Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Subcompact Showcase: The Micro Image Yaris

Micro Image Yaris
Garm Beall is the owner of Micro Image, an e-zine, international car club, and online parts store. Garm has one of the coolest and best-performing Yarii (plural for Yaris) in North America.

Beall started with a 2007 Toyota Yaris liftback, to which he added a host of upgrades to the engine, drivetrain, exterior, and interior making the diminutive car a supersonic subcompact.

ENGINE/DRIVETRAIN
Under the hood, the 1.5 liter 1NZ-FE has been treated to a slew of upgrades, the most noticeable being a turbo system. For starters, a Garrett GT2554R ball bearing turbo with a custom turbo exhaust manifold, piping, and an intercooler. Fuel is delivered courtesy of Scion tC fuel injectors. Other goodies include a TIAL blowoff valve and 38mm wastegate, a TurboToyotas vacuum block, and a custom-fabricated downpipe. Controlling the mix is AEM’s FIC engine management and a World Racing TBC-1 digital boost controller. The exhaust exits a custom 2.5” turbo-back mandrel-bent exhaust with a center exit, which looks super trick.

To help put the power to the pavement, the car features a Kaaz limited sip differential, an Exedy stage-one clutch, and a Fidanza lightweight aluminum flywheel. A host of parts from NST include a short shifter, stainless cable and cage bushings, and various lightweight pulleys round out the engine/drivetrain.

So what kind of numbers is Mr. Beall putting to the ground? How about 183 wheel horsepower and 171 ft./lbs. of torque at 8 psi of boost. That’s nearly double what most stock Yarii put to the ground.

SUSPENSION/WHEELS/TIRES
SSR Type F wheelsIn the handling department, the car features Silk Road coilovers, a TRD rear swaybar, and lots of bracing for extra rigidity. Rolling stock consists of SSR Type F wheels (16 x 7, +42mm offset) wrapped in BF Goodrich T/A KDW tires (205/50/16). When it comes time to stop, this Yaris relies on R1 Concepts drilled/slotted rotors grabbed by CarboTech brake pads. Beall has also added a custom rear disc brake conversion.

EXTERIOR
Not only does this little Toyota go fast, it looks good doing it thanks Kaminari’s side skirts and rear lip. A host of Seibon carbon fiber parts, including a front lip, vented hood, and rear hatch look great and reduce weight.

The Yaris’ roof has been painted and Beall has customized the front grilles. Other bits of exterior goodness include LED rearview mirrors, JDM-replica taillights, smoked HID headlights, an NST prototype tow hook, and Netz/Vitz emblems.

INTERIOR AND AUDIO
Nothing was overlooked on this car including the interior and audio components, starting with supportive BRIDE Euro II racing seats with Takata harnesses hold front passengers in place.

Since the Yaris is a bit lacking in the gauge department (only a speedometer and fuel gauge come stock), Beall added an Autometer Phantom II tach and gauges, and a Scangauge II engine monitor. The interior is finished off with a custom carbon-fiber center console and trim, and a leather shift boot.

In the audio department, the Yaris was treated to a Kenwood 712 7” headunit, GPS with navigation, and hand-free phone. A JBL Grand Touring amp powers the 10” JBL subwoofer located in a custom enclosure. Rounding out the audio mods are JBL GTO-series speakers (the front slip into components) and HornTones-powered MP3 sound effects.

There’s no doubt that Garm Beall’s Yaris is one of the most extensively modified Yarii in the U.S. It’s got a great combination of power, looks, and sound that would make just about any subcompact owner envious. Be sure to check out his Web site in the links section or simply click on the banner ad at the top of the page.

LINKS
Micro Image
NST (Non Stop Tuning)
Kaminari
Seibon Carbon Fiber Parts
Yarisworld.com

1 comment:

Andy Lilienthal said...

Thanks for the input! I do plan on profiling more subcompacts on the blog. Glad you enjoyed it!