While we’ve only been teased with the promise of the hot new 2020 Toyota GR Yaris, Europe can actually buy it—and at over $58,000, it’s going to cost a pretty penny.
At current exchange rates, Toyota’s announced UK price of the Yaris of £29,995 converts to roughly $58,344, though pricing in Europe can vary significantly from the price Toyota may hypothetically market the GR Yaris at in Australia if it were ever sold here.
For comparison, the six-cylinder Toyota Supra starts at £52,695 in the UK, which would convert to roughly $102,485 over here. But the Toyota Supra starts at $US49,990 ($75,170) in the U.S. So don’t freak out about Yaris pricing just yet.
Anyway, that money buys you one of the most exciting new cars to come along in a long time. A true rally special, the GR Yaris comes with 269 horsepower, 273 lb-ft of torque from a three-cylinder, rear-biased all-wheel drive, it weighs just 1.28 tonnes, and it even comes with a six-speed manual transmission.
It also comes with a wider rear track over the regular Yaris, a majority of aluminium or carbon fibre body paneling, 18-inch wheels, and an optional Circuit Pack that will throw in Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tires, re-turned suspension, and a limited-slip differential on both axles.
By comparison, the European Ford Fiesta ST starts at nearly $20,000 less, but it also comes with less performance equipment and about 70 fewer horsepower. The UK John Cooper Works three-door hatchback is closer, starting at £25,950 ($51,341) with nearly 228 horsepower, but it’s only front-wheel drive.
As for whether or not global buyers will ever have a chance to own the awesome Yaris new, Toyota is teasing that it just might be dumb enough to try us. I’m not sure I have $60k to drop on a hatchback, but at the same time it’d be really easy to justify the debt for something this ideal.