I know. There are two cars here that, on the face of it, don’t have a huge amount in common, bar the fact they’re designed for drivers. One, a new Toyota GR Yaris, is a hot supermini; the other, a 2007 Audi R8, is a supercar.
One seats four people, the other just two. One has its engine in the front, the other in its middle. Conceptually, practically and from a packaging point of view, they’re as diverse as the market gets. City-sized hatchback to supercar is as broad as they come. But there’s more that links them than just that: at 14 years apart, they now meet on price.
One, for example, came from the unlikeliest of sources. It’s a four-wheel-drive rocket ship that just so happens to be one of the best-handling cars of its generation. With an extraordinary blend of dynamism, suppleness, visibility and usability, it draws on a bespoke architecture and advanced materials to shake up its class at a relatively bargain price. And the other? Well, read that back.
I don’t know how likely it is that you would be considering one or the other today. Anecdotally, our inbox and the “should I get x or y…” emails it receives suggests that it’s a real possibility. Say there’s already a practical car on your drive and now, perhaps more than ever, it feels like the time to buy something analogue and old-school to sit alongside it. Something that feels special, manual and involving but is still secure, can be used all year round and comes with the sort of integrity that you expect from a big manufacturer.
The list is actually quite broad and would bear no resemblance to most magazine group tests: a new Alpine A110 or an old Porsche 911, a new Porsche 718 Cayman or an old Aston Martin Vantage, or, ahem, a brand-new GR Yaris or a Mk1 R8. Anything, really, that makes popping out for milk and the papers on a Sunday morning a lengthier drive than it strictly needs to be.
This story is part of a wider feature that sees new cars go up against used alternatives. You can read the rest here
And so to these two. This GR Yaris arrives in pearlescent red and with the Circuit Pack that seems to be a go-to box tick, so it’s as expensive as you can make it, at £34,400 (£34,425 if you add a warning triangle and first aid kit). I don’t imagine many people transfer the whole amount to a dealer in one lump: a long waiting list and strong residual values mean you can get one on pretty low monthly finance payments.
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@martin_66, I wouldn't have either, I'd have Lamborghinis version, because, that what an R8 essentially was built on top of, but, I can't, so , I'd do a Supercar experience, no hassle, just get in drive it on a Track for a while, admire the people who own it letting a stranger drive there six figure car for a few quid.
The R8, on the other hand, will make you feel special every single time you drive it. Anybody who would pass up the chance to own a car like this in favour of a small hatchback that not one single person would look twice at must be crazy.