Born to be wild

It promises to be the ultimate pocket rocket – but can the Toyota Yaris GRMN deliver? Ryan Hirons heads to Barcelona to find out.

Created in 2015 to encompass its global racing activities, Toyota’s motorsport arm, is now also responsible for some highperformance versions of the Japanese manufacturer’s vehicles – and the Yaris GRMN is the first to make it to Europe.

Take one look the Yaris GRMN and you instantly know you’re dealing with a very different animal to the standard car, though. Easy-to-spot visual changes include the addition of more aggressive-looking bodywork, a centre-mounted exhaust, 17-inch BBS forged alloy wheels, a rear spoiler and an eye-catching decal set. Underneath the fairly recognisable body is a setup also unlike anything else in the

Yaris range. From the 1.8-litre supercharged engine, to the Torsen differential, modified suspension and larger brakes, there are a lot of new mechanical features for the nameplate.

The Yaris GRMN’S wild looks and raspy exhaust note don’t quite match the driving experience entirely, but it’s still an extremely capable and quick machine. Despite its city car origins, this isn’t a vehicle built for the town. Sure, it still has the space and visibility you would expect from a three-door hatch, but it’s loud, harsh-riding and gulps fuel in no time. In its own right, the Yaris GRMN is a fantastic and very capable performance machine with an endless ability to put a smile on your face. You’d have to seriously desire the GRMN over anything else to snub its rivals, but should you do that, you’ll have one of the most capable machines to come from Toyota in a long time.