Toyota Builds a Hot Hatch Yaris GRMN 220bhp !!!

[csv8]

"Meet the most exciting Toyota Yaris, um, ever. Excluding the madcap World Rally car, naturally. This is the Yaris GRMN, Toyota’s rival to the Ford Fiesta ST, you’d*assume.
Only it’s not. “The Fiesta ST is a very good car but is actually positioned a bit lower in that class,” says project leader Stijn Peeters. “We want to be on top of that. We want to be more*radical.”
Instead, he cites cars like the Peugeot Sport 208 GTI and Renault Clio Trophy as key targets. He’s promising class-leading power from the Yaris, which has a 1.8-litre supercharged petrol engine driving its front wheels though a six-speed manual gearbox. The engine comes with Lotus engineering credibility and is unique in a class dominated by turbocharged*cars.
Peak power hasn’t yet been revealed, but reckon on around 220bhp – Peeters doesn’t count the more powerful Mini John Cooper Works as a rival, oddly – while he tells us it’ll be the quickest in its class, too. So 0-62mph should take a smidge over six seconds with the top speed around 140mph. The car is still in development, so firm figures are yet to be*finalised.
That’ll make it faster than Toyota’s own GT86, too, a car whose talented development team is also overseeing the Yaris. The hatchback even borrows the coupe’s titchy steering wheel, though here it sits ahead of a far more bespoke bucket seat, made by the same people behind the LFA’s seats. We’ve sat in it, and it feels*superb.
The Yaris GRMN won’t weigh much more than 1,100kg, though, making it lighter than even the three-cylinder Fiesta. Alongside the supercharged engine, Peeters is promising one of the most visceral and responsive hot hatches you can buy. Its standard limited-slip differential, provided by Torsen, will*help.
In fact, lots of its components are reasonably senior. It sits 30mm lower than a regular Yaris on new suspension bits, while Its brakes come from the heavier Yaris Hybrid, ensuring strong performance in this considerably lighter car. There are no complex drive modes to choose from, but the stability control is likely to come with an intermediate track mode, just like in the*GT86.
“We will allow big freedom to the driver,” says Peeters. Will it be playful, then? “Absolutely. The feeling you get when you’re driving the car, when it’s inviting you to go harder, and you’re really enjoying the drive rather than being afraid of the power, is really what we have in common with the*GT86.
“But being in control is still necessary. Even if we have passionate customers, we are not all Schumachers and Hamiltons. So it shouldn’t be brutal in how the rear moves. That’s why we stick with Bridgestone Potenzas, great tyres in all conditions. We could go for a more radical one but there’s no point; as soon as it’s cold or it rains, you’re*off.”
Expect it to sit somewhere between the flamboyant 208 GTI and locked-down Clio Trophy in chassis behaviour, then. It’s been piling on development miles at the Nürburgring, though Peeters stresses they’ve taken it into the lovely roads in the surrounding Eifel Mountains, too. The rear spoiler serves an aerodynamic purpose, though mainly for high-speed stability given the Yaris’s short wheelbase and aggressive front*differential.
Production will be limited – less than 1,000 will be sold in Europe – and its price will match. There’s a good chance it’ll cost the same £25,000 as an entry-level*GT86.
Which turns up an interesting conundrum: hardcore hot hatch with strong performance and World Rally ties, or less grippy, slower sports car but with rear-wheel drive? Go on, then: which would you*have?" http://www.topgear.com/car-news/gene...ota-yaris-ever

[Sabantien]

Looking at the photos here:https://www.carthrottle.com/post/thi...ta-yaris-grmn/

I quite like it!

[Wretched]

Looks like a hat full but it is good to see Toyota releasing cars like this. The more in the "club" the merrier.

[LeadFoot81]

While I'm not a fan of the donor cars styling, the additional bling is on point for a hot hatch.

Great to see Toyota getting involved, a Corolla GRMN would be great (I'm sure it's in the works)

Will be interesting to see how this stacks up to the current and MY18 Fiesta STs. (as well as the other brands)

[Sabantien]

I was thinking a Corolla would be a great idea. I recall them being raced around Bathurst back in the day. Although the way cars keep growing in size, I wouldn't be surprised if the Yaris is close to an old Corolla.

[Grunter]

Nice! Been looking for a set of powered roller skates! ;)

[Polyal]

Toyota are the sleeping giant at the moment. If they get their sporty cars right they will do quite well.

New Supra coming along, they just need to turbo the 86 and thats a decent line up.

[malazn mafia]

Yaris isn't that bad, they are more agile and much tighter and well made than the Hyundai / Kia equivalents. I think they are one of the last few Toyota vehicles to actually be made in Japan, with robots and precision instruments , rather than a third world nation with slave labour. With a bit more horsepower, it could really surprise some more capable vehicles. They did an AWD racing hybrid version once, unfortunately it never made production.

[Vesper Martini]

Speaking of Roller skate There's also the S-FR another low cost RWD small car lined up
http://jalopnik.com/the-toyota-s-fr-...a-m-1736022132

[Brazen]

Looks great and those seats look awesome. I bet the 1.8 supercharged engine with the 6 speed manual would be a hoot

[DJM83]

Not an ST rival? How isnt it, be good to see these 2 go head to head seen as the Fiesta ST is king in that segment.