Honda Civic Type R vs Toyota GR Yaris drag race

The Toyota GR Yaris is the darling of the hot-hatch world right now, but it’ll need more than bucket-seats and buckets of rally-bred charm to beat the Honda Civic Type R in a drag race…

Tap the video to watch the race.

The Honda Civic Type R is one of the most hard-core hot hatches on sale. Its turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engines produces 320hp and 400Nm of torque – neither of which is to be sniffed at.

Some petrol heads might turn their noses up at the Type R’s front-wheel-drive setup, but its limited-slip differential and fabulous six-speed manual gearbox mean it’s still capable of some seriously speedy launches. Although, today it’ll be slightly hampered by a damp track surface…

This isn’t something that’ll trouble the GR Yaris – not with its rally-spec four-wheel-drive system. This makes use of two limited-slip differentials (the second as part of the optional Circuit Pack) to muster up as much grip as possible on a gravel-strewn rally stage (or a moist British runway, for that matter).

That cavernous black grille might look like it’s there to feed air to a fuel-hungry V8, but powering the GR Yaris is a 1.6-litre three-cylinder engine. Don’t write it off just yet, because this plucky turbocharged unit produces a respectable 261hp and a pretty amazing 360Nm of torque.

Despite lugging around a four-wheel-drive system and a few acres of air vents, the GR Yaris is 100kg lighter than the 1,380kg Civic Type R. It is a smidge more expensive, though – especially with the optional £3,500 Circuit pack. It’ll set you back £33,495, while the Type R carries a £32,820 price tag.

But which will win in this drag race? Watch the video to find out.

Want to keep up to date with the latest news?

Sign up for the carwow newsletter by entering your email address below to receive regular updates featuring our latest videos, reviews, news stories and blog posts from across the world of cars. You can unsubscribe from these emails at any time.

By clicking the submit button you agree to our T&Cs and confirm you have read our Privacy Policy.