Yeah, Toyota makes the Supra, but its most exciting car right now is actually the little GR Yaris. This hot hatch is nothing like the boring subcompact grocery getters you know, and to prove that, Carwow organized a drag race against the MINI JCW GP.
Though they appear similar, these two have very little in common, unlike most hot hatchbacks. The GR Yaris is the most novel, a homologation special built by Toyota so that it could have this streamlined body in a motorsport format.
Like many subcompacts, the hot Yaris is powered by a three-cylinder engine, though this is the most powerful one currently in production. The 1.6-liter turbo produces 257 hp (261 PS) and 360 Nm (266 lb-ft) in European spec. This is delivered to all four wheels via an AWD system.
The JCW GP used to have a 1.6-liter turbo as well, but this brand new incarnation uses a more potent 2.0-liter turbo. With the magic of BMW's TwinPower tech, this bad boy pushes out 301 hp (306 PS) and about 25% more torque than the Toyota. The only problem is that it's all going to the front wheels.
Going in, we had certain expectations. Because of the AWD, we thought the GR Yaris stood a good chance of winning, and that's sort of what happens. At the beginning of the drag race, the Toyota shoots ahead, putting all its power down effectively. But by the 1/4-mile marker, the JCW GP just manages to pull ahead by a nose. This is despite the wet track conditions giving the Yaris an advantage.
This just goes to show how powerful engines and automatic gearboxes have changed drag racing, even in this toy-sized segment. The decimation is even more brutal in the rolling race, where the AWD launch of the Yaris is eliminated as a factor. And the final surprise is the brake test, as the MINI loses, despite being lighter and sporting all those wings and spoilers.
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
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