Something strange happened during the past decade. Having been the world’s dullest car company – a purveyor of white goods on wheels – Toyota transformed into perhaps the most exciting. Under the leadership of former president Akio Toyoda, the automotive giant began building cars for enthusiasts, from hot hatchbacks to two-seat coupes. It also threw itself headlong into motorsport under the Gazoo Racing banner.
Toyota’s renaissance began with the GT86 of 2012: a simple, rear-driven sports car also sold as the Subaru BRZ. Some considered it underpowered – and Steve Sutcliffe said it was Overrated – yet most of us rhapsodised about its superb balance and driver feedback. If you can manage to buy one, its GR86 replacement is even better. Read Dan Prosser’s review to discover why.
The GR Yaris is another car Sutcliffe thought didn’t justify the hype, but Andrew Frankel disagreed, awarding the Circuit Pack model a 9/10 rating in his review. You can also find Dan’s thoughts on the 300bhp Litchfield-tuned GR Yaris in the articles below.
A final Toyota we’ve lauded in recent years is the GR Supra, particularly when fitted with a manual gearbox. Dan thought it a credible alternative to a BMW M2 or Porsche Cayman. Exciting? Oh yes, but if it gets too much you could always buy a Corolla instead.
