Dirty daze

SUBARU’S REBORN WRX AND TOYOTA’S GR YARIS SHARE MORE THAN JUST RALLYING DNA. THEY’RE BOTH RIGHT UP FOR GETTING FILTHY

- ALEX INWOOD

MIST CLINGS to the ferns that crowd the side of the road, thin vapours of it extending like slippery white fingers towards the centre line. It’s late autumn and everywhere else a weak morning sun shines. But not here. This is the Black Spur and there are sections on this treacherous stretch of tarmac that feel as though they’ve never been warmed by the sun. It’s precarious, slippery and more often than not, it’s raining.

Perfect conditions for a pair of rally-bred performance heroes, then…

I’m in the GR Yaris and it feels as though I’ve poked Toyota’s pint-sized homologation special in the eye with a hot stick. It’s angry, energised and, despite the changeable grip levels, it’s breathtakingly quick.

A front-drive rival would struggle here. Understeer would sap your fun but the Toyota’s tricky front diff, clever all-wheel-drive system and punchy 1.6-turbo are making short work of the Black Spur’s flurry of turns.

It’s certainly quicker than the new WRX. I glimpse the Subaru’s headlights as they scythe through the mist and realise it’s falling further and further behind. Not for the first time I wonder if something is amiss with the latest version of Subaru’s rally icon…