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The Toyota Aygo Crazy
The original Toyota Aygo is a very good car. The original was produced on a common platform with Peugeot (the 107) and Citroen (the C1) and released back in 2005. It is safe (with a 4 star NCAP rating), comfortable and economical. It won’t win any speed awards but for the price you pay it’s a fantastic little motor with a zingy 1.0 litre engine with power being sent to the front wheels.
The Toyota Aygo Crazy however is something else entirely. It is, in fact, almost exactly the opposite of the standard car. This special is heavily modified (aside from what you can see). Rather than rear seats, the engine has been positioned into the mid-point of the vehicle, giving you a rather odd (but useful) shelf. More importantly, putting the engine there really allows you to feel and hear everything that’s going on. This is good. What’s better is the engine itself.
The car is powered by a 1.8 litre VVT-i turbocharged engine, meaning that it should be very happy to freely rev up and provide you with that power quite quickly. This is the same unit that powers the Celica and MR2, along with various Lotus vehicles. What about performance though when this unit is uprated to 200BHP?
It doesn’t just look quick, it is quick. Whilst in a standard Aygo you’ll be suffering a yawn-inducing 14 seconds plus to 60, in this one-off special, you’ll race there in less than six seconds. Impressive from something the size of a roller-skate I’m sure you’ll agree. Not only that but you’ll be able to charge all the way up to 127MPH.
So how come the car can be so damn quick? Well, a curb weight of only 1050kg ensures that you should get the handling to match. That trick Tein suspension that’s also an addition may well help with any screeching tyre issues you might have. Nimble though? You bet.
As with a number of these special one-offs, there are some things that seem to move backwards rather than forwards. What I’m referring to here is the fact that you get no ABS, no traction control and no power steering. Granted, some of this will be down to the weight-saving necessity of a car like this, but no ABS? Not fond of a car without that I must say.
The interior has been given a far more racy slant, with a roll cage, bucket seats and safety harnesses. Of course, for the exterior and driving dynamics you get your Brembo brakes too (as well as insane spoiler, ridiculous wheel arches, dodgy scrawl style decals etc etc).
Do I like the Toyota Aygo? No. Not at all. It’s too lairy. Too in your face. Worse though, I’m not quite sure why Toyota bothered. At least when Renault did their crazy V6 Clio they were sensible enough to make more than one. Hell, I’ve even had the fortune to see one on the road. In a bizarre sort of way this just serves to emphasise how boring Toyota can be.
Granted, this car is not for me. I don’t like it. However, I’d bet a few quid that plenty of people out there do. It is in a way a ‘real’ hot hatch. Something to make your girlfriend scream in – quite literally as it does three wheels around a corner. As a one off though, odd. You might even say Crazy…
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