If you have decided to buy a GR Yaris, one of the next questions is whether to choose the six-speed manual or GR-DAT.
The discussion often centers on two things: which is faster, and which is more fun.
Having driven both extensively, however, I have come to think that the decision requires a broader view.
How far you travel to the track, how much traffic you deal with, how much physical and mental workload you want behind the wheel, how much the car costs, what part of driving you enjoy most, and how much value you place on the manual transmission itself—all of these matter.
In this article, I refer to these factors collectively as how and where you use the car.
I own a 2020 Japanese-market GR Yaris with a six-speed manual and a 2024 Japanese-market GR Yaris with GR-DAT, Toyota’s eight-speed torque-converter automatic developed for performance driving. I have driven both on circuits and winding roads.
Based on that experience, I will lay out a practical framework for choosing between the two.
Note: The vehicles, prices, fuel-economy figures, equipment, and specifications discussed in this article are based on Japanese-market GR Yaris models. Specifications, trim structures, equipment, and pricing may differ by country, region, and production year.
Quick Guide
| What matters most to you | Likely better fit |
|---|---|
| Frequent traffic and long-distance driving | GR-DAT |
| Long trips to and from the circuit | GR-DAT |
| Lower physical and mental driving workload | GR-DAT |
| Lap times above all else | GR-DAT is more likely to have an advantage |
| Focusing on braking, weight transfer, and driving line | GR-DAT |
| Enjoying clutch and gearshift operation itself | 6-speed manual |
| Feeling the shift being completed through your own hands and feet | 6-speed manual |
| Cultural or symbolic value of a manual transmission | 6-speed manual |
| Lower purchase price and better official fuel economy | 6-speed manual has the advantage |
| Fun | Both are fun in different ways |
| Resale value | Check the market when you actually plan to sell |
In broad terms, GR-DAT suits drivers who want to reduce the workload of the entire driving day—including the trip to and from the circuit—and concentrate more heavily on vehicle dynamics.
The six-speed manual suits drivers who enjoy operating the clutch and gear lever themselves and want the act of shifting to remain part of the driving experience.
Here is why.
Section 0 | What I Am Comparing: A 2020 Manual and a 2024 GR-DAT
The two cars I own are a 2020 GR Yaris with a six-speed manual and a 2024 GR Yaris with the eight-speed GR-DAT.
There are significant generational differences between them beyond the transmission.
The 2020 car produced 272 PS and 370 N·m of torque. By 2024, output had increased to 304 PS and 400 N·m, along with revisions to the body, suspension, cooling, cockpit, and various control systems.
The lap times I have recorded in these two cars therefore reflect the overall differences between the 2020 and 2024 versions of the GR Yaris.
For this article, I use my experience with the two cars as evidence about ownership and use: driving to the circuit, running on track, and driving home again.
That experience provides the basis for thinking about which transmission better fits a particular way of using the car.
Section 1 | If Lap Time Matters Most, GR-DAT Has Technical Advantages
Introduced in 2024, GR-DAT stands for GAZOO Racing Direct Automatic Transmission.
It is an eight-speed torque-converter automatic developed with performance driving in mind. Its lock-up control and shift response are tuned accordingly.
Moving from six ratios to eight, with closer gearing, also makes it easier to keep the engine in its effective power band.
In SPORT mode with the transmission left in D, the system uses inputs such as braking and accelerator operation to anticipate the driver’s intentions and select the appropriate gear before corner entry.
Toyota developed GR-DAT with the goals of reducing time lost during shifts and making more of the car’s performance accessible to the driver.
That creates clear advantages when lap time is the priority.
Shifts are quick, the eight ratios help keep the engine in the power band, and clutch operation is handled entirely by the transmission.
The workload associated with shifting is also reduced, leaving more attention available for braking, steering, throttle control, weight transfer, and the driving line.
Lap time itself is shaped by many factors: braking points, steering input, tire usage, throttle application, and line choice all matter.
Tires, track temperature, ambient temperature, surface conditions, and vehicle specification also affect the result.
The technical advantages of GR-DAT work together with all of these other factors.
For that reason, GR-DAT is more likely to offer an advantage when the goal is to pursue lap time.
Section 2 | The Manual and GR-DAT Are Fun in Different Ways
Beyond outright speed, a sports car also has value as something you operate for pleasure.
This is where the character of the six-speed manual and GR-DAT diverges sharply.
In the manual, you operate the clutch with your left foot, select the gear with your right hand, and re-engage the clutch while coordinating engine speed with road speed.
The six-speed iMT in the 2020 GR Yaris can assist with engine-speed matching when the function is activated, while the driver still performs the clutch and gearshift operations.
Your own physical movements directly change the state of the drivetrain.
That physical chain of cause and effect is an important part of the direct feel and enjoyment of a manual transmission.
With GR-DAT, clutch operation and the actual gear change are handled by the transmission.
You can leave the car in D and let it shift automatically, or command shifts yourself with the paddles or gear selector.
For me, that makes it easier to devote attention to brake pressure, weight transfer, steering input, clipping point, and the timing of throttle application—in other words, to the movement of the car itself.
So the distinction can be put simply:
With the six-speed manual, part of the fun comes from performing the shift yourself.
With GR-DAT, part of the fun comes from handing the shift process to the car and concentrating more deeply on vehicle dynamics.
The enjoyment comes from different parts of the driving process.
Section 3 | The Trip to the Circuit Also Matters
If circuit driving is your hobby, you may actually spend more time traveling to and from the circuit than driving on it.
You leave home, drive on expressways, work your way through traffic, and eventually arrive at the track.
After the session, you get back into the car with both your concentration and physical energy already partly spent, and then drive a long distance home.
If the circuit is several hours away, the travel time can easily exceed the amount of time spent driving flat-out.
This is where the value of GR-DAT becomes more obvious.
On expressways and in city traffic, all clutch operation is handled by the transmission.
In congestion in particular, your left foot is freed from repeated clutch-pedal work, and every slow restart is handled without the repeated half-clutch modulation required in a manual.
The transmission also reduces the amount of shift-related work on track, and the same lower workload continues on the drive home.
GR-DAT therefore makes more sense when viewed across the entire day: driving to the circuit, running on track, and driving home again, rather than only through the lens of a single lap.
For someone like me, who covers a meaningful distance to reach a circuit, that difference matters.
Section 4 | If You Enjoy Operating a Manual, the 6-Speed Makes Sense
Sports-car culture has long included the pleasure of operating the machine itself.
Press the clutch.
Choose a gear.
Match the revs.
Re-engage the clutch and feed the drive back in.
Some drivers value the skill involved. Others value the sense of mechanical connection.
For some people, the manual transmission also carries cultural and symbolic meaning within the history of sports cars.
If those things matter strongly to you, the six-speed manual fits that purpose very well.
In some enthusiast groups and automotive communities, manual-driving skill and manual ownership also form part of a shared culture.
If participating in that culture is part of how you enjoy cars, it belongs in the buying decision as well.
The useful question here is:
How much value do you personally receive from the manual transmission itself?
With the six-speed manual, that value is available every time you drive the car.
Section 5 | On a Circuit, Results Become More Visible Than Transmission Type
A circuit gives you lap time.
When you drive the same track under broadly similar conditions, you can compare your own performance quantitatively.
Vehicle specification, tires, weather, and track conditions all influence the number, but lap time remains a powerful tool for tracking your own driving over time.
Drive quickly in the manual, and the result appears on the stopwatch.
Drive quickly in the GR-DAT, and the result appears there too.
In an environment where skill can be expressed numerically, the recorded result tends to carry more weight than the symbolic meaning of the transmission itself.
Related article (Japanese): Lap Time no Mae ni — Unchiku mo Iiwake mo Imi o Nasanai
Section 6 | Price, Weight, and Fuel Economy Also Matter
Purchase price and running costs also matter when making a rational choice.
For the 2026-spec Japanese-market RZ High Performance, the manufacturer’s suggested retail price is ¥5,037,200 with the six-speed manual and ¥5,387,200 with GR-DAT.
That makes GR-DAT ¥350,000 more expensive within the same grade.
Curb weight is 1,280 kg for the manual and 1,300 kg for GR-DAT.
Official WLTC fuel economy is 12.4 km/L for the manual and 10.8 km/L for GR-DAT.
For drivers who want to minimize the purchase price, value fuel economy, and enjoy manual operation itself, the six-speed manual fits those priorities well.
For drivers who place substantial value on reducing workload during circuit use and long-distance travel, the extra cost of GR-DAT can instead be viewed as the price of those benefits.
Resale value is shaped by used-car demand, supply, production year, mileage, condition, and other market factors.
If resale value matters to you, the most practical approach is to evaluate the market when the time to sell actually comes.
Section 7 | The Final Question Is: What Do You Want to Do With Your GR Yaris?
By this point, the choice between the six-speed manual and GR-DAT becomes much clearer.
You want to pursue lap time.
You want to devote more attention to braking, weight transfer, and line choice.
The trip to the circuit is long and often involves traffic.
You want to reduce physical workload, including on the drive home after a track session.
That pattern of use fits GR-DAT well.
Or perhaps:
You enjoy operating the clutch and gear lever.
You want to match revs, select the gear, and complete the shift through your own physical input.
You value the mechanical character and culture of a manual transmission.
Purchase price also matters to you.
That pattern of use fits the six-speed manual well.
The central question is:
What do you want to do with your GR Yaris?
Conclusion | The Better Choice Depends on How You Use the Car and What You Want From It
The six-speed manual and GR-DAT bring out different aspects of the GR Yaris.
GR-DAT uses fast shifting, eight ratios, and a lower driver workload to create more room for the driver to concentrate on vehicle dynamics.
The manual connects the clutch, gear lever, engine speed, and drivetrain through your own physical actions, making the shift itself part of the driving experience.
How far you travel to the circuit.
How much traffic you encounter in daily use.
How much physical workload matters to you.
How strongly you care about lap time.
How much you enjoy shifting for yourself.
How much you want to spend.
And what kind of experience you want from owning a sports car.
Once you apply those questions to your own use case, the decision becomes much clearer.
If you want to streamline the entire driving day—including the trip to and from the circuit—and concentrate more deeply on vehicle dynamics, GR-DAT is the stronger fit.
If you want the act of operating the clutch and gear lever to remain part of the experience itself, the six-speed manual is the stronger fit.
A rational choice is the one that best matches your goals, your environment, your priorities, and the characteristics of the car.
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