The Japanese car manufacturer Toyota has a small but really powerful car in its fleet, the GR Yaris, which thanks to LamSpeed Racing has become a beast with more than 1,000 hp.
The standard GR Yaris is powered by a turbocharged 1.6-L three-cylinder engine with 261 hp (195 kW). LamSpeed Racing tested the car on a wheelless dyno and recorded 899 hp (670 kW) and 572 lb-ft (776 Nm) of torque. However, since LamSpeed makes a conservative estimate of at least 11.3 percent power loss between the crankshaft and the hubs, it comes to a figure over 1,000 hp.
The G16E-GTS engine reached maximum power at 8,730 rpm and torque at 7,701 rpm. However, the question is, can this power be realized on wheels?
At the beginning of 2024, BMW announced that it plans to stop producing the two-seater Z4, also known as the E85 in roadster form and E86 in coupé form. Now it appears that another manufacturer is retiring its sports car and grand tourer in 2026. It is the Toyota Supra, which was launched on the market by the Japanese manufacturer in 1978.
The reasons for this decision are the problems of the company Magna Steyr, which produces both sports cars in Austria. According to reports, this company is laying off 500 employees from the plant in Graz because the production of several models has either already ended or will soon end. Models like the BMW Seres 5 or the Fisker Ocean were also produced in this facility.
Toyota did not comment on this information, but Auto News investigated and found that the Supra could indeed end its life journey. “We’ve partnered with BMW and it’s been successful. We’re looking at what’s going to happen in the future. If we’re going to produce something, we’re going to figure out how to do it,” said Toyota North America Vice President Dave Christ.
Dave Christ did not specify whether production will be moved to another facility. However, the first option would be more likely because in the first three months of 2024, Toyota sold only 484 units of this model, which is a drop of 44.4 percent compared to the same period in 2023 (871 units).
In 2021, Toyota launched a subcompact crossover SUV, the Yaris Cross, which over time became one of the most popular vehicles in Europe. Now a refreshed edition of this model has arrived, which will now only be available with a hybrid powertrain.
The design of the Yaris Cross has not changed much, and the new thing is that customers can now choose new body colors, Urban Khaki and Juniper Blue. Toyota engineers have done everything this time to reduce noise and vibration. A dynamic engine mount was added to the left side of the engine, a resonator was installed on the intake pipe, the internal muffler was changed from a single-layer to a three-layer construction, another layer of felt was added to the upper hood muffler, and thicker glass.
Inside, the new patterned upholstery stitching and decorative lines on the dashboard and doors match the green body color. Also, Platinum Pearl White and Silver Metallic bi-tone colors are available as exclusive options. There are also screens that are among the largest in the class in terms of size, so they are available in 7 or 12.3-inch diagonals for the driver’s instruments and 9 or 10.5 inches for the multimedia touchscreen, depending on the equipment package. The 12.3-inch screen displays dials, information and graphics, and the driver can customize the display to suit their mood or type of journey with four style options: Smart, Casual, Sporty and Tough.
The biggest change is the Hybrid 130 option powered by a 1.5-L engine with 116 hp (85 kW) or 130 hp (96 kW). It sits on a set of exclusive new 18-inch dark grey/machined five-spoke alloy wheels.
