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After their accomplishments on the grid, the Australian-based team branched out and have explored several platforms for previous builds. Over the years, racing teams and shops have had successes and failures, but this team marks several milestones that are marked as successful. That's the case for Lamspeed Racing, which switched its focus to a record-breaking Toyota Yaris.
The steering could do with being more direct and the ride feels a bit crashy on rougher roads, but overall it’s a great package that builds your confidence quickly. It feels spring-loaded to assist with a fast shift and as a result requires a bit of a shove from gear to gear, but it’s all the better for it. With that sweet sound and endless torque reserves, it’s an incredibly soulful engine, even at lower revs. BMW’s B58 straight six is so well suited to this car; it’s almost like it was designed with this use in mind. It’s quiet enough inside at motorway speeds, although with the rear tyres set to initial custodian Matt Saunders’ pressures, there can be a fair bit of road roar echoing through the sizeable boot. I soon realised that so long as you aren’t a complete idiot with it, it’s pretty straightforward to drive.
• Use Show/Hide ESTIMATED data form to hide (Website worth, Daily ads revenue, Daily Visits, Daily Pageviews) • Use Show/Hide WHOIS data form to hide whois data • Use Remove form to remove all data • If you have any problem with REMOVE/HIDE your data just drop an email at support (at) hypestat.com and we will remove/hide your site data manualy. Get all the best car news, reviews and opinions direct to your inbox three times a week. He also spent 18 months running Move Electric, Haymarket's e-mobility title, where he developed knowledge of the e-bike and e-scooter markets. It’s easy to forgive the BMW Z4 a degree of lethargy and softness, given its baby-GT billing, but by dint of its fixed roof and hallowed GR badge, the technically related Supra has always felt it could do with being a pinch more poised and engaging.
The team plans on passing tech this time through and going even faster. Without a turbo straight six, of course, no modern Toyota Supra would feel quite right; and, much as it’s clearly some way off matching the outright power and flexibility of, say, a BMW Motorsport six-pot, the B58 is one major mechanical that seems to suit the Supra well. There are doubtless sound aerodynamic performance reasons for the Supra not sporting a rear windscreen wiper, but from a utility perspective it’s an irritating omission. The Supra’s straight-six engine is a great soundtrack no matter where you drive it. The information is there, but it’s a bit bare bones and not tremendously customisable.
Then again, it’s the sort of info you want while sitting at 70mph on the M4 but it would be less important if you were enjoying yourself in the Supra’s natural environment. Trying to find a fuel economy or estimated range readout requires jabbing a button on the end of the windscreen wiper stalk several times to scroll through various screens. And while the boot isn’t the biggest, with practice – and taking advantage of every last bit of the barrier between it and the seats – you can cram in a surprising amount of stuff. And, for a two-seat, low-slung sports car with a manual gearbox, it’s actually surprisingly practical. So recently the Supra has been across the Cotswolds, down to Cornwall, over to Belgium and more, but sadly all without me driving. Road test editor Matt Saunders happily took delivery of our long-term Toyota Supra manual, thanks to a bit of shuffling, I’ve equally happily taken over custody of it.
Rear visibility Speaking of reversing, those stylish rear pillars make negotiating tight spaces troublesome. Surprisingly spacious Okay, the boot isn’t exactly huge, but for this type of car it’s got far more room than you would expect. But really, who needs a premium stereo when you have a straight six that you can happily rev without an automatic gearbox getting in the way? The interior is more than comfortable enough for long journeys, but getting in and out can be somewhat inelegant, especially if someone has parked a bit close to you and the wide doors become an issue. What’s more, it gives you the freedom to extract the performance – and pleasing soundtrack – from that BMW engine.
Infamous cars such as the Ford Focus, Ford Fiesta, and Volkswagen Golf have formed a massive cult around compact vehicles with unique rear ends. If you're new to the automotive world, you might need help understanding all the hype surrounding a hot hatch. Having similar characteristics with rawness and potential, the team set out to build the fastest Yaris on the planet. Nearly fourteen years later, Charles, the owner of Lamspeed Racing, drove a Toyota GR Yaris for the first time, and it hit home. The team specializes in Mitsubishi Lancer Evolutions, but that didn't stop them from venturing out of their comfort zone to another platform.
When we road tested it, I liked the idea, and the ’90s-Supra-tribute styling, a little more than the driving experience. So would you like to run a GR Supra 3.0 manual long-termer for a few months? At cold, I’m going with 2.5bar at the rear and 2.1bar at the front. Backwards visibility is limited anyway, and in heavy rain the flow of water down the heavily raked window renders the rear-view mirror essentially moot But there’s a bit of silver-coloured plastic that covers the holes just below the head rest, which is annoying because it occasionally seems to jam into my neck when I nestle back into the seat or tilt my head slightly.
It proved an absolute missile on the fast and flowing roads that characterise this bit of Wales. What you don’t want when turning up to steal the Supra away from its keeper James Attwood is heavy rain and a trip straight into town in the middle of the school rush. So many cars that come through on test at Autocar tick none of those boxes, so when one does, you need to allow some time to reacquaint yourself.
Soundtrack sensation The turbocharged 335bhp straight-six engine has genuine character when on-song Heck, Matt Saunders fiddled with the tyre pressures a bit during his time with the Supra, and the compromise of slightly more road noise was repaid with cornering feel. The compromise that comes in certain driving conditions with that manual' box is rewarded when you perfectly time that second-to-third gearshift on a B-road. I mean, BMW’s iDrive infotainment is a clear step ahead of the infotainment Toyota offered at the time of this car’s launch, so why do some people seem bothered that it’s offered (in reskinned form) in the GR Supra? Having previously gone several aokalamakiou.gr months driving cars that only featured two pedals, my initial running was a little on the jerky side. The team was kicked out due to failing tech inspection, but the journey didn't stop there.
Many enthusiasts could guess what engine Saito's team built, and if your guess was a 2JZ, then you can pat yourself on the back. Many automotive manufacturers have stuffed these cars with small engines like three-cylinders and four-cylinders. The automotive world offers endless paths for drivers, teams, and companies to take.
After some preparations, the team returned to the drag strip and accomplished what they set out to do. After a long hiatus, the team analyzed and improved some undisclosed areas at the start of 2024. This quarter-mile marked the new world record for the fastest and quickest Toyota GR Yaris in the world, and the first 10-second GR Yaris in Australia.
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