Toyota Aygo Crazy Review

This review first appeared in Issue 185 of Top Gear magazine (2008)

Toyota's unfortunate engineers in the 'performance' division of R&D have had precious little to occupy them in recent years. Ever since the Celica, MR2 and Supra disappeared, they have presumably been sitting about, collectively twiddling their thumbs and folding origami swans.

That changed a few months ago, when a Toyota executive arrived carrying an Aygo under one arm.

"There y'go, lads. Do your worst. Go Crazy™."

"What, an Aygo? Can't we at least have an Auris?

"No. Then the pun wouldn't work."

"A Yaris?"

"Nope, you're getting an Aygo. But here's the deal. You can do whatever you want. Anything."

"OK, deal. How many are we doing, then? A few thousand, yeah?"

"Er, one. Sorry. Get to work."

Toyota Aygo Crazy: engineering excess

And they certainly went crazy. The compact Aygo gained carbon fibre, Brembo brakes, an enormous body kit, a wider track and the last MR2's 1.8-litre VVTi engine, now equipped with a fresh turbo kit. As though that specification were remotely sensible, the rear seats were removed and the engine installed in their place. This is, then, a mid-engined, rear-wheel-drive Aygo producing 197bhp. No car since the Clio V6 has offered quite so much potential for snap oversteer.

The madness extends beyond that. Toyota's engineers also discarded the ESP, power steering and brake servo. Their description is a kart with a roof; ours is rather more concerned.

Surprisingly manageable on the road

Yet the Aygo Crazy proves unexpectedly civilised from behind the wheel. Its front splitter sits so near the road that even yellow lines could make it scrape, but both throttle and clutch respond progressively and are forgiving. It can become rather nervous when driven hard in the rain, certainly, but the Aygo weighs only a tonne and communicates so clearly that keeping it pointed straight is not difficult.

Much of that comes down to the steering, which is astonishing once the car is moving. There is a small amount of play around the straight-ahead position, yet turn into a bend and it comes vividly alive. It is as good as a Porsche GT2's. The road surface seems to come through your fingertips. Parking it will require a gym routine three times a week, admittedly, but surely that is a fair trade-off?

The Aygo Crazy's turbocharged character

Its finest party piece is the ridiculous chuckle from the turbo wastegate. This is not a restrained little chirp: it is a vast whoosh, an involuntary burst of laughter whenever you lift off the accelerator. It is tremendous entertainment.

Fun is the one-word description for this absurdly excessive machine. You cannot buy an Aygo Crazy - Toyota created just one as a showcase - but it demonstrates that the world's largest manufacturer has not undergone an entertainment lobotomy. Taken as a complete package, it is excessive in every sense, though Toyota's range would benefit from a little of this lunacy.

It would also keep those poor engineers occupied.