"Here is a Toyota with real fire, a real sense of purpose, its personality for once not "H smothered by compromise and a desire to please all of the people all of the time." This is one line that stands out from this publication's February 1987 road test of the first Conquest RSi.
Complete with its hard-to-ignore 16-valve livery and sharply squared-off lines, this "wet look" hatchback would, indeed, introduce an entirely new generation of South African enthusiasts to the otherwise admittedly conservative Toyota brand.
While the RSi badge would continue to showcase this Japanese brand's penchant for upstaging the establishment - including on the local racing scene - many felt that its legacy peaked with the high-revving, 4A-GEpowered Corolla RSi (and its more refined RXi sibling) from the late '90s, future iterations, including a switch to the TRD moniker, turning out to be somewhat diluted in terms of their respective mandates.
Someone else disillusioned with how cautious the Corolla nameplate had become was the former President and CEO of Toyota - and amateur racing driver - Akio Toyoda. With its Gazoo Racing division now firmly entrenched within the brand's Motomachi plant, Toyoda (or Morizo, as he is known in racing circles) would in 2018 set about creating "a Corolla that captivates customers."
Fulfilling its role as "big brother" to the feisty WRC-inspired GR Yaris, the newest Gazoo creation harnesses the ground-up, in-house drivetrain development work from its plucky sibling within the modern Corolla hatch package. This includes the turbocharged 1 618 cm³, three-cylinder motor mated exclusively with a six-speed manual transmission, as well as the brand's GR Four electronically controlled variable all-wheel drive system.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة CAR July 2023 من CAR South Africa.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة CAR July 2023 من CAR South Africa.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
Toyota Fortuner
Considered by many as the quintessential adventure SUV, the Fortuner is about as strong a used buying proposition as you can get in this segment. We take you through the things to look out for and list two rivals for comparison.
MIND THE HURDLE
With a repaired car and a point to prove, Alex Shahini returned for Round 3 of the Toyota GR Cup at Zwartkops Raceway to achieve a career-best finish
KING OF KILLARNEY
For four decades, Denis Joubert was directly involved with the creation, development and ongoing success of Cape Town's international motorsport venue, Killarney. Having just celebrated his 90th birthday, we talk to the man whose contribution to South Africa's motor-racing heritage is priceless....
Selecting the 4WD SYSTEM for your needs
As 4WD SUVS and double cabs grow in popularity, more first-time buyers face the challenge of selecting a vehicle with a drivetrain that best meets their requirements. We explain the key differences between the all-wheel drivetrains available
Kia Picanto 1.0 LX MT
Kia's ever-popular budget hatch has recently received a range of exterior and interior updates - we test the entry-level variant to see if it remains a force to be reckoned with in this highly competitive segment
Super C
The fastest and most technologically advanced flagship C-Class to date, AMG's C63 S has evolved into an electrified uber-sedan. Has this mighty model forsaken some character in pursuing this status? We strapped our test equipment to the new shooting star.
Bentley's Brutes
A break in proceedings during an exclusive preview of the fourth-generation Bentley Continental GT afforded us an opportunity to sample the stately yet hair-raising Bentayga S
RUNNING UP THAT HILL
Now in its 14th year, the Simola Hillclimb continues to combine adrenaline-fuelled competition with showcasing some of the most appealing classics out there in a heady mix that keeps local petrolheads coming...
BAND OF BROTHERS
Complete with rugged bakkie-based underpinnings that encourage off-the-beaten-track venturing, largely proven powertrains that afford maximum range and towing capability, and brand names with enviable respective reputations for reliability, adventure SUVs remain the favourite of thousands of South Africans.
TWELVE OF THE BEST
Ferrari keeps things suitably old-school with its V12-engined 12Cilindri GT
