At the moment, the Toyota GR Yaris is the darling of the enthusiast market. Its compact size, punchy turbocharged engine, balanced chassis, six-speed manual, and all-wheel drive make it among the most fun things you can buy on four wheels. If there was a complaint, it’s that it might not be the best daily driver, due to its more raucous attitude. On the flip side, the BMW 128ti is still very quick for a hot-hatch but much more refined. The only real question is, which is faster in a straight line?
In this new video from Cars.co.za, we get to take a look at a quarter-mile drag race between the two, to see which approach to hot-hatchery is best.
Both cars are very different machines. The BMW 128ti is gets a 2.0 liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, making 241 horsepower and 280 lb-ft of torque. That engine pairs with an eight-speed automatic transmission to power the front wheels through a limited-slip front differential. It also has launch control, which helps it off the line.
While the Toyota GR Yaris uses a 1.6 liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine that makes 264 horsepower and 266 lb-ft of torque. However, that engine pairs with a six-speed manual transmission, and all-wheel drive. The Yaris lacks launch control and it can be a bit tricky to launch but it is significantly lighter than the Bimmer. So which is fastest in a straight line?
In the first race, the Yaris jumped ahead of the BMW 128ti and held its lead for awhile, before the BMW eventually took the lead and won at the last second. It was a surprising victory for the Bimmer and one that shocked the two hosts. After that, they decided to do another race but one in which the Yaris was launched at a higher rpm than in the previous race and while flat-shifting (foot flat on the gas pedal while shifting). Was that enough to take the BMW 128ti? Watch the video and find out.
