Both the Civic Type R and the GR Yaris offer their owners solid performance from turbocharged engines, manual transmission and chassis upgrades designed for faster, easier cornering. The main difference is that the Toyota is AWD, whereas the Honda has the drive on the front axle only. One has to wonder how the two would compare in terms of straight-line acceleration.
And here is the answer. Before you watch the video, consider that the CTR utilizes a 2.0-liter turbo four-pot rated at 329 PS (324 hp / 242 kW) and 420 Nm (310 lb-ft) of torque in tandem with a six-speed manual transmission (and no other options). In turn. the GR Yaris relies on a 1.6-liter turbo three-cylinder mill good for 261 PS (257 hp / 192 kW) and 360 Nm (266 lb-ft) of torque with the same transmission type.
The Yaris also makes use of a package called Circuit, which adds two limited-slip differentials to the mix. The AWD system supports switching among multiple operation modes that determine torque distribution.
Sure, the Civic Type R has the power advantage, but it weighs more and lacks AWD. Which one do you think will win?