Christian Von Koenigsegg Takes a Spin in a Toyota GR Yaris, and We Admire Him for It
Jayson Fong
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Hypercar manufacturers—they're just like the rest of us. At least Christian von Koenigsegg might be, since he evidently drives a Toyota Yaris. That's right! Despite having access to some of the most incredible cars in the world, he seems to enjoy his three-cylinder hot hatch.
Of course, Koenigsegg is not quite like us, and vice versa. For starters, he is the founder and CEO of the record-setting hypercar brand that carries his name. I have IDs and bills with my name on them, but that's about the extent of our similarities. The Swedish automotive designer isn’t the only leader of a high-performance car company who favors something more ordinary for daily use. Bugatti CEO Mate Rimac drives an E39 BMW M5 to work. However, Koenigsegg opts for a compact Toyota for his daily commute.
In a video posted on his unverified Instagram account, Koenigsegg states, "Three-cylinder madness in the morning," before getting into a GR Yaris for his drive. The basic Yaris model available in the U.S. was phased out after the 2020 model year. Naturally, the 2021 GR Yaris made its debut abroad a year later as the ultimate sporty subcompact. Sigh.
Koenigsegg's daily driver resembles the updated GR Yaris. For the 2024 model year, the GR Yaris sees its power increase from an already robust 268 horsepower to 280, with torque rising from 273 pound-feet to 288—all delivered by a 1.6-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine paired with a six-speed manual transmission.
If this is indeed Koenigsegg’s current ride, it wouldn't be his first modified subcompact Toyota. He previously owned a 2021 GR Yaris Circuit Pack, which was sold for 36,000 Euros in 2022.
The hypercar executive’s taste for enjoyable small cars shouldn’t come as a surprise. Koenigsegg is a fan of the MX-5 Miata and has famously stated that if he had only one tank of gas left, he would put it in the Mazda roadster. After all, Miata is always the answer—except when you're behind the wheel of a GR Yaris, perhaps.
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Christian Von Koenigsegg Takes a Spin in a Toyota GR Yaris, and We Admire Him for It
Although he frequently tests various hypercars produced by Koenigsegg, he enjoys commuting in his three-cylinder Toyota hatchback.