Want to be able to control the Toyota GR Yaris like a champ on snow, complete with controlled power slides, slalom and the occasional donuts? Let us introduce you to Norihiko Katsuta, a professional rally driver who won Japan’s championship eight times.
The first thing you’ll need is a GR Yaris of your own, obviously, which is basically impossible if you live in America. That’s because Toyota has no intention of selling it on this side of the Atlantic. And the second one is to speak Japanese or master the captions, as this video was released by Gazoo Racing on its official YouTube channel in the Land of the Rising Sun.
Driven: 2021 Toyota GR Yaris Is A Great Hot Hatch, But We Do Have Some Gripes
But you won’t need any of the above in order to enjoy the clip, which is a little over 3 minutes long and shows what the hot hatch with rally DNA is capable of, in the hands of someone who truly knows what they are doing.
As it was filmed in Japan, this is obviously the local version of the GR Yaris, and it is a bit punchier than the model sold in Europe. The turbocharged 1.6-liter three-cylinder engine produces 268 HP (272 PS / 200 kW) and 273 lb-ft (370 Nm) of torque here, while in the Old Continent, it makes do with 257 HP (261 PS / 192 kW) and 266 lb-ft (360 Nm).
Offered with a six-speed manual transmission and all-wheel drive, it weighs 2,822 pounds (1,280 kg), needs a little over 5 seconds to sprint to 62 mph (100 km/h) and has a top speed electronically limited to 143 mph (230 km/h).
