Toyota has reintroduced the GR Yaris to the UK market with an aggressive new special edition – available solely with a manual gearbox.
Toyota’s website previously stated that GR Yaris order books had been closed in the UK due to “exceptional demand”, but the arrival of the Aero Performance car means that they’re open once again.
The four-wheel-drive hot hatch will however be sold in “strictly limited numbers”, Toyota UK said.
Priced from £48,995 (£2950 more than the regular GR Yaris), it brings a more aggressive look all around, with new ducts and vents to improve the car’s aerodynamic performance.
Up front, it gets a subtle new chin spoiler, developed by Toyota-backed outfit Rookie Racing, that is said to reduce lift.
The bonnet gets a larger vent to improve engine cooling and a flat floor has been fitted to smooth the flow of air under the car.
At the rear end, it gets a larger and adjustable roof-mounted spoiler.
New ducts have been cut into the front wings and the rear bumper to improve brake cooling and to further reduce turbulence under the car.
In addition to the aerodynamic tweaks, the Aero Performance gets a rally-style vertical handbrake lever.
The new derivative is available solely with a manual gearbox – meaning the GR Yaris’s eight-speed automatic option has effectively been dropped in the UK.
Autocar has contacted a Toyota UK spokesperson for clarification on whether the standard GR Yaris will go back on sale in the UK.
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