That’s not all, though. Since the manual version has been designed with a sharper focus on fun, it also comes with a manual handbrake to give the driver more control – handy, if you fancy living out your rally driver fantasies.
Even so, the auto version is predicted to be the more popular choice for its versatility. It’s still capable of a few hot laps around a track, but it’ll be more relaxing to pootle home in – especially if you switch to the car’s default Normal drive mode, where it shifts up a gear as soon as possible and keeps a lid on the engine and exhaust noise levels. Switch to Sport and it holds onto gears for longer, but you’ll need to knock the gearlever into M mode if you want to take full control using the shift paddles mounted on the steering wheel.
Sport mode also pipes an artificial engine note through the sound system and the exhaust will subtly crackle when you lift off the accelerator. In the manual version, Sport is the default mode.
The four-wheel drive system natively favours the front wheels (in a 75:25 split) but will divert up to 50% of the power to the rear axle to boost traction when needed. However, press the AWD Mode button and power is permanently split 50:50 between the front and rear axles, providing a more neutral power delivery.
Even on a heavily rain-soaked track during Japan’s rainy season, where we drove a prototype version, it really doesn’t take long to build up confidence and press the accelerator pedal sooner to slingshot your way out of a bend. Meanwhile, body lean is well controlled, the steering responds accurately and there’s plenty of grip from the front tyres to help you place the car exactly where you want. You can even indulge in a bit of lift-off oversteer if you want.
Fans of the GR Yaris may notice there isn’t a mode for a more rear-wheel-drive bias to the power delivery and the firm acknowledges that if you want the most fun or effective tool for frequent high-performance driving, a Toyota GR product is still the way to go. The RR is more for those who occasionally want to enjoy its high-performance potential but value comfort and keeping their heart rate a little lower once away from that environment.