Woohoo! The Toyota GR Yaris has returned to the UK with better aero, but it now costs £49k

Good news! The Toyota GR Yaris – one of the very finest hot hatches ever built – has returned from the stars to grace Toyota’s showrooms once more as a limited-run special featuring a few choice modifications the company previewed earlier this year.

Modifications that take the form of a special aerodymamics pack developed directly from Gazoo Racing’s race and rally knowledge. Plenty of that going around. Toyota has highlighted six of these things, and they are good, aero-y things.

1) A large cooling duct and grille that resides in the bonnet that helps discharge engine heat, using knowledge gained from hooning around in the Japanese Rally Championship.

2) A new front lip spoiler to lower front lift and aid grip, developed via Super Formula, Super GT and Super Taikyu.

3) A manually adjustable rear spoiler for better high-speed heroics and braking stability.

4) A cover to flatten the underbody for better airflow and aero performance, developed again from Super Taikyu.

5) and 6) Ducts and more ducts! On the front wings and on each side of the rear bumper, all of them bullying and cajoling the air circulating around the GR Yaris’s squat little body.

The cherry on this aero cake? A vertical handbrake to allow proper rally style drifts. Entertaining such a notion is the GR Yaris’s 1.6-litre three-pot turbo, producing 276bhp and 288lb ft, channelled to all four wheels via a six-speed manual… and six-speed manual only. Gone is the eight-speed auto ‘box.

Like we said, it’s being offered in very limited numbers, and by the time you read this could very well have sold out. Again. Want one? Pony up £48,995 sharpish.