Drag Race: Honda Civic Type R vs. Toyota GR Yaris on wet asphalt

The CarWOW YouTube team has held yet another spectacular race, this time around pitting two Japan-made hot hatchbacks up against each other on a rain-soaked road.

The Honda Civic Type R is the leader of the “FWD hot hatch” segment of the market. It comes powered by a two-liter turbocharged four-cylinder rated at 320 PS (316 hp / 235 kW) and 400 Nm (295 lb-ft) of torque, which links to a six-speed manual transmission. It weighs around 100 kg (220 lbs) more than the Yaris, but costs £700 less in Great Britain.

The Toyota GR Yaris is a three-door vehicle produced specifically for WRC rally car homologation purposes. It uses an AWD system with a rear axle coupling and can redirect up to 70% of torque to the rear. Its 1.6-liter turbocharged three-pot pumps out 261 hp (257 hp / 192 kW) and 360 Nm (266 lb-ft). A six-speed gearbox is used here as well.

Watch the video to see just how minimal the gap between the two was in a quarter-mile run. An elasticity test awarded the victory to the Type R, and a brake test concluded the trials.