Developed together with Gazoo Racing, hence the GRMN (Gazoo Racing Masters of the Nurburgring) moniker, the new Toyota Yaris GRMN is much more than just flashy decals and large rear wing.
It gets a specially tuned suspension and Torsen-style limited-slip differential for improved traction on the tarmac, and ventilated brake discs, with four-piston calipers at the front.
Even the interior of the small Japanese hot hatch screams sportiness, as besides the aluminum pedals, steering wheel taken from the Toyota 86, and some special trim, it also has bucket seats.
Now, the most important aspect of the car is found under the hood, a supercharged 1.8-liter four-cylinder. The engine is married to a six-speed manual gearbox that pushes 212PS (209hp) and 250Nm (184lb-ft) of torque to the front wheels, allowing the hot Yaris to reach 100km/h (62mph) in 6.3 seconds. It has a top speed limited to 230km/h (143mph).
On paper, it already sounds as good, or even better than the Volkswagen Polo GTI, Ford Fiesta ST, and Renault Clio RS, but there’s a catch: it’s only offered in 600 units, 400 for Europe and the rest for the Asian markets.
Another negative is its price, as it starts from €29,900 ($36,608) in Germany, and £26,295 ($36,592) in the UK. The thing is that even if you’re willing to spend that much on the exclusive supermini, you won’t be able to, as officially, all of them have been sold out.
This brings us to the ultimate question: how can we tell if it’s any good? Well, a 10-minute review of the Yaris GRMN in Barcelona’s twisty hill roads, and around the city, should help, so scroll down and check out the video.