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Toyota GR Yaris Drag Races BMW 128ti, Place Your Bets!

The GR Yaris and 128ti couldn’t be more different. On the one hand, we have a WRC-infused supermini with all-wheel drive and a three-cylinder turbo while the compact hatchback from Bavaria is rocking front-wheel drive and a four-cylinder turbo. The differences don’t end here, though…
It's a Race! BMW 128ti versus Toyota GR Yaris on the Quarter-Mile 57 photos
Photo: Cars.co.za on YouTube
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A Steptronic Sport eight-speed automatic transmission with shorter-stacked gears than a six-speed manual is how the 128ti likes to roll. The Japanese challenger, on the other hand, makes do with a six-speed manual and no launch control whatsoever. Pretty much a detuned M135i with the rear driveshafts eliminated, the Bimmer leaves much to be desired on paper.

In bone-stock configuration, BMW quotes 6.1 seconds to 100 kilometers per hour (62 miles per hour) from 265 PS (261 horsepower) and 400 Nm (295 pound-feet) of torque delivered from 1,750 through 4,500 revolutions per minute. The most disappointing characteristic about the 128ti is that it’s FWD instead of RWD like the preceding 1 Series, which used to get a straight-six turbo for the most high-performance variant. What's more, 45,200 euros ($50,615) is too much for a fancy VW Golf GTI alternative.

The GR Yaris can be considered expensive as well at 34,000 euros ($38,070) in Germany, but it's worth every cent because of the WRC bits and pieces that come standard. Lighter and easier to drive on the limit, the Japanese contender needs 5.5 seconds to reach 100 kilometers per hour from a standstill despite its apparently small engine. The 1.6-liter motor offers 261 ps (257 horsepower) and 360 Nm (266 pound-feet) from 3,000 through 4,600 revs, resources that wouldn’t mean a thing without the permanent AWD system that sends up to 70 percent of the torque to the rear wheels.

I’m willing to bet the GR Yaris will be tremendously collectible in a few years’ time as well, but can it shame the 128ti in a straight line? You’ll have to press the play button to see which one is quicker over the quarter mile.

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About the author: Mircea Panait
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After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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