Toyota Yaris GRMN 2018 : life-affirming to drive fast
That last pair of assets is very much what you might expect of a full-bore, full-sized hot hatch and not something that, in its most basic form, costs a whisker under thirteen grand.
The car is garrulously known as the Toyota Yaris Gazoo Racing Meisters of Nürburgring (or Toyota Yaris GRMN), with Gazoo Racing being the in-house division that plays keeper to the rally-winning Yaris WRC.
We’ve driven the car abroad already, so know that this supercharged 1.8-litre 2ZR-FE engine – built in Deeside by Toyota, modified by Lotus and then united with its steed in Valenciennes on the Franco-Belgian border – is an engine of addictive character.
Here, it’s tasted for the first time on British roads, which have a reputation for making or breaking the dreams of hot hatch marketeers.
This car really is something special. Fed by the frigid air of Salisbury Plain, the intake hisses at high crank speeds with the intensity of a severely maligned moggy. Lovely stuff. The exhaust is a little nasal, but it sings a tight, dense, angry tune that wholly subverts what you know to be true – that you’re driving a Yaris.
At this price point, you’d expect the chassis dynamics to match, if not better, what’s under the bonnet.
The GRMN’s cause is hardly helped by a high-set driving position and a steering wheel with minimal adjustability. The body is tall, too, and thus sacrifices some of the natural agility of hotter Mini Cooper variants. The low-speed ride, meanwhile, can be so brutal that attempting to accurately jab the low-resolution infotainment touchscreen is a uniquely frustrating endeavour.
You quickly forgive that, though, because this Toyota, more so than even the rear-driven GT86, is life-affirming to drive fast. With a footprint that feels almost four-square, you’re dicing with instability much of the time, although the dampers come into themselves with speed and provide magnificent composure. In this sense, the GRMN is not dissimilar to the original Ford Focus RS.
That composure allows you to push refreshingly hard – certainly enough to gently loosen the rears by way of either that limited-slip differential or the satisfyingly firm, high-biting brakes – and to do so with confidence. There is some torque steer, yes, and the front axle isn’t the most predictable companion on British roads, but there’s satisfaction to be had in driving around any issues. As they say, the throttle pedal goes both ways.
On the subject of pedals, they’re slightly wide-spaced in the GRMN, so necessitate proper ankle articulation for heel-and-toe shifts. In truth, this only adds to the sense that you’re in a proper rally refugee.
As for fuel economy, do you even care? Well, for those hardcore enough to run this car as a daily driver, our figures suggest you’ll manage around 26mpg if you’re reasonably well behaved most of the time but prone to bouts of mischief. Also note that the GRMN's 205-section tyres have broadened the turning circle to the extent that at some time or another, you’ll end up making an unforeseen three-point turn – probably in full public view.
The GRMN is pretty much sold out, so you’ll need to do some digging about Toyota's UK dealer network to get a sniff of a build slot.
There’s also the small matter of the new Ford Fiesta ST – a car for which an Autocar verdict is due imminently and, as you’d imagine, given Ford’s track record, should be rather favourable.
The Mini Cooper S Works 210 – our current pick of the hot supermini market, owing to its sublime chassis – is also in the mix and is positively useable in comparison to the small, unforgiving GRMN.
However, to an owner, we suspect neither of those rivals will feel quite as special or as wonderfully uncompromising as this steroidal Yaris. And so, outrageous as Toyota’s pricing strategy is, we’d understand the logic of anybody who shells out. In fact, we’d applaud it.
Toyota Yaris GRMN
Where Wiltshire On sale Now Price £26,295 Engine 4 cyls, 1798cc, supercharged, petrol Power 209bhp at 6800rpm Torque 184lb ft at 4800rpm Gearbox 6-spd manual Kerb weight 1135kg Top speed 143mph 0-62mph 6.4sec Fuel economy 37.7mpg CO2 rating 170g/km Rivals Mini Cooper S Works 210, Peugeot 208 GTi
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