There hasn’t been a small Japanese hot hatch for the longest time, but a new one has just emerged from the unlikeliest source – Toyota. This is the Toyota Vitz GRMN Turbo, a production version of the concept of the same name shown at the Tokyo Auto Salon in January this year.
Tuned by Gazoo Racing (GRMN stands for Gazoo Racing Meister of Nurburgring), the hot Vitz/Yaris adds on a turbocharger to the familiar 1.5 litre 1NZ-FE engine (also found in our local Vios) to produce 152 PS and 206 Nm of torque. With a five-speed manual ‘box, low 1,070 kg kerb weight and specially tuned suspension, it promises to be a big ball of fun.
The production car drops the concept’s sportier looking front bumper (taken from the Australian-market three-door Yaris ZR) in favour of one sourced from the Europe-only Yaris Hybrid model. It also makes use of the Yaris Hybrid’s LED-incrusted headlamps.
Other than that, the rest of the body add-ons – side skirts, huge rear diffuser, rear deck wing, and LED rear lights– are all new and bespoke to the GRMN Turbo. Also packaged in are a set of 17-inch BBS aluminium wheels, uprated all-round disc brakes and a sport exhaust system.
Inside, there are deep, Alcantara-lined bucket seats, special GRMN instrument cluster, steering wheel and gear knob with contrasting red stitching and alloy foot pedals (three of them of course). The audio system has been deleted to save weight.
If you haven’t already guessed, the Toyota Vitz GRMN Turbo is only available in Japan. Production is limited to just 200 units, so chances of seeing one outside its home market are slim to none. Still, it’s good to know that somewhere out there, small and fun Toyotas still exist.
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1.5 Turbo an it’s Manual!!
Tumbs up!!
this car sure can fly higher than all new vios!
it has 4 gears summore, lol
If only Toyota adds on a turbocharger into the same upcoming Vios 1NZ-FE engine, if not no point considering it.
long gone is “you can’t go wrong with Toyota”
now it’s “you GO WRONG with Toyota”, haha!
Cute..but fast..
Wow, a hot hatch… from Toyota?? ! Def a rare breed. Still a good news hear from a Japs manufacturer. At least they put some effort to make quick small car. Way to go ya
It isn’t officially from Toyota actually. Gazoo is third party tuners that modify Toyota and Lexus, like Brabus to MB and Alpina to BMW.
Ooo.. ic. Sorry for my noob comment. Then should i take the compliment away from T? I do really hope there r more hot hatches choices in our land.. and of cos with a affordable $$
I wonder anyone gonna modify their new vios with a turbo since it can be done with the vitz as its using the vios engine. A vios turbo perhaps on the toyota cards? Vios turbo with no VSC….hmm….fun or dangerous?
they can put all sort of turbo but they cannot change the bloody stupid 4 speed gearbox. embarassing.
nowadays we are going for 6-7 speed. not even 5 anymore. but the T opt for 4 shit.
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your opinion is not entire but looking at the overall scene, i think toyota is doing it just to cut cost IMO. Just look at the new vios safety features alone! Only looking for profit. SHAME ON U TOYOTA
*not entireLY WRONG
Listen bro…He was totally wrong bcoz toyota has disregard the cont improvement specifically for the vios engine due to 1 main reason of profit…i see a lotof vios cars in highways ie balik kampong n etc…no way car company nowadays produce cars only for city driving except for ev vehicle….his comment just to justify something that iz not true i.e i iz lazy to go to work today n i’ll explain/ justify later….
Dear fsi,
:D Why you attacking me now? As if I sold a Vios to you?
Some people fail to understand the concept of business: It’s all about the money. Please get it through your skull, I was not defending Toyota in any way, I’m just saying people keep bashing the Vios, for no good reason.
Like it or not, Toyota or UMW doesn’t give a crap what you think, the Vios still sells, why? Because Vios drivers don’t care about gearboxes or drum brakes or air bags or traction control, they care about customer service, resale value, reliability, and maintenance cost.
While everyone here is going on and on about their 4spd gearbox, Toyota is still the biggest car manufacturer by a mile, and UMW is churning out sub-quality cars like there’s no tomorrow. Why? Because they’re not interested in your tiny budget, they’re interested in the uncle with the fat pockets who doesn’t know the difference between ABS and VSC.
So, leave the poor Vios alone, it’s a simple, honest car, that’s being manipulated and taken advantage of, by UMW and the big G. Bury the hatchet and move on, because it’s been 3 generations now, nobody gives a fuck.
Don’t like being ripped off and the big T and H? Be like me, and drive a Mazda. ;)
@vishnu
whatever you want to say, at the end of day it’s OVERPRICED
don’t tell me it’s permissible only because they can afford it. exploitation sucks.
no, even the corrola here in the united states only have 4 gears. i believe it is not just a city car. i have been rented a several corolla and drive them on the interstate highway. believe me, the high rev at highway speed 75~80mph is pretty annoying.
no, even the corrola here in the united states only have 4 gears. i believe it is not just a city cars. i have been rented a several corolla and drive them on the interstate highway. believe me, the high rev at highway speed 75~80mph is pretty annoying.
I wouldn’t complain so much if they managed to sell it below 70K mark full spec. Over 90K are their main car and most Malaysian travels on highway very often. So at least put a 6 speed torque converter and revised suspension with good amount of noise reduction to improve your car, not change the “casing”.
Granted, the car is overpriced, the reasoning behind the elevated price, however, has nothing to do with Toyota, it has more to do with our “local” system. Well-informed individuals will immediately understand what I am getting at.
Like you said, if the car was sold at the price it WAS intended to be sold at (without a ridiculous tax hike), no one would complain.
In that sense, it’s not entirely Toyota’s fault. They’re a business, and their job is to make money, not charity.
That’s looking at the big picture, and from that point of view, we again reach the only entity that can be blamed for the price, put your thinking caps on, kiddos.. :D
fiesta sold at much cheaper price with more airbags, why not toyota? it’s for the greedy people too, guess who
The problem isn’t on Toyota Co.Ltd itself, but with UMW and local government. Vios is developed for 2nd world country like us and Thailand. Cheap and reliable is their main reason, but UMW ignore “cheap” and turn it into absolute profit. If Ford Fiesta managed to sell like a Vios do, they will charged their car skyrocketing high too, like Forte and Cerato.
You got a point, Malaysian stop treating this poor Toyota Vios light sedan as a racing car.
4 speed gearbox is used on new Vios due to the comfort,safety and fuel efficiency.
Comfort, well I can say a Vios is quite the cruiser with VVTI engine, smooth. fuel efficiency, when the power-plant was new in 2003, yes but now in 2013, we can do better in the form of one or two more gears. Safety, hell no, I explain it before in a comment on an article regarding the new Kia Rio. When exiting a corner into the main road in Malaysia, cars won’t slow down for you, instead people tend to push their luck and speed past you, so you have to have some decent acceleration to get out of harms way. 4 Speed means at start the long 1st/2nd gearing will let the car down. So getting out of harms way when a lorry is barreling at you, nah. I know this, I have an Alza to verify this. Furthermore, theres not much safety features to really save you from a crsh in a Vios, in a car that cost upwards of RM80k thats a major problem.
bro..how do you justify the 4 speed vios and city with 5 speed? honda can do that but vios is using same old powertrain for 3 models. crazyyy..
“The Vios was designed to be comfortably driven at a maximum of 120Km/h, ideally around 90Km/h actually,”
The general speed limit in Japan is 100km/h, so actually the Vios is designed for 100km/h.
Wordless while reading the comments. This article is about Toyota Vitz not Vios. Ya, they share the same engine but Vitz is a turbocharged car, a totally different car right? Please dont drag Vios pros and cons fight into this.. endless.
The Turbo isn’t installed by Toyota itself, but by third party tuners. Toyota won’t bother to do something with their daily drive but put all effort in their performance line up.
our ah bengs hv been doing it since the first generation vios…ha
“VSC are pussy” – hardcore petrol head.
You are not eligible to drive a performance car if you managed to lose control in daily situation such as rain.
ok so this is perfect coffin without VSC lol
Impressive, would make a pretty nice collectors item if you ask me. For weekend ride only, just for fun, probably smoking some ah beng tuned vios for instance ;)
LOL, just kidding, no offense k vios fanboys (or uncles/aunties not sure which one, lol), it’s not like I can get my hands on one anyway ;p
There was a saying on an international sites that Japan still produce great cars, but only reserve to Japan only. Don’t know how much is true but honestly, this thing, 1.5 turbo 5-speed manual, 150 hp/200Nm all in a 1,070kg FWD package, that’s just selfish. It also looks the part. All together it can seriously give some heat to small Euro Hot Hatch(208 GTI/ Fiesta St/ Clio RS) on the fun factor. So why oh why Toyota? only 200 Japan only units, I don’t care if there’s no radio sell the damn thing on foreign soil please.
PS: “adds on a turbocharger to the familiar 1.5 litre 1NZ-FE engine (also found in our local Vios) to produce 152 PS and 206 Nm of torque.” This will give some bad ideas to certain people about their non-VSC cars, but good to know that trusty unit still has potential.
That is the mentality of Japanese people, the best quality items they use, slightly lower grade items are for exports.
For this limited edition, my speculation is that either the above mentality or Europe’s super strict Euro 6 emission standard already being implemented, causing such tuning unable to comply without certain degree of sacrification such as selling price, road tax bandwidth zone (Japan accesses vehicles only on fuel economy, emission accessment yet to be fully implemented), etc.
malaysia proton style is better one for export, worse one keep for malaysian people to use.
no need too kind for malaysian.
poor malaysian are forced to buy proton,no matter how lousy the car is.
reminds me of the good old days of the starlet glanza’s…. otherwise, this looks like a proper swift sport rival
Neah, it can’t be. If you read the article carefully production of that little beast is limited to just (prepare some tissues if you’re Toyota’s hardcore fan) ”200 units”. So yeah, it’s on a class of it’s own. Just sayin’ :D
Btw, how about the price tag? Anyone? Where the hell did all those PT readers champion mathematians gone when we need them??? LOL
i believe with extra cash in hand, anyone can specially order this from Japan and make it exclusive here…
Neah, it can’t be. If you read the article carefully production of that little beast is limited to just (prepare some tissues if you’re Toyota’s hardcore fan) ”200 units”. So yeah, based on that alone IMO, it’s on a class of it’s own.
Btw, how about the price tag? Anyone have any idea? Where the hell did all those PT readers champion mathematians gone when we need them??? LOL :D
Neah, it can’t be. If you read the article carefully production of that little beast is limited to just (prepare some tissues if you’re Toyota’s hardcore fan) ”200 units”. So yeah, it’s on a class of it’s own. Just sayin’ :D
Btw, how about the price tag? Anyone? Where the hell did all those PT readers champion mathematians gone when we need them??? LOL
don’t you know? there’s a vios that dynoed about 450bhp on wheel in m’sia.
http://www.viosturbo.com/
i don’t know the guy but i’ve been checking in on his blog every now and then.
That just plain stupid to be a road car, except he is going to do drag race.
200HP is enough for a tuned 1.5 litre FWD car and if you skilled enough, 250HP is the maximum. 400HP is just undrivable and very very very dangerous to drive on the road.
i agree. but you also know that when someone puts that kind of power into that kind of car, it isn’t about usability or daily drive anymore. i think it’s about bragging rights. some people just have this need for power regardless if they can really use.
good luck to the person who buys his car second-hand later..
I will buy 1 if it’s available here because it met all my criterion:
1. From a reputable manufacturer.
2. MT.
3. Turbo-charged.
4. 2-door.
208GTI met too. But too bad, I don’t like brands starting with alphabet P (excl Porsche).
here you are:
1.many recalls all over the word
2.you need to have magical hand to change gear fast
3.limited edition – limited parts
4.crampy car
It’s more powerful than CR-Z (facelift) …!
But Mugen CR-Z RR is faster with a whopping 200hp too.
stage 2 kit – RM25k or more???
Since Vios and Yaris are basicallt the same, can I buy a J spec Vios, install all those performance upgrade and a TRD sportivo aero kits on it? Then I can tell the world “My Vios can smoke you all” sincerely and proudly!
Go and get more airbags, VSC etc before doing all these.
oh yes, tell the world this too “My Vios can fly without wings” sincerely and proudly!
booooo useless 1502hp….some ah beng might be proud of this car. Booo Toyota, thumbs up Mazda, Honda and Mitsubishi (even though gaining lower popularity)
Wonder why proton don’t produce such model and sell it ONLY in Malaysia
Why need 6-7 speeder when torque is only 206nm?1070kg 1.5 turbo 150hp/206nm is more than adequate for this little hatch.Can smoke any non aspirated 1.6 cars anytime
Compare turbo with turbo la…don’t compare with NA…..