A fellow Porsche acquaintance of mine was fortunate enough to purchase a GRMN Yaris, and I was given the opportunity to test drive it, so I would like to report on it.

What is GRMN?

GRMN", not the usual "GR", this name occupies an important place in Toyota's motorsports world.
This series offered by GAZOO Racing is not just a sports model. It is a name given to vehicles that have passed rigorous testing and development on the Nürburgring.

The GRMN is a "GRMN".Gazoo Racing Meister of NürburgringThe abbreviation for "Toyota" is an abbreviation for "Toyota" and is one of the highest performing Toyota vehicles.
The engine, suspension, and weight reduction have all been brought up to competition level.Positioning comparable to the "RS" series models in Porsche.It is safe to assume that

What is GRMN Yaris?

Now, the GRMN Yaris. This car is not just any Yaris.
This time we will test driveGRMN YARIS CIRCUIT PKG.

It wears 235/40R18 tires (Yokohama Tire ADVAN A052) matched with 18-inch BBS 8.5J forged GRMN exclusive aluminum wheels.
The new model, reborn by GAZOO Racing, is not just for street driving, but also for the race circuit, where its true value is demonstrated. The "Bilstein" package is available in the following models.

The engine is an inline 3-cylinder intercooled turbo with specifications of 200kw (272ps)/6,500rpm and 390Nm (39.8kgf-m)/3,200-4,000rpm.
The commitment to driving is also evident in the equipment exclusive to the GRMN Yaris: Recaro full bucket seats, body reinforcement braces, twill weave CFRP (carbon fiber) parts, GR mechanical LSD, GR reinforced metal clutch and clutch cover set, and GR cross transmission and Lo final gears, It is a car that looks as if it has been tuned by Toyota from the beginning.

The exterior is aggressive and fully equipped with the style of a sports car.

But it is not just a cosmetic modification.The interior is designed to reduce weight, improve aerodynamic performance, and maximize driving pleasure.The GRMN Yaris is very different and special from the ordinary Yaris.
As a Porsche driver, I cannot ignore the appeal of this car. I immediately decided to start the engine and get in.

First Impressions of the GRMN Yaris

First, open the door to get in.

At this point, I honestly feel disappointed. "Ah, I knew it would be like this...I honestly thought, "I'm not going to be able to do that.
Light and thin door with no sense of rigidity or anything. I can't help but worry about the rigidity and driving quality of such a cheap door. I can only worry.

When we tried to get in, the bucket seats with their large side support overhangs gave off an aura of something out of the ordinary.
Sit carefully so that your body does not rub against the seat as much as possible.

The seats are made by RECARO and are of excellent quality.It feels very comfortable in the body.

The interior is very tasteless. It is full of plastic feel and does not look like a car that would cost over 8 million dollars.
But that is not the important part from this car.

When the engine is started, the starting sound is louder than a regular Yaris, but very quiet compared to European sports cars in general.

I'm going to start running and...

The clutch is in the lightweight category, though,It is only slightly heavier than 992 and 718.
As the car starts to drive, it rattles and makes mechanical noises at low speeds. From this point on, the car is not a normal car at all.

The legs are moving well even at low speeds. I am sorry to compare them since they are in different price ranges, but even within the same GR family, they are a world apart from the GR86.
It is clear that any minute input is absorbed by the very low-friction damper, which moves up and down, absorbing the vibration effortlessly.

The ride quality is good for such a serious sports car.Of course, the legs are stiff and the strokes are short, so there is some swaying, but nothing that leaves you shaking or makes you feel uncomfortable thrusting.

Since I'm still breaking in, I don't rev it up too much, but if I concentrate on handling it well, it's an athleticism that makes me grin.
Far from the image of a Toyota car, the car's bodywork is very good, the legs move well, and the tires feel and stick to the ground in the corners.

Combined with the small wheelbase, the car turns with a gusto. For a moment, you forget that the car is four-wheel drive, and you want to step on the curves more and more.
The more you step on it, the more it turns, and you would never know its limits on public roads.

The power and limits are different, but when driven slowly, the feeling is very similar to the ZC33S Swissport (lowered suspension) that we used to have at home.
The feeling of being able to handle a compact and lightweight vehicle as if you were swinging it around is unique to this size.

Is it no longer a Toyota-built GT3, or even a Cup car?

As soon as you get used to driving and a little more comfortable with the handling of the car, you will notice how rigid and well legged this car is.

The engine power and torque output are perfect. However, the sound is not sensual, and there is little uplifting feeling.

It can be stepped on with confidence and turns surprisingly well. And there is no deviation from the driver's line.
The more you speed up,A car that makes you feel like you've moved up a notch or two.The first is.

At first, I thought it looked like a 991 or 992 GT3 in Porsche,
As I rode along, I was rather surprised to find that I had previously ridden964 cup carand997 GT3I have come to believe that the direction of the project is similar to that of the

Spartanness, which does not accept half-hearted drivers, peeks out in places.
The car moves very faithfully, so the driver's steering and gas pedal operations appear as they are.
I thought it was similar to the feeling of the GT3 before the 997, in that it still had a strong analog feel to the controls, rather than a car that is well controlled by electronic controls, which is common in modern cars.

Sohyo (General Council of Trade Unions of Japan)

While it has enough nostalgia to be enjoyed even when used for weekend winding drives, it is impossible to evaluate its limits and its specifications on ordinary roads.
That's about it,The potential is high, and it takes a great deal of skill to really get on with it.

So, if you buy one, I would like you to try it out on the track and experience the beauty of this stock set-up first.

After driving the GRMN Yaris this time, I realized that it is a car with much more potential than I had initially imagined.
I was even impressed that Toyota could make such a car if they were serious about it.

The car is very complete as a piece of hardware.

I also think it would be great if there was a little more "hospitality" to entertain the drivers.
It could be the quality of the interior, the sound of the engine, or the feel of the engine and steering wheel.

Tuning to this level may be impossible at today's cost, but as one of Japan's leading sports cars, we hope to see more of this area in the future.