Toyota Yaris GR4 4x4 Rally going into production.....

[Gibbo]

But are you going off the inside sound? Because that is 100% fake. It's not even a sound pipe from the intake (like on the gt86), it comes through the speakers.

For me the inside fake sound I enjoy it and the factory basic stereo is also fine.

I won’t be fitting an exhaust however for noise as I feel it’s just noise and I do like the fact the car is somewhat quiet on the outside it means I can drive the wheels of the car and go somewhat un-noticed which in a car like this which eggs you in I like the somewhat stealth.

Of course if changing an exhaust component yields a very strong gain without impacting noise too much I could be tempted.

So far the best bang for buck as to speak seems a DTUK tuning box at £500 for 30HP or there abouts but I’m holding off and seeing what comes as SVM are promising 300 / 320 and 350 packages so will be interesting what the packages involve and what they cost.

Now I’ve had the opportunity to properly open the car up and drive it flat out it is a car that absolutely loves to be driven very hard and is superb at the limit. Though it is fun on a sunny day I’ll take the S2000 nearly every time and on a roll I suspect the acceleration difference is hardly any different, the Yaris of course is quicker off the mark a little but on a roll doubt there’s is much in it and the only mods on my S2000 is a bit of weight loss, Ohlins and my own mods to factory air box for noise and additional cold air. Both cars are amazingly chuckable and very good on the limit again the Ohlins and alignment was a transformation to the S2000 so it’s a little unfair in a way as the GR Yaris handles on a par with a well modded S2000 but the roof down and that 9000rpm engine and rawness will always have a stronger pull for me on a sunny day.

I think my revisit of the S2000 has shocked me truly what amazing cars they are as a weekend/fun car, the Yaris is vastly superior as a daily though even though it has its weaknesses too.

 

[Gibbo]

Seems to be a few different versions of this around

Tegiwa guys doing a trial fit on Wednesday in mine with the one they shall be selling, I get to keep it so will let people know if it fits discreetly and if it works.

My GR Yaris got its first wash yesterday:

The car was filthy but the flat white is such a bright solid white it looks good even when covered in dirt. Still clean looks better, that was just a quick snow foam clean and came up well, when weather warms a bit more I will get a coat of Si02 wax on it to protect and seal it.

The white has really grown on me, expected to dislike it but really like it. So might as well save myself a couple of grand and forget wrapping it, no mods yet, still observing to see what comes out, car is bloody fantastic stock!

 

[Gibbo]

Little thug of a car aren't they.

Yep, very naughty car, glad I got circuit pack as you can feel the differentials when you push very hard.

 

[Gibbo]

How do you compare this to the Golf R @Gibbo if you have time to reply

I am pretty certain im going AWD again and as such I am finding it hard to overlook the Yaris compared to a TTS/TTRS/Golf R right now
I did have my heart set on the 5 cylinder burble but its twice the price pretty much and I think the yaris may be more suitable to the lanes as well

Only thing that really worries me is that parts could be tricky / silly priced
My cross country route means I do end up with wildlife issues, normally suicide road runner impression pheasants perfect for removing fog lights etc, but twice deer (I avoided one but the other was a minor sideswipe)

The GR Yaris won't beat a Golf R DSG in a straight line, neither is it as easily tuneable or as practical.

But the GR Yaris feels just superior, it is a lot more fun to drive, it is hard to explain but a Golf R pushed hard, goes to understeer and more, plus its all a bit numb.
The GR Yaris circuit pack feels far more driver focused, it is more fun to drive at slow speeds or at the limit, its better handling.

 

[Gibbo]

Chucked my stock car on the dyno yesterday, just out of boredom really.

Very pleasant surprise. This was the best of 3 runs, others were 286 & 288.

Don’t think I’ll ever bother with power mods, but I would really like the roof put back to forged and probably adjustable springs to sort the ride height /corner weighting.

As I said on Instagram a happy dyno!
I suspect the cars in the U.K. on Vpower make around 270 horses due to knock sensors advancing timing but I think 290HP just shows this dyno to be a little happy, remember dyno operators can setup their dynos to vary results and many places do exactly this and it’s very possible to do on a MAHA.

 

[Gibbo]

Don't know if you're interested in buying a small RC car to go with it Tamiya Toyota GR Yaris - M-05 58684 (modelsport.co.uk)

My Mum got me one of those for Christmas, still need to build it.

 

[Gibbo]

Interesting power figures, in fact probably the highest I've seen for a standard car !

Out of interest, I keep seeing "adjustable springs" being mentioned lately. What am I missing here? Since when can a spring be adjustable?

KW have offered adjustable springs for years, they include a hat and coil like coilovers use so you can spin the hat in or out and thus give you some height adjustment.

I won’t be touching suspension on mine, I don’t think it sits overly high and having some clearance is nice and the ride is fine, good infact yes it can struggle over some of the really bad roads but otherwise it’s fine.

Passed 1000 miles now and loving it still and absolutely thoroughly enjoy having all four tyres screaming for dear mercy on roundabouts, total hooligan.

 

[Gibbo]

As above, 2 springs and an adjustment ring essentially.

https://mss-sales.com/shop/porsche-991-1-2-gt3-gt3rs/

I am somewhat vexed by the dyno result myself, I did chuck a TDI Tuning box on it aswell which only made it 296. Makes me wonder if my car is running something a bit different or the tuning box is complete guff! Bit odd given others have had results from them.

The TDI tuning box was withdrawn from sale at many places due to a few tuners testing it and finding two things, it makes no power and it was also potentially unsafe because TDI have done zero real world testing. Their graphs on their website well I could draw better with a set of crayons and it’s clear all TDI do is use an algorithm for their never tested results and it’s all make believe and in the case of the Yaris GR has been proven to make no power as proven by yourself.

If you want to go tuning box route then DTUK is the proven and very well tested box, it’s also the box some Toyota franchises themselves offer and is the same box Litchfields and Milltek are using in their power packs.

Get a DTUK box and the gains should be 20-30HP and is the box people have been hitting around 4-4.5s 0-60’s with so real world proven gains.

I myself am just waiting to see if someone cracks the ECU plus the car I am finding is getting faster with miles.

 

[Gibbo]

@Gibbo - What’s the generally accepted power output with the tuning boxes now that people have had time to test the various claims? I’ve got some potential fun and games ahead of me with the sprints this year as the Yaris’s are all in my class but there’s a 300hp cap on the class and I’m expecting one or two with tuning boxes to be pushing the boundaries a little

Depends on the dyno but generally the gain is around 25HP so about 295HP. If the car is running a turbo back exhaust then it’s around 300HP. Some have fitted larger intercoolers, full exhaust systems and tuning box and are around 315 horses.

 

[Gibbo]

I've just had my Automotive Passion Carbon Rock Guards delivered, they were the best compromise as I haven't found a mudflap I like the look of.

My car should be getting into port on the 20th, so not too much longer to wait.

Ive got those on mine, very easy fit.

 

[Gibbo]

I've only managed 100 miles or so, all wet and still in the running in phase. The way it revs out is quite something for a turbocharged lump, grip has been brilliant and brakes even more so. Quite a package.

Really looking forward to seeing what she is like in warm, dry conditions!

You will enjoy it, love having all four wheels squealing for dear mercy, makes it great fun both at 7/10 and 10/10's.

 

[Gibbo]

Hi there

I think the whole point of the GR is that Toyota made a homologation special, or however you spell it and a car with its intended purpose being rallying which can mean tarmac, gravel, wet, snow, bumpy type surfaces the car has to be able to work well in all those conditions which also generally sum up a British road and our weather perfectly.

Its not been designed to be a race/track car, albeit the wording "circuit pack" can be seen as miss leading. The none circuit pack car is a soft car, with fantastic damping and ride quality, but equally lots of lean. The Circuit Pack car does not turn into a harsh car, the dampening is still very good, the fact these cars weigh so little helps of course too, but I believe the Circuit Pack cars just have slightly revised dampers/springs, thicker anti-roll bars and of course the very important torsen differentials.

I feel Toyota made a car that was all about feel or at least the best they could do in this modern age, so its all about mechanical grip and feel, yes it does have electronics but the torsen differentials are mechanical and very feel some, the suspension is all passive/fixed so again aids how you can feel the car but its a car you can use.

Seating position yep its high, if you want that low strung seating position then buy a sports car, this is not a sports car, its a hot hatch and pretty much all of them feel like your sat high compared to a proper sports/super car, but I actually take no dislike this, but having owned a Type R, Clio 172 and Abarth the latter two had very high seating positions and I was never bothered by it, so the Yaris is fine for me.

As to seat itself, I think its superb, driven the car now for like 4-6hrs straight and my back never aches and I always feel comfortable and cool, the bolstering is tame but as the material is cloth type I don't slide or move around in the seat.

I think as a B road blaster which seems to be exactly what Toyota designed the car to be in all weather conditions it is pretty much unbeatable.
If you want a full out track car I think the Yaris is maybe a bad place to start, Honda do that better out the box or just buy a sports car. I am sure if you further uprate those anti-roll bars, fit coilovers and turn them upto 11, add sticky wider rubber and increase the power then the Yaris would no doubt be an insane track car.

I think Toyota probably poorly named the UK version "Circuit Pack" as in different countries such as Australia the car is actually called the "Rally Version" which seems far more appropriate. Maybe Toyota should have used the word Rally here instead as one would expect a circuit pack car to have stickier rubber and even firmer suspension and be flatter, so maybe's Toyota's naming is a little miss leading or confusing to some.

If I was tracking the car, I'd get some 245-265 section cup 2 tyres on it with wider wheels to suit, coilover suspension, thicker roll bars and push the power to 300-350 levels and I suspect it would then be a devastating track car for its power class.

I see a lot of people with super car stables who have got these and some owners absolutely love them and are keeping them, particular a lot of GT3 owners and I also see quite a few who say the car is not as expected and are selling, or maybe their intentions was to flip the car all along.

 

[Gibbo]

Saw/heard one of these today. Was sat outside the court buildings getting a bit of fresh air and heard it coming from a mile away. Don't know if it was modded or not, but for such a small car it sounded immense.

Modded they are pretty silent stock but with an unsilenced exhaust they can be rather loud.

 

[Gibbo]

Was outside the courts in Hanley, so thought it might have been yours. But it obviously wasn't as this one was red, for some reason I had it in my head that yours was red.

Red was my original choice but after seeing colours in the flesh white became my favourite.

 

[Gibbo]

Hi there

Took mine to Toyota RRG Macclesfield today for a running in service, this is not part of the schedule but I had all fluids changed in the car, so engine, transfer box and differentials along with gearbox. I also had alignment check and adjusted, car was on 1600 miles, now 1700 as took long way home, total cost was £330 all in. Gives me peace of mind!

I drove Richards demo car which has a tuning box, panel filter and a full Cobra exhaust with OPF delete he said the latter made it drony and though it sounded good I’m afraid to my ears I prefer the fake sound, think I’m just a sucker for a good induction note even if it’s fake.

So onto the power well over gotta say I was a little disappointed, the cars throttle response and ease of pulling off was certainly improved and very welcome but the car felt less urgent in mid range but pulled that back at top end where it felt more urgent, of course Richard was present in the car with me and we did the cat and fiddle road so I got to give it a proper thrashing. I’m sure it’s faster but it’s not night and day but I remember my first test drive and thinking the car felt lacking but we were three up and then I got my car and it just felt a lot more urgent, so I either have a really strong car or the cars performance is very sensitive to extra weight.

I still might try a tuning box on the basis they do no quibble 30 day money back otherwise just a case of wait and see what else comes.

Im still loving this car and it is damn good out the box, RRG have camber bolts coming as stock setup seems to max out around -1.5 front negative camber and the different bolt options can get you upto either -2.5 or -3-4 in probably gonna stock with the max the factory offers.

Oh and the fact these now have a 10yr warranty from Toyota is simply excellent.

 

[Gibbo]

Must admit I am umming and ahhhing over having a running in service at 6 months. But definitely a good price, the perks of owning a Toyota!

The more I hear the "fake" noise. The more I like it, so I am definitely with you there. Very interesting feedback on the tuning box, I am firmly in the camp of waiting a good few years until the platform has been developed and people have made mistakes and find what works the best.

10 year warranty is the icing on the cake. Considering the price of servicing its a small price to pay.

Well bare in mind the £330 is probably the most expensive it gets I think a safety check over is like £50 and a regular service around £165 I think if you budget upto £500 per year in servicing will cover anything car needs and give you change.

I might try a tuning box on 30 day return option so I can try it just one up but the only thing I dislike about my car is it’s a bit weak under 1500rpm when pulling off but saying that I’ve adjusted to it and I absolutely love how perfectly linear the power delivery feels right upto the 7200rpm fuel cut. In fact yesterday I took a roundabout so hard that I hit the fuel cut in 2nd, this car absolutely mobs roundabouts like the little hooligan it is.

Also I like my car been quiet from outside as I’ve done a fair few stunts now in the view of the police and they have either not seen or not been interested and I’m sure if it was making a racket they would have pulled me.

 

[Gibbo]

I hadn't watched the video when I posted it, but now I have it's interesting how he references the body roll I talked about and implies it's less of car (opinion) as removing the movement is part of its character. Seems the one drove wasn't that broken.

I guess that is why the lean/movement does not bother me because in a road car I enjoy that movement and feel it gives, As I said in a previous post if my intention was to track it often or build someting crazy fast by all means, wider stickier wheel/tyres, coilovers and more power, but for me as a road car its bang on and the car absolutely mobs roundabouts and b-roads with ease and great fun.

 

[Gibbo]

Toyota dealers have now stopped taking orders as all of next years allocation is now sold and the rumour amongst Toyota dealerships is they will keep producing them until April and then stop.

So those of us with cars it’s looking very good indeed, future values should remain very strong.

 

[Gibbo]

I suspect an Evo version to be announced sometime soon.

If that happens I’ll probably try to ordering one and an special GR would be very special indeed.

 

[Gibbo]

Still gutted they didn't bring it to America. Such a little Beastie.

I do wish they would fix two things:
1) traction control. It is seriously dangerous in its current form, especially on track.
2) those stupid hazards that flash on hard braking.

What’s wrong with the traction control?
Driven it on track in expert mode and traction fully off but in expert the car never felt like anything was wrong and it never felt intrusive either and I used both sport and track modes.

The hazards are annoying!