here was the proof I was waiting for, a comparison between a Circuit Pack and non-Cp GRY - same driver on a twisty private circuit (what aspects lead to the 4 sec time differences are quite clear - Tyres, Wheels and LSDs): Toyota GR Yaris with and without Circuit Pack (The review is in Spanish, but auto-translated English subtitles are available)

c6ec081c426c59af6dc61efe558a61db.jpg

9a684286ed292d4c369704956813da32.jpg


James, unfortunately, there isn't a GR Yaris Forum for Renaultsport enthusiasts... :)
 
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James":36mdvalz said:
Is there a Toyota forum yet?

There's definately a 'love in' theme going on here :)
Personally I really don't like the appearance and so it would never make my (very short) list of cars to have.
I've only ever bought cars for a practical purpose or because I see something and just love it, except once when I bought a new Escort RS Custom. I remember thinking at the time 'this will be the car to have' it had a limited production run of 1000 so that means values will hold up......wrong. Ford realised there was more demand so lifted the limit and built as many as could be sold. Lesson learnt !
I would suggest that almost any 4wd car is capable of outperforming our british roads, so is this just a case of buying something because of the latest 'must have' hype?
I will be most interested to know which cars are in your garages in three years time.
I for one would never have imagined that I would have a Renault Sport Clio V6 in my garage for what must be over 17 years.
 
Yes, let's all be grumpy old men/women and feel even more miserable that one really needs to be under the circumstances... :)

Appearances can be deceptive and more often than not, an acquired taste, which to me makes up part of the character, or at least in my case that has been the case.

All I can say is just go drive a Circuit Pack car...and then if it doesn't switch you on then it is best to move on and ignore that Toyota decided to build a car from the ground up where the business case was not to make a profit but to build a car for a specific purpose; to compete in the World Rally Championship.
 
Lankan":2r27deux said:
Yes, let's all be grumpy old men/women and feel even more miserable that one really needs to be under the circumstances... :)

Appearances can be deceptive and more often than not, an acquired taste, which to me makes up part of the character, or at least in my case that has been the case.

All I can say is just go drive a Circuit Pack car...and then if it doesn't switch you on then it is best to move on and ignore that Toyota decided to build a car from the ground up where the business case was not to make a profit but to build a car for a specific purpose; to compete in the World Rally Championship.

Ha ha not at all grumpy or miserable :)
I'm sure the Yaris is a very capable car and each to their own, just saying it's not for me purely on appearance.
If I were to purchase another 'new car' I would pay no attention to media, especially the likes of top gear or evo, who cares what they think (maybe it's good at drifting or dougnuts)?
I'd say ' just try it and buy it' or in the case of my vee ' just buy it'. I still see the salesman occasionaly and he always says to me ' I can't believe you bought that car without ever driving one' and then adds ' but you knew what you were doing didn't you'.
I havn't looked into it at all but what would be needed to turn a Circuit Pack car into one to compete in the World Rally Championship ?
 
ed_harland":2df0ntk8 said:
Lankan":2df0ntk8 said:
Yes, let's all be grumpy old men/women and feel even more miserable that one really needs to be under the circumstances... :)

Appearances can be deceptive and more often than not, an acquired taste, which to me makes up part of the character, or at least in my case that has been the case.

All I can say is just go drive a Circuit Pack car...and then if it doesn't switch you on then it is best to move on and ignore that Toyota decided to build a car from the ground up where the business case was not to make a profit but to build a car for a specific purpose; to compete in the World Rally Championship.

Ha ha not at all grumpy or miserable :)
I'm sure the Yaris is a very capable car and each to their own, just saying it's not for me purely on appearance.
If I were to purchase another 'new car' I would pay no attention to media, especially the likes of top gear or evo, who cares what they think (maybe it's good at drifting or dougnuts)?
I'd say ' just try it and buy it' or in the case of my vee ' just buy it'. I still see the salesman occasionaly and he always says to me ' I can't believe you bought that car without ever driving one' and then adds ' but you knew what you were doing didn't you'.
I havn't looked into it at all but what would be needed to turn a Circuit Pack car into one to compete in the World Rally Championship ?
This topic has run into its 3rd page, and it is obvious that you haven't read any of the previous posts, so I will not bother regurgitating previous content or attempt to justify why I am so switched on about this particular car.

Suffice to say, having tracked the development of the prototype, after the GRY broke cover in Dec 2019, and it was announced at Tokyo Auto Salon in Jan 2020, I placed a pre-order in March (soon after order books opened), but the purchase was subject to a test drive. The Circuit Pack car allocated to me landed in the UK on 29th October (the first batch to hit UK's shores). Now having two test drives in a demo car, lasting 3 hours in total, due to COVID related delays, I finally collected my Circuit Pack car today and couldn't be happier. It has been a long, but cannot wait to have it run-in and then give it the beans and see what it can really do...
 
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