Words - Ossian Jones
Photography - Superfast Photography
While many who spend their Saturday mornings in the Peak District National Park are hiking, running, or climbing, I spent mine hop-skipping along the country lanes in Toyota’s WRC-derived hot hatch - the GR Yaris. The GR Yaris took the world by storm when it started production, as it combined a rapid engine, a manual gearbox, and a sporty, nimble chassis - the perfect recipe - right? Well, as far as I’m concerned, yes. This punchy 257 hp 1.6L turbocharged engine is great for nipping down to the shops for the eggs you forgot, but has the potential to propel you down the road at an impressive speed, should you please. Having too much fun in the Yaris, we quickly realise our turning is much closer than we thought, so, exercising the braking potential and agility of the GR we only just make the corner - in true rally style. Now that is how this car should be driven.
Diving into our breakfast pit stop we are directed to park at the back as the theme is “Ze Germans” because unlike some of its other GR siblings, the Yaris is not very German. Our brief stop consisting of coffee, sausage sandwiches, and catching up with friends was perfect before hitting the road again, to enjoy this motor even more. The long road away from the Cars and Coffee was empty, so we took the opportunity to really see what the Yaris could do in a straight line. Getting from 0-60 mph in 5.5 seconds and a top speed of 142 mph the performance figures aren't all that impressive by today’s standards. The GR Yaris is not designed to be a quarter-mile hero even then, it's no slouch when it wants to get somewhere. However, in reality, the GR Yaris doesn’t need to be the greatest in a straight line, it is designed to excel in the corners, and it really does, agile and nimble darting from left to right, no wonder on a track day RS3s are getting lapped by the Toyota. This agility is partly down to the weight of the car, coming in at 1280-1310kg, depending on the specification, which is admirable, it is a rarity for a new car to weigh as little as that. The GR Yaris is also fitted with a 6 speed manual transmission, giving the driver the reigns with this car and not leaving it to computers, which subsequently drives the 4-wheel drive system, perfect for imperfect conditions or offroading - not that an owner ever has done.
We continue our early morning run through the hills, each one with a unique and spectacular view, it's a good thing that the GR Yaris has good visibility with its big windscreen and a seating position somewhere between a sports car and a crossover SUV, a good mix for everyday commutes, especially if you take your Yaris into the city. The interior of the GR Yaris is also very pleasant, with a large, centrally mounted infotainment screen, in this case, contrasting red stitching, and ample leg space, that is, unless you have drawn the short straw and have to sit in the back, which I didn't dare to try, but looked that any normal height adult would struggle to comfortably make a journey in.
We peel onto the A6187, towards Castleton, and are greeted by the Hope Valley as we turn Surprise Corner - the view is breathtaking each and every time. Very quickly the road dives into Hathersage, but to keep the high ground we sling the first hairpin, and the tyres squeal, the car yearning to be driven aggressively, the rallying heritage is deep in the foundations of this car. The sad reality fleets across my mind that the GR Yaris will never get to compete in the WRC. Despite the race-ready car, sat and prepared, but in storage, it remains a solemn promise of what could have been. The project was scrapped in favour of keeping the same model that raced before it, based on the Yaris your grandma takes to the bingo rather than this one, that you take out for entertaining Sunday morning drives.
Now on our way back to the city, we make a brief detour to the local reservoirs, the last time I was here it was a very different scene, snow-capped trees lining the partly frozen water, still beautiful, just this time lacking the winter magic from before. Thankfully due to the short wheelbase of this car, turning around on a single-lane road is not too much of an issue. However, I am sure it would have been more entertaining to do a half donut, a bit risky when the only thing preventing us from plunging into a deep reservoir is a small wooden fence. Even then I don’t fancy our chances if it didn’t go to plan. The route back home is just long enough for one more acceleration just to reinforce what this small but mighty car can do. It is easy to see why this creation of the GR department at Toyota is so popular, an impressive all-rounder that has an exciting side that yearns to be unleashed on a narrow country road like we did this morning.
