Toyota’s GR Yaris hot hatch has taken the world by storm, inevitably leading to a lot of comparisons. However, an unusual one is the one by CarWow that pits the GR Yaris against the BMW E46 M3.
So what was the reason for this comparison? Apparently, it came as the result of an ongoing argument between host Mat Watson and cameraman Jack as to which of the two cars would be quicker. The E46 M3 is Jack’s personal car, and the GR Yaris is a long-term press loaner, so they had time to think about this before and didn’t just get the cars on a whim.
See Also: BMW M2 CS, Toyota GR Yaris And Ford Fiesta ST Make For A Fun Track Battle
The Toyota has twice as many driven wheels as the BMW, but only half as many cylinders. However, one thing the GR Yaris doesn’t have half of is power. Its 1.6-liter turbocharged inline-three engine makes 257 hp (261 PS / 190 kW) and 266 lb-ft (360 Nm) of torque, while the M3’s 3.2-liter inline-six delivers 338 hp (343 PS / 252 kW) and 269 lb-ft (365 Nm) of torque.
But when you factor in that the M3 weighs 3,241 lbs (1,470 kg), while the Yaris only weighs 2,822 lbs (1,280 kg), as well as the fact that the BMW is rear-wheel drive only while Toyota’s hot hatch is all-wheel drive, the gap between the two suddenly doesn’t feel that big.
The first comparison is a drag race, the second is a roll race and the third is a braking test. No spoilers on this one, so to find how the two perform, you can check out the full video below.