--- title: "Toyota Drifted GR Yaris Down Ski Slope to Recreate Classic Japanese Movie Scene" date: "2025-02-04" modified: "2025-02-04" authors: - name: "Adam Ismail" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/adam-ismail" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/this-toyota-gr-yaris-music-video-is-the-most-delightful-thing-youll-watch-today" categories: - "Culture" - "News" - "News by Brand" - "Toyota News" tags: - "GR Corolla" - "Hatchback" - "sports car" - "Toyota" --- # Toyota Drifted GR Yaris Down Ski Slope to Recreate Classic Japanese Movie Scene ![Screenshot of clip from Toyota Gazoo Racing music video with GR Yaris driving down mountain next to skier.]() *\Toyota Gazoo Racing via YouTube\* The [Toyota GR Corolla]() loves snow. Throw some winter tires on that bad boy, find yourself an empty parking lot, and [trust me—you'll have the time of your life](). Its overseas cousin, the [GR Yaris](), is of course no different, and Toyota has capitalized on this with a delightful new video showing the plucky three-door hatch slaloming its way down a mountain in Japan, to an exquisite soundtrack. It's all part of a collaboration with prolific Japanese recording artist Yumi Matsutoya, and let's just say this morning has opened the door to my next musical obsession. Matsutoya, nicknamed "Yuming," is a superstar; she's released 38 studio albums since 1973 and holds the unique distinction of having at least one No. 1 album on Japan's recording charts every year for 18 consecutive years. (If you're looking for a Billboard equivalent, there isn't one; the closest is The Beatles, [who managed seven in a row]().) She's also held a concert most years—if not, every year—since 1980 named "Surf & Snow," after her record with the same title. The song behind this delightful video, "Surf Heaven, Ski Heaven," comes from that album, and it's already been added to a playlist I've been building out that mostly contained [Casiopea jams]() up until now. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9VB-hV1jwE But back to the car, because that's what brought us here. The first half of the video is set in the '80s, judging from everyone's style of dress, our skier listening to Yuming's latest jam, the poster on the wall promoting her 1981 Surf & Snow show at the Naeba ski resort, and the intentionally low quality of all the footage. At first, I thought that it would've been sweet if Toyota pulled an ST165 out of retirement for this stunt; if nothing else, a real [Celica GT-Four]() could've put those cassettes on the dash to proper use. But we'll get back to that in a minute. Anyway, the video builds to a chorus of fashionable winter sports lovers doing their thing before the purple guy and hot hatch take flight and return to Earth. The Yaris now has a new livery, promoting [the 45th Surf & Snow kicking off *this* weekend]() at the Naeba Prince Hotel Blizzardium resort, and we've got even more quirky synchronous skiers now, including a picnicking family and a girl eating popcorn in an armchair. Cute! From what I can gather Google-translating [this *Carview* article](), this Gazoo Racing-themed video is a sendup of a 1987 Japanese romcom titled *[Please Take Me Skiing]()* that, among other things, contained plenty of automotive stunts on the slopes involving Celicas and Corollas. The trailer below gives you a pretty good sense of the action: It turns out that [Gazoo Racing is staging an event of its own]() alongside Matsutoya's concert at Naeba, where attendees can take in a demo run with rally driver Norihiko Katsuta at the wheel of a Yaris WRC car, and drive or get a ride-along in a GR Yaris on the powder. It all sounds like a lovely time, and if I disappear from *The Drive* next week, you can be sure exactly where I've gone—not to mention one of the movies I watched on the long flight there. *Got tips? Send ’em to tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Adam is a Senior Editor at The Drive, concentrating on curating and developing the site's slate of daily journalism, from initial pitch to final copy edit. When he's not at his desk researching leads and working with writers, he's testing vehicles or reviewing racing games, new and old. He joined The Drive in 2023, following seven years of covering consumer technology and cars. A car lover and gamer since his earliest memories, Adam came to know the automotive world through video games. First it was Daytona USA, Sega Rally, and Ridge Racer; then came Need For Speed, which inspired an encyclopedic knowledge of '90s supercars, and, of course, Gran Turismo. If not for them, he'd assuredly be doing something else right now. Adam is based in the suburbs outside Philly, where there are ample roads for his hot hatch to stretch its legs. In his car, he's probably listening to indie rock, drum and bass, or Yankees baseball. ### Author social links [Bluesky]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()