Toyota GR Yaris vs. Supra Mk4 vs. Celica GT-Four: Is the Young Wolf Up for It?

It's also a Toyota, the Japanese brand known above everything for making reliable cars that don't necessarily stir up the owner's emotions in any shape or form. They're just machines built for a very clear purpose that are very good at doing what they're meant to: provide transportation.

Every once in a blue moon, though, Toyota has the habit of coming up with a model that likes to rock the company's very steady boat, and the GR Yaris is the latest of them. Looking back, the list isn't as short as one might expect—you have the GT86, the Celica, the Supra, or the MR2—but the few models do tend to get lost among the plethora of beige sedans and SUVs that seem to make up the bulk of the Japanese manufacturer's lineup.

Well, the drag race you are about to witness features exactly 60 percent of the models we just mentioned as it pits the GR Yaris against its spiritual ancestor (because of the rallying ties), the Celica GT-Four, and the greatest Toyota sports car ever made, which is the fourth-gen Supra. No arguments there, right?

In case you have trouble predicting which way this will go, here's a hint. Usually, if it's a carwow drag race, Mat tends to sit in the winner. Don't put too much money on it, though, because it doesn't always happen. Sometimes, he just chooses the one he likes the most, and with a Mark 4 Supra around, it's hard to imagine he could possibly have any other favorite.

The Supra wasn't particularly known for its performance in stock form (which is how this one presents itself), even if the legendary 2JZ straight-six does put out 320 hp, which is the most out of the entire lineup for the day. And you would hope so, considering it also has by far the largest engine: 3.0 liters compared to the Celica's 2.0-liter four-cylinder and the Yaris's 1.6-liter inline three.

The two classics have a common advantage over the GR Yaris by featuring automatic transmissions (even if the Supra's is only a four-speed), but the modern car fights back with its superb all-wheel-drive system. The Celica has one too, but it's older and definitely not as advanced, whereas the Supra is happy to accept it sends its power to the rear wheels alone.

With the Celica GT-Four only making 252 hp to the GR Yaris's 261, it's clear the win will be contested by the other two. However, deciding which way it will go is a little bit trickier, and whichever it goes, it shouldn't be a lot in it. That sounds like the making of an exciting drag race—our favorite kind.