Some Guys Put a Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14 Engine into a mini Toyota GR Yaris
What do you do when you build a mini-cager but want to have a bit of extra fun?
Chuck an inline four at it and see how the wheelbase handles the rest, of course.
A recent report from Driven has just covered a Toyota GR Yaris that’s been mini-fied by Japanese automaker ‘SaiJiai’. All we know is what we were given by their Twitter social media platform when one of the mechanics (username “Matsusuke @ Barrios Niki”, translated from Japanese) shared images of the little Yaris, along with a few additional details.
“Inside, the Japanese tuner has equipped the car with two racing seats, a three-spoke Momo steering wheel and a new custom instrument cluster,” says a report from Italy24News.
“There is also a centrally mounted screen that could be used to provide telemetry data. The rear seats have been removed because it was necessary to make room for the new engine.”
The engine is what we’re here for – and Siajidai teased a photo on their social media platform a mere two days ago, hashtagging the Saitama Automobile College.
“The very special car features the powertrain of a Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14R motorcycle. Thus, we have a 1,441cc 4-cylinder capable of developing 155 kW (211 hp) with 154 Nm of torque.”
That’s a wicked amount of power for a Yaris that appears to have its factory weight number cut in half – we’re guessing it’s now sitting nippy at around 1,000 lbs. That makes a very nice power-to-pound ratio for a four-wheeler, despite the fact that’s roughly twice as heavy as an actual Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14 (Don’t believe us? Check out this drag race pitting a ZX-14 against a Tesla and a Hayabusa for some more convincing visuals on power-to-pound ratios…).
The end result was so impressive that the Yaris Jr. was purportedly featured in ‘Drift Heaven’, a popular automotive magazine in the Eastern Hemisphere.
The odd beastie will also be at the 2022 Tokyo Motorcycle Show to impress four-wheel lovers and two-wheeled lovers alike – we feel it will do decently, given that it recently took out the grand prize in the 2021 AA DRIVEN New Zealand Car of the Year awards, according to Driven.
For more information, be sure to head over to Saijidai’s social media platform, check out other recent newsies from our archives, and as always – stay safe on the twisties.
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