Is this the most powerful three-cylinder ever?
Engines are becoming more and more powerful per liter of cubic capacity. For example, the four-cylinders from Mercedes-AMG deliver extremely high performance. However, it can get even crazier. This Toyota GR Yaris has perhaps the most powerful three-cylinder engine of all time.
The Toyota GR Yaris is one of the most fun cars in recent years. Its 1.6-litre three-cylinder turbo engine delivers 261 hp and 360 Nm of torque. This combined with a wonderful six-speed gearbox makes it an enjoyable drivetrain.
The most powerful three-cylinder of all time?
Although the Toyota GR Yaris is a wonderful driving car out of the box, some enthusiasts want more. Powertune Australia’s tuners have pushed the triple to its limits, making it one of the most powerful of all time.
At 8.1117 revolutions per minute, the small Japanese three-cylinder delivers 552.2 kW. Converted into horsepower, that’s 752.1 horsepower. And that’s more than a McLaren 750S! Without tuning, the Toyota GR Yaris manages the zero to one hundred sprint in 5.3 seconds. How quickly this modified version completes the sprint is unclear. But with 1,280 kilograms and all-wheel drive, you can be sure that things will move quickly.
The most powerful three-cylinder has original crankshaft, pistons and connecting rods
The almost 500 hp additional power is not only due to software tuning. This Toyota GR Yaris features a Garrett G30-770 Turbo with a new exhaust manifold, improved head gasket, Akrapovic exhaust, new intercooler and a new control unit. What is striking is that it is driven by the original crankshaft, pistons and connecting rods.
Switching must now be something else. Instead of a manual six-speed gearbox, there is now a sequential gearbox coupled to one of the most powerful three-cylinder engines of all time.
By the way, the tuned Toyota GR Yaris is not a special project as a publicity stunt for the tuning company. The car was built for Peter Freedman. He is the founder of the microphone brand Røde.
Video Toyota GR Yaris
Autovisie editor Peter Hilhorst shows in the video below that the Toyota GR Yaris is a great fun car even without tuning.