Toyota GR Yaris | Spotted
Price hike put you off a new 280hp Yaris? Good job it was so popular first time around...
It’s been more than a month since Toyota confirmed that the new GR Yaris costs £44,250. Those that aren’t yet over it won’t be alone. Not only was the original car a bit of a bargain, sneaking in at the end of 2020 at less than £30k, Toyota followed it up with the GR86, one of the best cars that £30k has bought in a long time. It was significantly better than the car that preceded it and not very much more expensive; similarly, while the GR Yaris only indirectly replaced the GRMN, it too was a whole lot better for not a lot more money. It all helped burnish Toyota's established reputation for fantastic value for money. Inevitably, the new GR skews that opinion somewhat. Even with cars as expensive as they currently are, the £44k Yaris is a talking point.
Obviously, it’ll be great. We knew that before having a go in the snow, because it’s an evolution of a car that’s won over so many in the past few years. (Actually, calling it GR Yaris Evo might have made the price hike easier to accept). It’s a meaningful update, too, addressing gripes like the driving position and interior, making the Circuit Pack standard and toughening up the chassis even further. When Toyota went to the trouble of repositioning the third brake light to make fitting lairy spoilers easier, you know it’s been a carefully thought-through refresh. The new car will be very good because the old was; the question is whether or not it’ll be £10k better.
Until we learn that one way or the other on British roads, it’s hard to avoid checking out GRs in the classifieds. There are plenty to peruse, for starters, one or two canny buys, and - in finest Japanese fast car tradition - some modified cars as well. All for less than a new one. We couldn’t avoid talking about this particular Yaris, kitted out as it is with what’s believed to be the only Prior Design bodykit for a GR currently in the UK. And as is so often the case, that was just the start for this one…
Additionally, it benefits from a TOMS rear spoiler and bumper vents, plus wheel spacers which help make the black Yaris look as mean as anything, with a few extra parts that ought to make it sound like a proper rally car as well: MST intake, a new exhaust, Airtec intercooler and blow-off valve. A short shift kit ought to make the six-speed manual even more rewarding to use. There have been no modifications to yield much extra power yet, though this Yaris certainly has the look for it now. And mud flaps.
It’s a 2022 Circuit Pack car with just 9,000 miles; the modifications won’t be to all tastes, but that’s exactly the point of tuning - you do the things that you like to make a car you’ll love. There’ll be someone else out there that loves the way this GR looks, and may want to take it further still. It has to be cheaper buying this already kitted-out example rather than starting afresh. And there are plenty of standard ones out there for those wanting a plain-Jane GR.
The asking price is £35,995, which puts this one as one of the more expensive, though it’s easy to see why with the work that’s gone in. Sadly the plate isn’t included in that £36k figure, but is available by separate negotiation. Feels like the car has to have it, really - and it’ll still be a lot less than a new one…
SPECIFICATION | TOYOTA GR YARIS
Engine: 1,618cc, three-cyl turbo
Transmission: six-speed manual, all-wheel drive
Power (hp): 261@6,500rpm
Torque (lb ft): 266@3,000-4,600rpm
0-62mph: 5.5 seconds
Top speed: 143mph (electronically limited)
MPG: 34.3
CO2: 186g/km
Price new: £34,620 (Circuit Pack, 2022)
Yours for: £35,995
I’d like to have a go in one but sadly no garages round here that “would throw me the keys to one for a weekend” so I could explore the on limit handling
They do remind me of the old Nissan GTiR though in ethos
Finding a standard one might be tricky, but then they might be the most cherished and therefore most likely to have survived.
key is to have an Airtec Intercooler but not have it show through the grille.Airtec intercoolers are really quite good, just a bit heavy.
Wouldnt pay 36 grand for that though, doesnt need the kit and you dont generally get your money back on modifications.
key is to have an Airtec Intercooler but not have it show through the grille.Airtec intercoolers are really quite good, just a bit heavy.
Wouldnt pay 36 grand for that though, doesnt need the kit and you dont generally get your money back on modifications.
I have always modified the cars I own but in the case of the GR I'm keeping it bog standard because I think Toyota in my opinion got this car about right.
I should also point out that if any potential buyer likes the car on the test drive you will absolutely love it after an hour on your favourite B road. It's small, nimble and very quick.
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