Living with a Toyota iQ

I’ve been living with my Toyota iQ for around six months now, and I can honestly say in that time I have bonded with this car like it’s my little companion.

You see, every once in a while a new car is launched that completely re-writes the rulebook, and in 2009 Toyota did just that with the iQ.

It was slightly longer than its main competitor, the Smart Fortwo, but could seat twice as many people. How did they do that? Well, through complex engineering and Toyota’s very healthy development budget: the car featured a longer and shallower fuel tank, a smaller heater and A/C unit, the engine was turned the other way around, and the wheels were pushed out to each corner. Toyota’s marketing will tell you it’s a ‘three-plus-one’, the ‘one’ being a the seat for a baby or small child, but in reality the rear seats could be folded down to make the iQ a practical two-seater.

So what’s it like to drive? When you first step inside an iQ, you’re greeted with a very grown-up and spacious cabin; you don’t feel like you’re in a car that’s so small. There were two engine choices for the UK market: the entry-level 1.0-litre petrol, or a slightly more powerful 1.33-litre unit mated to a six-speed manual gearbox, or you could also get a CVT automatic for both engines, too.

My iQ is fitted with the punchier 1.33-litre unit and six-speed manual gearbox, making the driving experience very refined for such a small car. The front windscreen is triple layered to reduce road, wind and tyre noise, and having a sixth gear really helps on motorways to make the iQ an excellent mile-muncher. The turning circle is the one of the best in the business at just 3.9 metres, making the car very manoeuvrable in city driving, while the light steering and clear visibility makes it a doddle to park.

Moving onto the negatives, the engine is a little underpowered in certain gears; you have to really give it some revs to make progress. The steering is light, but lacks any feel, and if you chuck the iQ into a corner, you can feel the front tyres struggling for grip, making it feel a little nervous when driven enthusiastically. However, this doesn’t deflect from the fact that the iQ is still a fun car to drive, weighing less than 950kg and having that wheel-at-each-corner stance means you can take to the city streets like a go-kart to a race track.

Now onto practicality. You’d think this would be the iQ’s Achilles Heel, but no! Decent size door bins make up for the fact you haven’t got a glovebox, there are five cupholders, 50:50 split rear seats, and even a little storage space in between the driver and front passenger. With all the seats in place, the iQ’s pathetic 32-litre boot makes a Mini’s luggage capacity look copious, but you can carry three people with one seat folded to carry some bits and bobs, though don’t expect to carry four passengers and their belongings. If you have that mind set when buying an iQ, then this definitely isn’t the vehicle for you. There is the option of a glove bag, like the one fitted to my example, which makes up for the lack of a glove compartment, but at a cost of £125, some people will be put off with what look likes a little bit of felt stuck to the dashboard.

Now onto the iQ’s piece de resistance – the running costs. If you’re buying one of these cars, this will be a top priority, and the iQ does not fail to deliver here. The 1.0-litre models can manage a claimed 65mpg on the combined cycle, while road tax is £20 a year for both manual and automatic variants, and it sits in a very low insurance group three. Me being me, I value performance over economy, but even my 1.33-litre car does 60mpg on the motorway and 43mpg around town. Road tax costs £35 a year and insurance is a little higher at group six, although in short, whatever engine you chose, they will cost peanuts to run with both powertrains providing ultra-low running costs and should be extremely reliable.

Speaking of reliability, has anything gone wrong in my ownership? The only thing I’ve encountered was the engine light came on due to a faulty O2 sensor on the exhaust, but my local Toyota dealer resolved the issue and the iQ has performed faultlessly ever since.

Do Toyota iQs generally suffer with any issues? Avoid pearlescent white cars as the clear coat fails, and causes the paint to lift. Toyota did cover cars under warranty, but unless the vehicle is less than ten years old and it has a full Toyota history, your car will not be covered. Also, 1.0-litre manual cars suffer with a clutch vibration issue at around 2,000rpm, which is the clutch master cylinder wearing. To resolve the problem, a new clutch is needed, but due to the complex underpinnings of an iQ, the parts and labour will be costly at around £1,000. Unfortunately, the vibration will soon come back after some use, so most owners just have to live with the noise. But apart from that, nothing else really goes wrong with these cars.

To sum up, I bought this car as a cheap-to-run daily runabout and that is exactly what it is. It has cheeky looks, a great personality, it’s fun to drive, has loads of equipment, provides ultra-low running costs and it has a touch of class about it. Its build quality is second to none, it’s extremely reliable and it’s a great shame that there was never a follow-up version of this car. In a cost of living crisis, we need these fun, frugal little cars, because not everyone will want a large electric SUV. They’ll want to have something that’s easy to park, kind to their wallet and something they can be proud to own on their drive, and this car will definitely be a car we’ll look back on in years to come that just showed us what cheap transportation was really like.

Overall rating 8.5/10

By Cameron Richards

Toyota Yaris review 2020-

People who know me will think that I’m a bit of a Toyota Yaris aficionado, and that’s right, I am! So, when I was given the keys to a brand new 2023 Yaris hybrid in Design trim, the surge of excitement goes rushing through my veins.

Now in its fourth-generation, the Yaris has become the bread and butter car for those wanting easy, reliable and cheap-to-run motoring. Its last iteration was on sale for nearly a decade and in that time it was available with a vast amount of choices: ranging from a 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol engine, right up to a 1.8-litre supercharged screamer, found in the GRMN.

However, this new Yaris is only available in one guise; a 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbocharged petrol mated to an electric motor, making this fourth-generation Yaris a hybrid only, with the exception of the outrageously bonkers GR. Good idea? Well, that’s my job to find out.

Driving

The Yaris has gained a reputation over the years (with the exception of me) to be the go-to choice for pensioners, thanks to it being easy to drive, but in doing so, the charm had been lost compared to the first-generation car, which was all about fun and innovation. But, this new car most definitely has sprung a spring in the Yaris’ step.

As soon as I stepped into the driver’s seat I could tell this was very different to the previous generations’ of Yaris. You sit a lot lower and the cockpit itself feels very driver-focused.

On the road, the steering feels precise, and the response you get from the electric motor working together with the petrol engine is seemless, making the Yaris a very relaxing car to drive. You can only get the new Yaris hybrid with a CVT automatic gearbox, but in doing that has made the car effortless in soaking up the miles on a long journey, while maintaining excellent performance with the electrical assistance you get with the electric motor.

Handling was the elephant in the room for the Yaris, with the exception of the first-generation, though this new model is a pleasant surprise. The neat handling makes it a really engaging car from behind the wheel, with accurate steering, a responsive powertrain and limited body lean around the twisty bits.

The suspension does a good job of soaking up lumps and bumps with bigger potholes being absorbed very well. One criticism I would have is the Yaris still isn’t as refined as a Volkswagen Polo, as there quite a lot of wind noise and tyre roar entering the cabin.

Car on test Toyota Yaris hybrid Design in Eclipse black

Practicality

The original Yaris was renowned for being the supermini king in the practicality stakes, but this new model has started to fall behind the competition somewhat. Rear headroom and legroom is tight and they’re aren’t any clever design touches like a sliding back seat or pockets on the back of the seats. But, space in the front is respectable enough, with good head and legroom and there is a decent-sized glove box, cup holders and a couple of storage shelves on the dashboard.

Rear legroom is acceptable but taller passengers will struggle for headroom

Boot space is not the Yaris’ strong point, with the capacity being just 286 litres with the seats up and 947 litres with them down, making it fall behind rivals such as the Renault Clio’s 391 litres of space with the seats up . If you want your supermini to act as a van, than a Honda Jazz is your best bet.

Boot space is 286 litres with the seats up and 947 litres with them folded down

Performance and running costs

The car that I have been testing is priced at around £23,000, which sounds like a lot but it’s on par with the likes of the Honda Jazz and Renault Clio E-Tech.

In terms of MPG, a mixture of town, motorway and B-road driving, the Yaris achieved 58.6 mpg, which isn’t far off what Toyota claims.

CO2 emission are low at between 92g/km and 98g/km, while insurance is relatively cheap ranging from group 13 and14, which is slightly higher than a few versions of Ford Fiesta but a lot lower than a Honda Jazz.

An ‘EV mode’ allows you drive at speeds of up to 30mph on just battery power alone, which makes very short journeys into town very cheap and clean; however, the system is very sensitive and will not always work depending of the condition and charge that the battery may have.

Performance wise, I have no complaints. The combination of the petrol engine and electric motor makes the Yaris feel nippy while returning that impressive 58mpg fuel figure. The Yaris produces a total of 114bhp with a 0-60 time of 9.7 seconds and it runs out of steam at 108mph, but even though it feels perky, most Yaris customers will not be using their car as a track day toy.

The 1.5-litre engine with electric motor achieved 58.6mpg, while performing a 0-60 time of 9.7 seconds, it has a top speed of 108mph and produces 114bhp.

Conclusion

This new Yaris really hasn’t changed my mind on Toyota’s supermini, as I own a MK1 and MK3 and still think that it is one of the best superminis around. This fourth-generation car has demonstrated that small hybrids can be fun, while retaining a green credential. Yes, its rivals may shine in some other areas with bigger luggage capacities and have roomier cabins, but the Yaris was one of the first superminis to be offered with a hybrid powertrain, and it shows. Toyota has improved the battery capacity, with the manufacturer claiming you can drive up to 80 per cent of urban driving on battery power and can be driven up to 80mph before the engine needs to kick in. The driving experience is great fun, the economy is excellent, the build quality is second to none, it’s well equipped and has sharp looks.

Verdict 8.5/10

By Cameron Richards

Honda Civic MK5 1991-1995

The Honda Civic is now in its twelth-generation, and in that time it has become Honda’s flagship family hatchback. Originally launched in 1972 during a fuel crisis, this little car showed the world that cars could be economical and affordable. To the current date, Honda has sold more than 27 million Civics, making it one of the best-selling cars of all time – but there has always been one particular era of Civic that has captured the eyes of the VTEC enthusiast. The model I’m talking about is the MK5 variant that was produced from 1991 until 1995, or to a Honda guru, the EG-generation of Civic.

So why the EG-generation? Well, originally available in either two-door coupe, three-door hatchback or four-door saloon, the EG Civic was light years ahead of the competition when it came to exterior design, as well as technological advances in its engines. The VTEC powerplants demonstrated you could have hot hatch performance, yet with the economy from a much smaller petrol or diesel engine.

The interior may have been as grey as all the other small hatchbacks around at the time, but the Civic had yet another ace up its sleeve, and that was the split-folding rear tailgate; similar to what you get on a modern-day Range Rover, which made the Civic have a USP at the time it was on sale.

Model shown is a 1992 Civic 3-door ESi (EG5) in Milano red

The most desirable models that were sold were the ESi (EG5) and the VTi (EG6), both of which use the same 1.6-litre B16 unit with the exception that the VTi had a twin-cam and the ESi had a single-cam.

WHAT MAKES IT A HONDA FANBOYS DREAM?

From initial instinct, the EG Civic just looks like any other ordinary hatchback that your grandmother would take to the shops, but under closer inspection, these cars had all the makings to become amazing track day toys. Over the last twenty years, the EG Civic has been the go-to choice for those wanting a car that performs like a race car on track. The chassis is the key, being very nimble and lightweight as well as having independent double-wishbone suspension all round.

The aftermarket support is also on a different scale with variety, it really is a case of if you dream about it, you can do it! The most common modification people do are the K-swap conversions, which basically means putting the engine from a Civic Type R EP3 or Integra Type R DC5 into an EG Civic. These conversions transforms the performance and overall drivability and makes the EG Civic one of the most entertaining and underrated hatches from the early 90s.

If you want one, well it’s going to be hard! These cars are coming up to three decades old and they rust with the slightest exposure to moisture. Plus, with such a massive following, a lot of them have been crashed and destroyed by enthusiasts themselves.

In the fortunate scenario that an example hits the market, prices are strong! Even low-spec EG3 and EG4s can fetch up to £5,000, whereas ten years ago they would have been a few hundred pound scrappers. But now that simply isn’t the case. To find a decent ESi or VTi is like trying to find a needle in a haystack, but when they do pop up, they can fetch between £7-12k.

To sum up, it’s a shame that the EG Civic never got the recognition it deserved at the time. Overshadowed by its competition from the Europeans, the EG Civic was a dark horse that slipped under the radar. If an enthusiast is prepared to wait, a decent example will definitely be a sound investment in the near future.

By Cameron Richards

Honda Civic Type R (EP3) Review 2001-2006

The original Civic Type R, also known as the EK9 was never officially sold here in Britain. But, in 2001, the Type R badge was finally destined for UK shores, not only that, it was built here in blighty too.

With the recent revealing of the all-new Civic Type R (FL5), many petrolheads remember the EP3 as the original – a teenagers wet dream among the hot hatch market. With a 2.0-litre naturally-aspirated VTEC engine, producing 197bhp and weighing less than a pint of milk, this was not a Civic associated with trilby hats and zip-up slippers, it was a car to be taken seriously.

So, what made this car so great? Well lets get straight to business – the driving!

The Civic Type R EP3 was the first Civic to use the Type R badge in the UK.

DRIVING

Behind the wheel, there is almost no resemblance to the normal cooking model of this generation of Civic, apart from a few interior trim pieces. The body-hugging sports seats grip you tight through the bends, the aluminium gear knob and white Type R dials make you feel like you are driving a car purposely set up for the job in question. The K20 VTEC engine is pretty gutless at town speeds and surprisingly quiet, and a little boring; however, get it on a backroad, change down a few gears and the engine starts to hit higher notes than Mariah Carey. The engine has a very split personality too, which makes the EP3’s driving experience unpredictable, but in a very good way. The ride is firm and you might find that you become unconscious from time to time from the bumps springing you out of the seats, and it being an early 00s Japanese car, refinement isn’t its strongest suit. But, make no bones about it, this car crushes the competition for the way it drives. The steering is lightning quick, yet very responsive, and visibility is excellent due to the large windows. And, best of all, the gearbox, which is poise and accurate makes you want to change gear for the sheer hell of it. This generation of Type R also came with independent double-wishbone suspension, which makes the car feel more stable around the corners at speed and gives the Type R its own unique character.

Sports seats, dash-mounted gear lever and white Type R dials, this was a hot hatch that meant business.

PRACTICALITY

This can be a small hatchbacks Achilles Heel, but not with the Type R. A decent-sized glove box, cup holders and relatively good rear-seat space makes this hot hatch one of the best-in-class. Boot space is a little less generous, but it’s still not exactly pokey. With the rear seats up, there is 315 litres and with them down, that is extended to 610 litres, slightly less than a Golf GTi, but not a deal-breaker.

The driver’s seat does not adjust for height and the EP3 is not available as a five-door, making access to the rear seats slightly harder.

The pre-facelift went on sale in 2001-2003, facelift was sold from 2003-2006

PERFORMANCE AND RUNNING COSTS

The 2.0-litre K20 VTEC engine produces 197bhp, which takes the car from 0-62mph in 6.7 seconds and tops out at 146mph. These performance figures make it no slouch in the hot hatch segment, while running costs are not too bad but not brilliant, with an average fuel consumption of around 31mpg and current yearly tax payments of £360 a year. The fuel tank holds 50 litres and if driven carefully, you will see nearly 350 miles out of a full tank, so it’s not a car for someone with deep pockets, but again not a car for someone who buys everything on the cheap, too.

VERDICT

So to sum up, the Civic Type R EP3 is definitely a future classic, young driving enthusiasts love them and their reputation of a sublime driving feel, bulletproof reliability and build quality mean that this car is all things to all men. Used prices have sky-rocketed in recent years and it’s no wonder – owners just love them. It’s not perfect, but the driving experience over rules its negatives and makes you forget all about them when you let its engine run wild – the EP3 really is a little race car for the road.

By Cameron Richards

Toyota Aygo review 2014-2021

With the new Aygo X just around the corner, I thought it would be a good idea to cast ourselves back to its predecessor, which has become one of the most popular and affordable budget city cars around. Built in conjunction with Citroen and Peugeot, the little Toyota has outlived its twin sisters as Toyota is continuing the theme with the budget city car market, whereas the Citroen C1 and Peugeot 108 (sister cars) have no direct replacement.

So, what has made the Aygo one of the most recognisable city cars around? Well, the key word here is ‘affordability’. But, let’s not get confused with cheap and nasty, no, cheap and cheerful. Running costs, on-the-road pricing, cheeky styling and bulletproof reliability means the Aygo has become a firm-favourite with younger drivers.

During its seven-year production life, Toyota has tried to keep the Aygo looking fresh, so, every year we got a new colour combination such as ‘Cyan Splash’ and ‘Yellow Fizz’, remember those? But, in 2018 a midlife facelift kept the Aygo on par with its biggest competitor, the Hyundai i10.

DRIVING

Behind the wheel, the Aygo is a fun little car. It has that eager, wheel-at-each-corner stance when you chuck it into a bend, with minimal body roll. The only engine available was a 70bhp 1.0-litre petrol unit that, though a little asthmatic, revs happily enough, and the five-speed manual gearbox is smooth and responsive to input. At higher speeds, the cabin is a little noisy, with a lot of tyre roar and wind whistle (hence the budget cuts in production) and the ride is a little bit on the firm side; nothing too uncomfortable, just cars like the Kia Picanto and Volkswagen Up! score better in this department.

The Aygo’s interior is starting to feel a little bit dated now, with old Toyota switch gear and cramped rear seats.

PRACTICALITY

This is where the Aygo is starting to show its age. When you step inside, the cabin feels as though it could do with a major overhaul. The glove box is an okay size, but space for occupants is at a premium. The back seats are tiny, with very limited headroom; anyone over six-foot tall is going to struggle and it’s even worse with the optional canvas roof. The rear windows don’t roll down, they only pop out, and the exposed coloured-metal is a nice reminder that you’re driving around in a car that has been built on a shoestring budget. There is no reach adjustment to the steering wheel and the Aygo is a strict four-seater, too.

Rear seats in the Aygo are only suitable for small adults or children.

The boot is also small, with a high load lip and a rear seats that don’t fold flat, the Aygo falls behind the competition in this category. Cars like the Volkswagen Up! has a false floor and the Hyundai i10 and Kia Picanto have bigger boot capacities entirely.

The Aygo’s boot is not the best nor biggest in class.

PERFORMANCE AND RUNNING COSTS

When the original Aygo went on sale in April 2005, the only engine choice was a 1.0-litre three-cylinder unit and over the years, that engine has been tweaked and adjusted to make it even more efficient and better performing. The current Aygo houses the same engine which is no bad thing, because economy is a claimed combined 57mpg and has low CO2 emissions of 93g/km, making it cheap to tax. Performance as mentioned before is nothing special, you’ll do 0-62mph in 13.8 seconds and the car runs onto a top speed of 99mph. But that’s not the point of this car, behind the wheel, it feels lively and effervescent due to its lightweight and you feel like you’re going a lot faster than you really are making performance figures irrelevant.

VERDICT

The second-generation Toyota Aygo has really lifted Toyota’s image, as it has attracted a whole new audience to the brand. The next-generation Aygo X has some fairly big boots to fill to put it inline with its older brother. The Aygo will always be known as a budget city car and from what I have seen, that is no bad thing. Yes, it has some flaws and it is in desperate need of an update (hence Aygo X) but the Toyota Aygo is a car that you can buy with your heart as well as your head.

7/10

By Cameron Richards

Living with a Toyota Yaris GRMN

This is my recap on my first few weeks of owning my ultimate dream car: The Toyota Yaris GRMN and has it lived up to my hype and expectations?

It’s a rare occasion nowadays when a new car is launched that it has me running around the house in a fit of excitement. But in 2018, this is exactly what happened. Most new cars today focus too much on the boring mundane things like, practicality, safety and the word that will bore me to my grave – THE ENVIRONMENT!

The Yaris GRMN is the GR Yaris’ predecessor that nobody has heard of

But, you don’t worry about any of those things with a Yaris GRMN, hence why I now own one. The Yaris GRMN was made to celebrate Toyota’s return to the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) back in 2017. Made in very limited numbers and developed on the legendary Nordschleife Nurburgring race track, Germany, this Yaris has certainly not be designed for Peggy and her mates for that once a week trip to the local bowls club.

So what is it? Well, let’s first get the elephant in the room out of the way with its name: the acronym GRMN stands for (Gazoo Racing Meisters of the Nurburgring), as Gazoo Racing is Toyota’s racing division and the car has been developed on the Nurburgring. Secondly, this little car was exclusively limited to just 600 units worldwide; 200 to Japan under the name ‘Vitz’ and 400 to Europe. In the UK it’s led to believe that anything between 90 to 100 cars came to our shores, so it’s a very rare car!

The project led behind this car was in collaboration with Lotus, as Toyota has been supplying engines which goes in the Elise, Exige and Evoras since the early 00s. Not only that, but Toyota actually spent so much money developing this car, that they couldn’t quite afford to make the exterior of the car anymore dramatic, hence why there are no flared wheel arches and no deep side skirts. Toyota had to liven the exterior with front and side decals to make it look unique compared to the ordinary cooking models. The GRMN was also the first ‘GR’-branded car to come to Europe (which a lot of people don’t know) making it the first chapter in the Gazoo Racing Europe history book for production cars. Also Toyota’s TMMF factory in Valenciennes, France, was the factory where the car’s three-door body style was produced for the GRMN, meaning that the Vitz versions were actually being exported back to Japan.

So what makes it different to a standard Yaris? Where do I start?! Lightweight forged BBS alloy wheels, sports seats designed by Boshuku, a small steering wheel (pinched from the Toyota GT86), aluminium pedals, sports gear knob, thicker anti-roll bars, stiffened chassis, Sachs dampers, Torsen limited-slip differential, rally exhaust with centrally- mounted exit at the rear, grooved ventilated front brake discs made by Advics, and who can forget the engine that drives this pocket rocket, it’s Toyota’s well-known 1.8-litre 2ZR-FE unit that goes in most Lotus Elises, with the added benefit of a Magnusson Eaton rotor-type supercharger. This enables this bundle of fun to pack 212bhp, it can do 0-62 mph in just 6.3 seconds and weighs just 1,135 kg – that’s the same as my shoe laces!

The Yaris GRMN was the first Toyota to wear the GR badge in Europe

Toyota also had to look around how to squeeze in this powertrain into the third-generation Yaris engine bay, as initially, the car wasn’t designed to have this engine fitted. Production lasted for only four months and Toyota made sure that only the best engineers and frontline workers put the cars together at the assembly point in France, so much, that they were actually produced on a separate production line to the standard Yaris – so this car is incredibly special!

But enough of me going down memory lane, what’s it been like to live with in the one month of ownership?

DRIVE: Stupendous! This car drives as good as it looks – I mean it’s seriously impressive. Being supercharged, you get instant throttle response with no lag that you’d find from a turbocharged setup. The engine isn’t particularly torque-happy; you have to be in the right gear for the best acceleration, but when you are, this engine pulls and pulls. It’s also bursting with energy, at nearly 7,000rpm, the car is at its happiest when being driven hard (where permitted). The steering is quicker than a house fly and the car’s lightweight makes it feel effervescent and alive.

For me, the driving position is good too; those seats hug you and do a good job of keeping you in place as you go around corners, the steering wheel is small and chunky and fits perfectly in your hand, and then there is the noise, which sounds like an angry wasp! The balance of exhaust note from in the cabin and externally is just right, not too drony but also not too loud that you can hear it from another county.

Handling is sublime, you can feel the car pushing into the corners, thanks to the Torsen limited-slip diff, and there is virtually zero body roll or understeer. Plus, the Bridgestone Potenza RE050A tyres do a good job at keeping the car planted and feeling sturdy in damp conditions. The only criticisms I have so far with the driving experience is the ride is a bit harsh over certain surfaces and there is quite a lot of tyre roar at speeds, but you can’t have everything in life and this is one of those cars that gets you excited of just the thought of driving it. 4.5/5

The driving experience of the Yaris GRMN has a raw hardcore approach

Economy: Now I know this is the last thing when you buy this car and personally, I would rather talk about quantum physics than talk about the ‘E’ word but I thought that it might be of some use to a few small-minded people. All I have to say is that economy isn’t too bad, I drove this car back from Cheltenham to the New Forest and averaged 42mpg, while other owners have managed to get 46mpg, which for a hardcore performance car, that is quite impressive! Around town I have been averaging around 30mpg and when I decide that my right foot is glued to the accelerator pedal, that figure drops to 23mpg. The problem I have is with the fuel tank; it’s about the same size as a USB stick. With only 42 litres, the GRMN has the same fuel tank as the standard Yaris Hybrid, which means that the tank, when brimmed, only has a range of around 250 miles. Driving carefully will get you 300 miles out of tank, but normally 230 to 250 miles is more realistic, which is a bit puny if you ask me. 3/5

Practicality: Being wrapped in the normal Yaris body shell, it’s a very spacious car. It will seat three in the back and the boot space is rather commodious with a false floor also coming as standard on the GRMN model. The glovebox is a decent size and there are plenty of cupholders and a few cubby holes. The rear legroom is a little tight being the three-door variant of the Yaris, but headroom in the back and certainly in the front is no bother. Visibility is also pretty good, with front quarter lights and relatively thin A-pillars. Rear visibility is good too, with the exception of some thick C- pillars, it’s handy that all GRMNs come with a reversing camera as standard. The rear seats can fold flat, due to the false floor, and there are also Isofix anchor points mounted in the back seats, so even children get to enjoy life as passengers in this very exciting little car. 4.5/5

Running costs: Now, this is where the Yaris GRMN is bittersweet, or shall I say its Achilles Heel. You see, being a limited-run car means it comes with some mechanical components that are not specific to a standard Yaris. So the price of certain parts, primarily for the GRMN are eye-watering expensive…are you sitting down! We’re talking £800 for one front brake disc…yes you heard me correct, just for one excluding fitting and VAT. Then it’s £4,800 for the back box on the exhaust and the one for me that makes me squint is the supercharger priced at £10,000 excluding fitting. Now I know the supercharger and back box on the exhaust should stand up to the test of time, but even so, luckily now with Toyota’s Relax Scheme, any Toyota that is serviced at a Toyota dealer until it’s ten years old or 100,000 miles has a one- year or 10,000-mile warranty thrown in, so Toyota has you covered, which leads me on to general maintenance, which generally on the whole isn’t too bad. A full service is around £250, vehicle tax is only £155 a year, and insurance for me was less than £300, and luckily, a lot of other parts for this car are shared with the regular Yaris and hybrid models, so other component prices are generally affordable enough. 3.5/5

The 2ZR-FE setup was never meant to be fitted into this engine bay

VERDICT: So after nearly five years since the original CGI pictures where released on the internet and many months and years of saving up as much as I could, can I say that this car has been worth it? Yes, and some! This is one truly special car that I feel very honoured and proud to call ‘my car’. I also own two Yaris T Sports and I can happily say that the Toyota Yaris is my all-time favourite car. The GRMN really is a car for enthusiasts, though to a lot of people, it’s just a Yaris. But, if you know what it is, it represents so much more than that. It’s a road-going rally car that also can be used everyday if you want. It’s not perfect, but nothing ever is, and its little foibles make it the perfect car for me. The best thing about it is that people don’t know what it is, which makes it a conversation starter. People want to know more, and even better still, want to know more about the ‘GR’ brand itself, which for many years has been hidden away in the land of the rising sun. This car will most certainly be a future classic, and in my opinion it’s a classic now!

4.8/5

By Cameron Richards

SYNTHETIC FUEL: THE FUTURE OF INTERNAL COMBUSTION?

In the current climate crisis we are facing, there are a lot of controversies and conspiracies surrounding us, and one hot topic in conversation with the automotive world at the moment is the future of the car itself.

Many people believe that the future of our transport will be running on battery power in years to come, but come on! If we all behave and believe that the future is a one-way street then people need their heads testing. In my research at University and studies of the future of the car, I know damn well that the correct attitude and solution to reduce the chances of increasing our CO2 emissions is by giving the consumer choice and thinking logically about how we are going to tackle the hurdles that we face in the next ten to twenty years.

I’m sure that electric car fans will tell you that the future is electric, or so be it. But, of course they are going to say that because they have just blown all their life savings on a car that destroys the earth to produce, so they are going to be a bit biased.

My theory is this, it’s not the internal-combustion engine that is warming the world up that we keep being told by every politician and news organisation, it’s the fuel they run on, if we change the fuel for a more sustainable and cleaner solution, then we can achieve the impossible task of getting to net-zero with multiple solutions.

WHAT IS SYNTHETIC FUEL?

The clue is in the name. It is basically fuel that isn’t fuel, if you catch my drift! Let me explain, you see, the way we produce petrol and diesel at the moment comes from crude oil, which has to be drilled from the ground and that is what environmentalist want to stop. Petrol and Diesel is a fossil fuel, something we need to cut down on to reduce our carbon footprint. Where synthetic fuel comes in, is that it’s basically made from carbon capture. What’s carbon capture? Well, in parts of the world now, we are seeing giant fan turbines being made in remote parts of the world, one place is in Chile and what they do is suck in carbon dioxide (CO2) from the air and store it. To produce the fuel, the stored carbon is then mixed alongside hydrogen (H2O) to create a liquid fuel, so you’re basically turning a greenhouse gas into a raw material.

The beauty over this process is that, no dirty crude oil is being dug out of the ground and carbon is being sucked out of the air and made into good use. Another benefit is that synthetic fuel can be used to power our current internal-combustion engines. Currently there are over 1 billion vehicles in the world that run on petrol or diesel and if enough synthetic fuel is generated to power those vehicles, it will enable them to run cleaner, greener for longer and we won’t have to scrap all our old existing cars, for shiny new ones, that will probably be battery powered (even though truthfully to be told running an older car for longer is more environmentally friendly then buying new electric ones) and the fuel station network would continue as the pumps would be able to store this new fuel.

Technically speaking this process is carbon-neutral; sucking carbon dioxide out of the air, making it into a raw material, producing the fuel with renewable energy, going into our fuel tanks of our cars and then admittedly producing CO2 again, but the process is repeated, so the carbon dioxide that comes out of our engines is sucked out of the air without going into the atmosphere, so we are never increasing our emissions, we are staying carbon neutral, we are not increasing our carbon emissions, they are staying level.

From a logical point, this fuel would save car-makers, economies billions and billions as we wouldn’t have to invest in all this technological advancement on electric vehicles. Don’t get me wrong, the electric car does have a place in the future, but it’s not the be all and end all. There are still infrastructure worries, the range on some models is still way off manufacturer claims and the prices of these vehicles is still far too high.

Car companies like Porsche are already jumping on the bandwagon with this technology and are set to be producing 55 million litres of synthetic fuel by 2024.

Like for like, the future is always uncertain, we know that we have ambitious targets to meet and car manufacturers’ targets are pressurising, but with cleaner and better solutions like synthetic fuels, the future could hold many opportunities in reducing emissions and even better, creating new jobs in the industry, which will boost the global economy.

By Cameron Richards

OPINION: THE 2030 PETROL AND DIESEL BAN

The motor-car has been the pinnacle of personal mobility since it was invented in the late 19th century, and in that time it has evolved very nicely. But, in just eight years’ time we will see the the biggest revolution in the history of its existence – or will we?

You see, the government has got it into its head that electric power is the solution to everything. They want cars, planes, trains, buses and even our homes to run on clean, renewable electric energy, which is fine, in an ideal world – but we don’t live in an ideal world!

There are some very big hurdles to not only leap, but also climb and we need to see a future that has a diverse and logical structure. Electric cars or EVs has been the go-to point for every government since the Paris agreement in 2015. The first announcement in 2017 saw Britain set a target to ban ICE’s (Internal combustion engine) in 2040, however in 2019 with Theresa May’s departure as Prime Minister, she announced that the UK would be the first country in the world to set a target to become carbon neutral by 2050. This inevitably caused the ban on ICE’s to be brought forward to 2035 in February 2020, and then again in November 2020 to 2030 – which is now less than a decade away.

So is this the end of the internal combustion engine? Not quite, you see, the ban only affects new cars and 2035 will still see plug-in hybrids, which use petrol engines too. There will still be millions of ICE cars on our roads for many years after the ban comes into affect, and in recent months, there has been a breakthrough. In my opinion this technology could see the ICE live on alongside the electric car and it’s synthetic fuels or E-fuels as they are more commonly known. What it is, it’s a breakdown of hydrogen and carbon dioxide that is already in our air. The hydrogen is zapped through a formula called electrolysis and the carbon dioxide is used as a raw material to create methanol. Companies such as Siemens and Porsche are investing into this technology as it keeps classics and current ICE cars on the road and it is another solution to carbon neutral mobility, if the fuel is made from renewable energy. This is one of the downsides to synthetic fuel – it’s a very high energy consuming formula and people may think that because you are still burning the fuel you are still causing pollution, they would be right to an extent, but the process works to enable for any greenhouse gas to go into the atmosphere will be captured by carbon capture technology. So, you’re preventing anymore harmful carbon emissions to reach the atmosphere, which enables it to be carbon neutral in the process. I think this has great potential in saving the ICE, but at the moment prices for this fuel are still very high and we will only start to see a drop once there has been enough produced. Porsche reckons that by 2026, it will have made around 550 million litres.

Moving onto the present with electric cars and I personally think that they have many flaws and need to fill some big boots to win the hearts of the consumer. Firstly, the range. I know they are forever being improved but my logic is this – the bigger the battery, the more range, however the car is more expensive and once that battery begins to degrade, so will the bill for the owner for an replacement battery. A smaller battery means, less range, but makes the car cheaper to buy – but will also degrade and be expensive to replace.

Then we’ve got the infrastructure in itself. There are currently 35,000 public charging in Britain, but to achieve the 2030 ban, the country will have to install at least 400,000 and at this moment in time the government isn’t pushing or investing to get more on-street chargers installed or in petrol stations. One solution would be to install on-street chargers in lamp posts as this would be a practical and easy way to charge an electric car at night, but the transition is still too slow and the government really needs to push if it wants to put its money where its mouth is.

My biggest gripe I’ve got with EVs however is the battery production, which is a wash of toxic emissions and finite materials. Cobalt and lithium for example are very delicate and need to be changed from being adopted in a battery cell for an electric vehicle. Current car manufacturers are working on improving the ingredients that goes into their batteries, such as solid-state batteries which are alot smaller and promise a greater distance on one charge, but it’s not here yet.

A study recently was published by Polestar, the electric car company from Volvo, revealed that the battery production of one of their electric cars compared to a conventionally-powered Volvo XC40, meant that battery production was so high in emissions that you had to drive the Polestar 48,000 miles before you can balance the emission levels with the XC40. Now, in my view, a zero-emission vehicle is one that is zero-emissions from the get go – not after 48,000 miles.

On the face of it, hydrogen fuel-cell looks like a valid and sustainable solution and I think it still is. Not only does it give the consumer good range out of a tank, but it offers the practicality of ICE motoring and in the process of only produces H20 (water). There are problems though, there are only two cars on-sale today that offer this alternative fuel, the Toyota Mirai and Hyundai Nexo. Both of which are ruinously expensive at over £60,000, and the infrastructure in the UK at least is very poor, with less than 20 hydrogen filling stations, so there is further investment that needs to be backed by the government for this to be a viable solution – which it could still be for heavier industrial vehicles like trucks and buses that can’t do with an electric motor.

So, the country has got a lot of work to do to meet its ambitious target to end the sale of new ICE cars, and only time will tell to see whether that goal is achieved. My outcome is this – you need to give the consumer choice, it can’t just be a one-way street. We need a balance of electric power, with hydrogen fuel-cell and low-carbon synthetic fuels to reach Britain’s target of net-zero by 2050.

Why classic Japanese cars are increasing in value!

It doesn’t seem that long ago that you could buy serious Japanese machinery for the price of a new Fiesta – cars like the legendary Nissan Skyline GT-R R34, Honda NSX and Mitsubishi Lancer Evos all could be had for as little as £20,000.

However, times have changed and the Japanese domestic market (JDM) is thriving across the world and these days the cars mentioned from above are now going for some eye-watering figures. Why? Well, there are several reasons and here’s my guide to what it means if you own a classic JDM car.

GRAN TURISMO GENERATION

If you’re a 90s or 00s kid growing up around cars you will know that this gaming series really set the mark for the JDM scene. The Nissan Skyline, which before the introduction of Gran Turismo in 1997 was an exclusive product to the Japanese market, became the flagship poster car for the franchise and was recognised almost entirely globally. The same could be said for many other Japanese hero cars which were not sold outside of Japan such as the Subaru Impreza 22B and Mitsubishi EVO 6.5 Tommi Makinen edition.

Picture credit: James Richards (Nismo 400R no.040/044)

Rare exotic variants of otherwise mainstream vehicles were given the opportunity to also become mainstream. With only 44 produced globally from 1996 to 1998, this car would still remain relatively anonymous if it wasn’t for the Gran Turismo exposure. An example of the Nismo 400R recently sold for in-excess of £300,000.

SUPPLY DOES NOT MEET DEMAND

Recently this has become an issue in the USA where demand has literally gone through the roof. America is importing cars from Japan quicker than you can say ‘JDM’ and used examples elsewhere in the world are becoming thinner on the ground by the day. Part of the problem is American import laws whereby you could only import a car from another country if it is 25-years-old or older. That means cars built in 1997 or before mean higher demand for markets in America. Cars like the MK5 Honda Civic SIR-ll for example have recently been selling for up to £40,000 for pristine collector examples. Ten years ago, you could have picked one of these cars up for around £2000.

Even in the UK, examples of the 1991-1995 Honda Civic are beginning to increase with genuine low mileage examples exceeding £5,000, whereas ten years ago you could pick up good examples for around £1,000.

What was the car of choice in the scrappage scheme in the late 00s is now a real gem and is a truly sought-after classic.

INVESTORS

The avid car-collectors are now starting to catch on to the ever-growing bubble of Japanese cars. Purely for speculation, collectors with high disposable income are now ”investing” their money into these classics, as they know it will make them earn a profit in the long-run. These investors are willing to pay astronomical sums in order to obtain the best-of-the-best examples, ultimately making them impossible for them to find – let alone afford.

This drives the market up as well as demand and at the moment the bubble is growing and shows no sign of bursting.

WHAT IF YOU OWN A CLASSIC JDM CAR?

My advice would be to stick with your car because each day they are becoming harder to obtain, driving their values up. Japanese cars above any other are more than likely to hold on to their value due to their excellent quality, reliability, nostalgia factor and heritage that helps retain their values.

By Cameron Richards

Honda Civic Type R FN2: The worst Type R or seriously underrated?

The Civic Type R has been the benchmark when it comes to driver focused hot hatchbacks. Back in 2001, Honda released the first Civic Type R to British shores and it was an instant hit. Independent rear suspension, a six-speed manual gearbox and Honda’s legendary VTEC powertrain meant you had one of the finest handling and engaging hot hatchbacks around. The first Civic Type R to come to Europe was code named the EP3 and it demonstrated that even the most sedate hatchbacks could be fun, so when Honda announced in 2006 that the EP3 was going to be replaced by the next generation of Civic Type R’s, code name the FN2- it had some rather large boots to fill.

The FN2 was on sale from 2006-2011 – model shown Type R GT Mugen 200

On paper things did not live up to its expectations, firstly it only produced 1bhp more than the old EP3 – producing 198bhp. It was also heavier making it actually slower than the old car and Honda ditched the independent rear suspension for a safer old fashioned torsion beam, which made the car cheaper to make and also not as good to drive. On top of that, the rear spoiler blocked your rear-view out of the back and the ride was like bouncing around on a space hopper.

But, on the flip side, Honda decided to keep its renowned K20A engine in the FN2 to give the driver the car’s track focused appeal and it certainly did not disappoint from an engine point, it may not have beaten its older brother around a track but it certainly gave an engaging experience. Added to that the FN2 had space-age looks and from a practicality point of view, it was vastly bigger for carrying items than its competitors at the time.

Even though it was slower than an EP3, it was still great fun which a lot of people did not believe after the media slated it for not being as good as the previous generation. The handling was still quick and very precise, the pedals were positioned perfectly for heel and toe gear changes and the VTEC engine was just as impressive as in the EP3 with a lot of torque at the top end of the rev range whilst retaining on a motorway run of around 40mpg.

It also had value on its side, with a fully loaded GT version being around £5000 less than the equivalent Volkswagen Golf GTi.

The Type R FN2’s interior certainly matched its bold exterior design

Then we had the small matter of depreciation, FN2’s have held onto their money well and used examples now with under 60,000 miles can be bought from around £5,500 -£7,000 depending on condition and specification. The model shown in the pictures is a limited edition model that ran in 2010 called Mugen 200 and low mileage examples of those can vary from £13,000- £18,000 due to their rarity.

Back in 2006 when this car was first launched, peoples assumptions meant that this car had tripped up before it had reached the ring and after spending some time with one and driving one, it still deserves the Type R badge because not only was it a rewarding hot hatch to drive, it was the last naturally aspirated Civic Type R before Turbos arrived to boost power for the next Civic Type R in 2015 the FK2. So, was the FN2 the worst Type R? Well… no, there has never been a bad Type R and I don’t think there will ever be.