Arrival of the hardcore Toyota - The Yaris GRMN unveiled!

In 2018 Toyota has shown the Yaris GRMN and as the name already suggests, it was a hot hatchback developed on the Nürburgring. GRMN, or Gazoo Racing Masters of the Nürburgring, the name sounded strong, though its appearance did not suggest its capabilities. It had a 1.8 litre supercharged Straight-4 engine with 205hp and it really was a little rocket. With a staring price of around £26,000 it also was not too expensive. Two years later Toyota has shown yet another hot Yaris, the GR Yaris, that has become very popular thanks to being an actual driver’s car. It’s turbocharged 1.6 litre Straight-3 engine produces 261hp and 360 Nm of torque thanks to which it can do a 0-60mph run in just 5.5 seconds. The homologation special is also equipped with a 6-speed manual gearbox which very much adds to the fun. For all hot hatch fans today is a big day, because Toyota has shown an even more hardcore version of the GR Yaris, behold the new Yaris GRMN!

So how is it different to the ”standard” GR Yaris? Well, while the GR is a car you can use as a daily, the GRMN is a track-car with no compromises. It has no rear seats anymore and instead a cross brace for saving 20kg of weight, a stiffer body, is 10mm wider and has an also 10mm lower driving position and thus, lower centre of gravity. It also is fitted with a mechanical limited-slip differential and a new gearbox to make more efficient use of the engine’s power band. The bonnet is made out of carbon fibre and the bucket seats are made by Recaro. The buyers can choose between the circuit package and the rally package. The circuit package offers 18in BBS wheels, adjustable Bilstein shocks, a carbonfibre rear spoiler and a subtle body kit, while the Rally package gets a GR suspension upgrade, a protective undertray and a roll bar. The engine though remains unchanged and has 272hp, since Japanese versions had always slightly more power. Toyota stated that the Yaris "has evolved into a car that can be driven faster and with more peace of mind, with improved braking force, grip, cornering and following performance based on feedback from professional drivers".

The GRMN hatchback beast is limited to just 500 units, so you better be quick when you want one. It will not be cheap either, with a starting price of £46,850. Alongside the car, Toyota also starts a new personalisation program, which allows to optimise the Yaris for the individual driver. It contains driving data which can be used by engineers to change the car’s settings, like a race car. Cool thing!

So to summarise it, the GRMN Yaris is a GR Yaris tuned specially for racing. While not cheap it gives you the very most a hatchback can deliver and it reminds me of the older hardcore hatchbacks like the Renault 5 Turbo, Lancia Delta HF Integrale Evoluzione or the Renault Clio V6. Personally I already love this car. It is speed with no compromises while still a driver’s car, and that is not something common anymore. This thing is a gift from enthusiasts for enthusiasts and that is why I am super happy that a car like this still exists in the modern world.

Thanks for reading!