I think we have already established that the Toyota GR Yaris is a fast little machine. We’ve seen the rally hatch smoke a number of other high-performance nameplates in wear contests, especially against the Honda Civic Type R on wet and dry surfaces.
But how does the hatch perform on a racetrack? More importantly, how does it compare to other low-performance machines when driven hard around the corners on a time warp?
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To test it, Mat Watson Motors (yes, Carwow‘s Mat Watson) loaded a track battle between the three different yet similar cars. It is the Toyota GR Yaris that proves its pedigree against the Ford Fiesta ST and BMW M2 CS. It’s America vs. Japan vs. Germany for this 11-minute video, and it’s enough to give you an idea of how the small triangular Toyota ranks in terms of track ingenuity.
Let’s put the number down here before you watch the video, for black and white comparison. The GR Yaris is powered by a 1.6-liter three-engine that delivers 257 horsepower (192 kilowatts) and 266 pounds (360 Newton-meters) of torque, pulling all the weight of 2,822 pounds (1,280 kilograms). These numbers are sent to all four wheels via a 6-speed manual gearbox.
The Ford Fiesta ST, on the other hand, delivers 197 hp (147 kW) and 290 Nm (214 lb-ft) from its 1.5-liter EcoBoost engine, which is sent to the front wheels via a 6-speed manual during this lap time comparison. . . It weighs less than the GR Yaris by less than 2600 pounds.
The German contender, the BMW M2 CS, is the strongest of the group with its 3.0-liter mill carrying 441 hp (331 kW) and 550 Nm of torque, driven by the 7-speed dual-clutch gearbox. It is the heaviest, however, but the scales tilt more than 3,500 pounds.
You’ve seen the numbers, now look at how they haunt it on the track. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.