We’re all too used to being disappointed by Japanese manufacturers when it comes to UK availability - not this time. Toyota GB has confirmed that the recently announced Aero Performance GR Yaris will be coming here; there won’t be very many, they will cost a lot of money (£48,995), but like your Mum always said about eating vegetables, something is better than nothing.
It isn’t some toned-down equivalent for our tastes, either. The GR Yaris Aero Performance that’s coming to the UK is exactly the same as the one revealed a few weeks back, complete with the adjustable rear spoiler, flat floor cover, smattering of ducts and more aggressive front end. It still looks mega, evoking the wild Japanese special editions of days gone by. A regular UK numberplate will look properly incongruous on a car seemingly straight from a Daikoku meet, and all the better for it.
Interestingly, too, the Aero Performance model will only be offered with the six-speed manual. With the standard GR supply having dried up, it’s unclear whether the eight-speed auto will return. That’s something for the future; perhaps various limited editions will follow as a way of sating demand (and making money) as the Yaris continues to evolve. For now, it’s also been confirmed that the Aero will also get a ‘racing-style vertical handbrake.’ In case it couldn’t sound any cooler. Contact your GR Centre pronto if you want one, though; Toyota says numbers ‘are strictly limited’, and deliveries are due in March.
1 / 9