YAMAHA GYTR TURBO YXZ1000R SS

 

Would you believe us if we told you that any new YXZ1000R or YXZ1000R SS paddle-shift model can be optioned from the dealer with a turbocharger even the new 2024 6-speed YXZ. Would you also believe us if we told you that any YXZ back to 2019 could also be retrofitted with this turbocharger kit and, that in both cases, Yamaha’s factory warranty remains intact? If the answer to either of those questions is yes or no, you’re in for a treat.  Our test rig here started off life as a brand-new 2023 Yamaha YXZ1000R SS. With a $21,899 MSRP, it is in the realm of the RZR XP 1000, Talon 1000X, Maverick X3 DS, KRX1000 and Wildcat XX. We consistently see dealer incentives that knock 1 to 2 grand off of that price, so do a little shopping if you’re in the market. With the YXZ, you get one of two machines on the market that offers a transmission not fitted with a CVT belt. Today, the Honda Talon and Yamaha YXZ are the only two cars that offer a shifting experience.  The YXZ Sport Shift (SS) gets it done with a semi-automatic 5-speed transmission. Think of it as a 5-speed sequential racing gearbox with paddle shifters and a computer-controlled clutch. Gearshifts are lightning quick and can be completed without lifting off the throttle. The YXZ will auto downshift when necessary on braking, but it won’t upshift for you. Clutch take-up is very smooth and incredibly intuitive; within a few minutes of driving, you will be confident in its behavior. The YXZ has character in spades, and this transmission offers the most engaging experience on the UTV market from a shifting standpoint. If you like having full control of your gearbox, the YXZ is the ultimate user experience.  Bolted to that stellar 5-speed gearbox is another work of art—Yamaha’s 998cc inline triple. With four valves per cylinder and dual-overhead cams, this incredibly well-balanced engine makes good torque and horsepower all the way up to 10,500 rpm. In stock form, the YXZ makes great power and really responds well to aftermarket modifications. OEMs are fairly constrained in the ways that they can provide their customers with options for increased horsepower. Typically, most OEMs offer their cars one way, and you have to move up the ladder to a more expensive model if you want more power. THE NEW GYTR TURBO KIT   Instead, Yamaha’s engineers developed a turbocharger kit for the YXZ1000R models, and then went to the governing bodies and received full-emissions approval to sell the kit. Yamaha’s YXZ engine was beefed up back in 2019 for boost duty, so every YXZ that has rolled off Yamaha’s assembly line after then is a prime candidate for this kit. This means that even when bolted to a 100-percent stock YXZ1000R with all emissions equipment, warranty and legality intact, the turbocharger kit produces a whopping 60-percent power increase over the naturally aspirated car. This is actually the second rendition of Yamaha’s GYTR (Genuine Yamaha Team Racing) YXZ1000R turbo kit. Their first kit used a slightly larger turbocharger and an aluminum intake manifold and piping. The kit ran well, but it was sort of like a super-sized stock powerband; most of the increase was at high rpm. Yamaha also had some significant sourcing problems with some of the hand-made pieces of the previous turbocharger kit, which have since been refined to allow greater flexibility of production to meet the customer demand. Yamaha was consistently sold out of the last-generation kits, and they want to make sure that is no longer an issue. The installation of the YXZ Turbo also got easier. Refinement to mounting points, routing of hoses and tubing, and simplification of the air intake system means that installing and servicing the kit is easier. Yamaha also reformed the kit with a slightly smaller but higher-tech Garrett GT2554R liquid-cooled turbocharger, which starts spooling much earlier than the previous iteration. Clever tricks like using a YFZ450R radiator for the intercooler’s front-mounted heat exchanger means replacement parts will also be available in the future.  All of the net gains boil down to a YXZ1000R that pumps out around 185 horsepower in its CARB-certified OE tune. It does this on a mild 7 pounds of boost pressure, which means that this system has a huge potential for higher power output with some aftermarket tuning, just like the Can-Am X3 and RZR Turbo models. Yamaha stress tested the YXZ’s driveline and engine with the GYTR turbocharger kit fitted, holding it to the same durability standards as the OEM car. What you’re getting here is a factory-fitted turbocharger option, and boy does it do great things for the YXZ. Yamaha YXZ Turbo  

THE DRIVE Yamaha’s engineers stressed the fact that they really aimed to improve this kit in every way possible versus their first iteration. Items like a cast-stainless exhaust manifold and an injection-molded plastic intake cover emblazoned with “GYTR Turbo” show that their attention to detail was honed on making this kit look and feel 100 percent like a factory option. Upon startup, the turbocharged YXZ springs to life immediately. It isn’t until you start moving and get into the throttle that you can tell the difference. Pulling away from camp, we were initially greeted with some very sultry turbo whistling as the YXZ turbo spun up under a slight load. Even at low throttle openings, the new turbocharger stays lit through gear changes, seemingly unphased by the slight change in rpm. This is great news, because it means that every time you go to the throttle, the Garrett turbo is already halfway ready to shove a ton of air into the YXZ’s engine. The very first time the throttle hit the floor, we let out an audible cheer.  The YXZ’s surge in midrange power whips you back in the seat as it comes on full steam right in the middle of the rpm range. It holds peak boost all the way to redline, which means you have a very meaty 5000–6000-rpm range to play with where the YXZ is making a tire-shredding amount of horsepower. Drivers will have to recalibrate their shift paddle fingers, as the YXZ hits the limiter far quicker than the naturally aspirated car can. In third and fourth gear, the YXZ really starts to stretch its legs, and the chassis is more than up to the task. The car we drove received exactly zero suspension setup changes to account for the massive 60-percent increase in horsepower, and it handled beautifully. It really shows the capability of this chassis, as the brakes, steering, suspension and drivetrain all feel like they were engineered with this turbocharger kit in mind.  While the power provides endless laughter from behind the wheel, it is the soundtrack that the GYTR Turbo YXZ produces that is perhaps most worthy of recognition. The Garrett turbocharger is seemingly attached to your throttle foot wirelessly, providing an audible “whish” every time you flex your big toe. Chopping the throttle under boost produces a wonderful “stutututu” as the system bleeds off excess boost. Paired with the scream of the inline triple and the “bang-thunk” bolt-action sound of the YXZ’s transmission cracking off shifts, it will make you feel like you have somehow slid behind the wheel of a Group B rally car.  As far as UTVs go, the GYTR Turbo YXZ is nirvana for those who are truly seeking that fully connected driving experience. The newfound horsepower boost makes the already lively YXZ1000R even more agile and insanely quick. It offers a very reliable and easy option to get existing or future YXZ owners into a turbocharged car, and it can be optioned from any Yamaha dealer. What’s not to love? Price: $6,299.99  SKU: #BAS-E46F0-V0-00 Website: yamaha-motor.com/p/yxz1000r-yxz1000r-ss-gytr-turbo-kit Compatible years: 2019+ YXZ1000R, YXZ1000R SS