Would you like to know how the most powerful production three-cylinder ever made sounds while being absolutely ripped around a race track? You would, and you’re welcome: Crank up your volume and take a listen, because video has surfaced of the 268-hp, three-cylinder Toyota GR Yaris, a bonkers rally homologation special belting out its unusual, charming howl around a racetrack.
This Yaris GR looks to be at the Pirelli Super Taiku event held at Fuji Speedway in late February, where it was fielded by Rookie Racing with Takuto Iguchi at the wheel. The team also ran a GR Supra in a higher class. This was reportedly the first race outing for both cars.
Before you watch the racing-overhauled subcompact Toyota screaming its way around Fuji, recall the numbers involved here, because they’re absurd. The 1.6-liter three-pot makes a bonkers 268 horsepower and 272 pound-feet of torque. Since that kind of twist would liquify your arm muscles without a fancy front differential to reduce torque steer, and since the ostensible purpose of this thing is to homologate a WRC car, the GR Yaris has all-wheel drive that can send ALL of the furious lil’ engine’s torque either front or rear.
Yup, 100 percent can be sent to the rear wheels in certain situations, although the driver can only alter the basic front-to-rear torque split between a few presets: 60/40, 30/70, or 50/50. Even better, cars optioned with the Circuit Pack gain Torsen limited-slip differentials front and rear. Unlike the regular Yaris—well, the European-market model, which is different from ours—the GR gets double wishbones instead of a torsion beam rear axle at the back for more precise handling.
All told, the GR Yaris can scoot to 62 mph in just 5.5 seconds, thanks to its light 2,821-pound curb weight, which also appears to help it fling itself across a track. All GR Yarises feature a six-speed manual, and none will come to the U.S., which may be an extra twist of the knife to anyone excited by how the GR Yaris sounds doing its thing on a track.
