The best tuner cars? BBR MX5 vs Litchfield GR Yaris vs Mountune Focus ST | Autocar

[@hadrienlf23]

1568kg for the GR Yaris ?? You meant 1268kg right ? Mine is 1273 stock from the factory with fuel

[@exaflop]

circuit pack?

[@jazzbassjames6403]

@@exaflop what parts add 300kg to make a circuit pack?

[@parenthlete]

Circuit pack has lighter alloys by 20kg and that’s rolling mass saving

[@albertt7784]

@@jazzbassjames6403 15 sand bags if the boot could some how fit them...

[@exaflop]

@@parenthlete but heavier diffs

[@davidstorm4015]

I would take the MX5 all day long, it's a superb driving machine. Just a small point to note, the ratting noise experienced by the driver in this video is a doddle to sort out. It's caused by the metal lugs that locate the roof into the structure around the windscreen on either side, just put a small felt self adhesive pad into the the top of the recesses where the roof lugs locate and it's gone forever. This fix also has the advantage of tightening up the location of the roof and pulling it down ever so slightly on the front roof seals so it fits better.

[@waynesimpson2074]

On mine, and others, there was simply an M6? torx bolt (without micro-encapsulation) working loose. Pull the overhead trim out of the way to reveal then a birra loctite sorted it.

[@davidstorm4015]

@@waynesimpson2074 thanks, that's great infgo, but on mine it wasn't loose bolts it was the sound of the locating lugs rubbing on the recess that they fit into. The felt pads cured it immediately and it has never come back (3 years ago when it was fixed)

[@FireManiac58]

I actually just fixed this last week by wrapping electric tape around the metal tabs. God it’s so much better without it rattling around

[@FreshYoungDude]

NC Mx-5 is the best bargain sports car on the market. Love mine.

[@jjchockey]

I just got my 2001 SE totaled. I have been thinking about getting an NC because i'm sure it drives fantastic, I just can't get past the looks and cheap plastic interior. Maybe if I drove one I could look past it.

[@FreshYoungDude]

@@jjchockey nc2/3 front end looks drastically better. Love my nc3

[@jjchockey]

@@FreshYoungDude I think the NC1 looks the best of the 3. I hate the smiley front of the NC2 and NC3. I gotta go drive one.

[@FreshYoungDude]

@@jjchockey will be much cheaper. Nc2/3 has forged internals and a higher redline though. Pick your poison. Good luck!

[@jjchockey]

@@FreshYoungDude Ya I just found a 2006 99k miles with LSD, Ohlins, and exhaust, for $9500

[@starstar5657]

For road driving, you just can't beat an MX-5. Probably the best reasonably priced car out there. Nice review.

[@billshoe22191]

Great job on this. The Miata would be my pick of the three by quite some margin.

[@dantan6952]

Wow; the GR Yaris has put on 300kgs!

[@mbarbe007]

I think that they messed up. Impossible to gain 300 kgs.

[@rotorhead5006]

Road-tester lunch had been consumed before wekgh-in!

[@arckylie3081]

Probably just a typo, The 5 being right above the 2 on a keypad🤷🏻‍♀️

[@khamid1]

I understand mistakes happen, but it is embarrassing to get a spec sheet wrong when you have an entire production team to check the edits.

[@GTFour]

which car/spec?

[@coalhouse_walkerjnr4735]

Yes, but to err is human. which of us has never made a mistake? However, I suppose to truly c0ck-up, you must be a god, a motoring god, maybe?!?...

[@alanwayte1688]

Embarrassing that you feel the need to gloat when your day is spent in McDonald’s

[@khamid1]

@alanwayte1688 cute you think your opinion is accurate or matters 😏

[@BySixa]

​@@GTFour within the first minute, the weight of the GR Yaris

[@coalhouse_walkerjnr4735]

This is where I live. On a clear day you would just about spot my house in the distance in some shots. These are great roads on which to pilot any nicely modified car. My Bugeye Sube and Mk1 MR2 transport me to driving fun heaven right here. And of these three, on these roads, the one I'd most love to try: the MX-5. Working on it.....

[@MrPetePastie]

Extra marks Illya Verpraet for the sweater. I have the exact same one - long live Lidl's value for money mens clothing!!

[@darrenprior6339]

You sure you got the weight right on that Yaris. Book says 1280kg. Surely a tune and few suspension mods didn't add 289kg to the build as per your opening intro?

[@gpajic1987]

Having owned both NC (one supercharged and one 2.5 swap) and GR Yaris, the mx5 hands down

[@grahamhaynes7658]

Yaris needs modifications imo,brings it to life,can't knock a later NC surprisingly good stock.

[@Ellis01234567890]

This road is close to me and is my go to quick blast road in my 2013 208 GTi. Can't wait for my Christmas day drive this year starting with this road, then probably up round Brecon area before heading to my mums house in Abergavenny for Christmas dinner and presents.

[@Carrera-gp9od]

The exhaust on the Yaris sounds dreadful.

[@loomspace]

The only Akrapovic exhaust I've ever heard that sounded bad.

[@popsbubbles1242]

The Yaris's stock suspension in my mind has settled down, I was thinking of changing it but it has somehow improved and settled down.

[@ThrottleBody]

The yaris has never been that heavy 😂

[@benbuchanan672]

Interesting video (and I have no idea nor care what a GR Yaris weighs). But there’s a world of difference between fiddling with an Ecu and bolting on a supercharger. The only truly modified car there is the MX5.

[@jjchockey]

Idc how good the Yaris or Focus is. Nothing can replace a lightweight, low slung, RWD, dedicated sports car chassis with double wishbone front suspension. Plus it is half the price. No comparison.

[@TheBeebg]

Gr allllll day. Just collected mine and grading to Lichfield soon

[@everydaybiker]

That mx5 sounds fantastic

[@jamiep61]

I enjoyed watching the Video. The Yaris Is my favorite that was driven

[@Pavel_Bazhnyov]

Great cars, spot on commentry

[@Aliens_Gonna_Get_Ya]

The MX5 😍😍😍😍😍

[@MegaWayfarer]

Can you please do a side by side comparison of BBR supercharging versus turbo? I do not know which would be best for my MX5 NC2.

[@Bains12300]

I'd expect supercharging will give you a closer feel to NA, that said, I've had the stage 2 turbo kit on my NC for over a 2 years and absolutely love the car!

[@jareknowak8712]

Toyota should make a V6 form 2 Yaris engines. :)

[@tinhinnh]

bingo!

[@mugenmark]

Didn’t realise that Akropovic seemingly make exhausts out of lead piping! Shockingly embarrassing mistake with the Yaris weight.

[@GTFour]

The Yaris is probably the overall fastest and it's a super clever bit of kit but just being a Yaris with the shape and how high it is just doesn't excite, the supercharged MX5 on the other hand rather does though!

[@rcmakingtracks18]

Um, i have a 2011 nc2 MX5 and i will never sell it, been talking to the guys at bbr, in the next few months, bbr 200 plus bbr suspension... yep that'll do it... john

[@JohnSmith-yr6je]

Tough choice between mx5 and Yaris

[@alanwayte1688]

My 991.2 911 T Litchfield ❤❤❤

[@Cernunn0s90]

Did those suspension mods add 289kgs to the GR Yaris? :O

[@thegirthquake8574]

2:52 that wouldn't be intake-turbo surge would it? Because that's bad news.

[@fudganuld]

oohh......that Yaris in that green....Nice.....Ha! And BBR did a Wicked MG Maestro Turbo...

[@MadelnMachines]

Why didn't you use the current MX5?

[@dodgywheelsandropeywiring5697]

Because BBR are still developing a kit for it, they only have a few mods for that generation on their website and they've got a lot more power out of and experience with the 3rd gen.

[@djmichie]

Feel like the tyres choice on the focus was wrong. Cup will be great in the dry but too much of a compromise in the rain

[@lukaszmajewski2757]

MG Motorsport exhaust sounds much better (with street more quiet option).

[@adamfreeman3000]

You say the Focus ST has too much power for the chassis.... isn't "more power than grip" the defining factor of what makes an exciting drivers car? Also, your testing it in November, in the wet, on Cup 2 tyres, of course you're going to struggle to put the power down, as you would too in any performance car with more than 200 BHP (imagine a BMW M2, or i30 N... all would struggle to put all their power down if you booted it in 2nd gear in the wet)

[@barneyrubble9309]

Yaris is justvepic but I'll take the mx5...its affordable and you can actually get one

[@pedro7401]

what are the wheels on the nc ?

[@mattwarren69]

I'd take the MX5 no question. I'll be acquiring a Mk3 soon ( standard 2.0 litre ) and I'm thinking of getting a BBR 220 ( NA ) upgrade . However not sure about going down the forced induction route ? trying to weigh up the pros and cons..... I've heard keeping them NA maintains the sweet spot but I don't know?

[@aceytoja]

Big downsize of not keeping it NA is the massive reliability decrease. Kept NA they are bulletproof.

[@ronniet906]

Nice technical analyis of the Litchfiled mods. Could not agree more, the engine and suspension mods help, and the AKRAPOVIC exhaust is dreadful. AKRAPOVIC sound engineers sure had an off day here, doesn't live up to AKRAPOVIC standards.

[@duffyt26]

Did everyone working at Lichfield sit in the GR Yaris whilst weighing it.....?

[@jmooch59]

2 and 1/2 K rpm is almost idle on a small displacement engine. Turbo technology these days is miles ahead of 3 decades ago.

[@e4superfly]

I had a e92 m3 v8 that weighed 1580kgs with no fluids so how can a yaris all of a sudden gain 300kgs and weigh almost the same

[@exaflop]

check that yaris weight guys.

[@ReeceT20]

Would love to see something with a better engine, like a birds M1/240I

[@f00lxpl]

1570 kg GR yaris damn!!

[@neil1jnr]

Stretched tyres on the Yaris ruins it. Get some decent, lroper sidewall rubber on there and it would be perfect.

[@gaycha6589]

It has stock rubber

[@AmjadJDM]

@@gaycha6589 nope, these are 255 wide Pilot Sport 5s. The standard car comes with 225 wide PS4Ss.

[@tinhinnh]

id go with 235 or 245; i mean i has 4wd, it doesnt need grip help

[@malluturbo]

Do a drag race video...

[@jorgesilva3153]

The Focus is lighter than the Yaris???? 😱

[@popsbubbles1242]

The Yaris is 1280kgs they put the incorrect weight up

[@hydrotricine]

Mx5 by far the best, Yaris second, Focus? who wants a heavy family car?

[@BoostedNDMiata]

How about a more modern ND Miata with 340 hp as the test mule? I happen to know a BBR Stage 2 Turbo ND1 that would make a better comparison. 😂

[@jimmyfarley5581]

Yaris all day long!

[@jimmyfarley5581]

I recently watched a video from EVO Magazine where they tested the latest MX5 with a BBR Supercharger kit. Now I know the MX5 is light and power isn't everything but 250bhp from a modern Mazda 2 litre Supercharged engine? Really? Surely 300bhp would be the minimum? I was a bit disappointed. 250bhp from a modern 2 litre really isn't that special anymore. 20 years ago maybe. In 2022? Nah.

[@GTFour]

In a light and really well balanced chassis makes the difference though

[@stephenpru6482]

Nooo way the GR weight that much 🤣

[@oneeleven9832]

How on earth can you get the weight of one of the most popular cars of the last decade wrong…abysmal journalism guys🤦‍♂️

[@babylon5mh]

Personally, I wouldn't put too much stock in Litchfield for tuning. They are arrogant and ignorant, with money being their main focus. One of their people named Ian proved that when I made the mistake of asking about an issue I had. Just beware if you try them, and don't have their Nitron suspension if you don't need it.......... its a money grab, plain and simple

[@CarazyDiamond]

Just 3 days back I’ve driven a rented Vauxhall Crossland from Glasgow to Inverness and back with my wife. All the time it was a quite a challenging drive because of short day light and heavy downpour. The first thing that I realised that, smaller the car the better is the driver focus (lesser struggles). Secondly in order to enjoy a scenic drive one can hardly go beyond a speed to enjoy the entire situation (man & the machine) where the balance of experience will shift from a pleasure experience towards a- just managing driving experience. Certainly, Crossland wasn’t a suitable car for such a drive, I’ve asked for a faster Fiesta which no surprises, last minute wasn’t available at Europcar. But again a factory spec Miata with good power to weight or even a BMW Z4 could easily be a best choice for the occasion. Other than I was thinking to take a Ford Puma (because it has wider squat, better power about 150bhp) will be up for such a trip. Lastly I wanted to enjoy the trip and don’t wanted to change the gears all the time. So a good paddle shift car would be my choice to engage with nature and the human next to me rather than proving to be a (highly) skilled driver (which ones need to be in above mentioned conditions). Last thing a it should be the first thing the road belongs to everyone, sometimes taking the best car won’t give the exemplary experience as there are other cars with drivers with a different complication going in their minds.

[@MultipleMadness1]

Why do manufacturers/tuners put 1 piece seats in hatches for midgets. Looks like the Yaris seats wouldn’t take someone above 5’8. The wife’s i20N has seats that don’t suit my 6’3 frame the same way and my head would wrap over the top in a crash

[@mugenmark]

I’m 6’2” and fit fine in my GR Yaris.

[@adamfreeman3000]

Do Autocar have a monopoly on monotone road testers or something???

[@B__L]

Litchfield have awful customer service. If you aren't bringing a GTR that you're willing to pump tens of thousands in they don't want to hear it.

[@massimo]

The weight on the Yaris is wrong..... just by 300 KG....... 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@TheCronan]

Those weight numbers are way off....

[@adamski1400]

Anyone know those wheels on the GR? Must be OZ's of some kind

[@rhysturner8462]

They are from BBS.

[@mrporsche4236]

Supercharged cars are fun and turbo cars are boring its that simple

[@petercavellini3232]

Nearly fell asleep, commentators were all a bit Nigel Mansell, no empathy.

[@Trappygit]

The cars are boring.

[@FenderUsa]

empathy?

[@teamtempest844]

Ford do not approve Mountune on MK4 Focus.

[@mugenmark]

Focus RS FPM375 was the last warranty friendly upgrade if memory serves

[@leobuckey]

The GR sounds awful 🤢

[@Lenoch_]

That long hair guy is so dull in front of a camera

[@th3b0untyhunter]

Who is the foreign chap, not that it matters as he needs to go as he is truly bloody awful

[@mrlionrocks]

Yaris review good, mx5 good, the lady in the focus was dull 😔

[@Xolition]

Ok enough of this guy. Finally unsubscribing. RIP

[@bobimoto28]

The Yaris is in a different league of its own...love this car ❤️ i bet the others are great too but the Yaris is amazing...i drove the standard one ❤️

[@MegaRetr]

Wow; the GR Yaris has put on 300kgs!

[@Trappygit]

How on Earth can someone with a job in automotive journalism end up making errors like this and no one pick up on it? Astounding.