Toyota GR Yaris Aero Performance adds motorsport upgrades to a rally-bred hot hatch

If you’re looking at a performance lease and want something that feels genuinely connected to motorsport rather than just inspired by it, we’ve got the perfect car for you.

Toyota has spent the last few years refining the GR Yaris through constant feedback from rally drivers and race teams, as well as its own highly-experienced Gazoo Racing engineers – and the history books clearly show they know a thing or two about winning. The result of that “develop, race, break, fix” philosophy is the brand-new Toyota GR Yaris Aero Performance.

This is about as authentic as it gets, taking the already-ferocious GR Yaris and adding a suite of motorsport-derived aerodynamic upgrades designed to sharpen stability, improve cooling, and enhance high-speed control to create the GR Yaris Aero Performance.

Make no mistake, the standard GR Yaris is already a serious piece of engineering.

Its 1.6-litre turbocharged three-cylinder engine produces 276bhp and 345Nm of torque, all of which is delivered to the wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox and Toyota’s GR four all-wheel-drive system. The chassis has been strengthened, the suspension tuned for high-load stability, and the cockpit redesigned with input from professional rally drivers.

Slippery performance design

The Aero Performance model builds on that foundation with six new aerodynamic components, each developed and validated in real competition environments.

The most visible change is the new aluminium bonnet, which now incorporates a large cooling duct and grille. This isn’t just for show — the design was proven in the Japanese Rally Championship and helps discharge heat from the engine bay during sustained high-speed driving. It’s a direct response to the demands of rally stages, where cooling performance can make or break a run.

At the front of the car, a new lip spoiler has been added to suppress lift and improve grip. Toyota developed this component with Kazuya Oshima, a professional driver competing in Super Formula, Super GT, and Super Taikyu. The result is a more stable front end under braking and turn-in, giving the Aero Performance version a more planted feel on fast, flowing roads.

The rear of the car sees one of the most significant upgrades, now boasting a large, manually adjustable rear spoiler. Its angle can be set to suit different driving scenarios, whether that’s maximising downforce for circuit work or dialling it back for road use. The spoiler contributes to improved high-speed stability and braking performance, being directly influenced by Toyota’s experience in endurance racing.

Underneath the car, a new undertray optimises airflow and reduces turbulence, inspired by the flat-bottom fuel tank design used in Super Taikyu endurance racing. Additional ducts behind the front wings release air pressure from around the wheels, improving steering feel under braking and enhancing stability when entering a corner. Further ducts on the rear bumper reduce drag and smooth airflow beneath the car, an improvement that comes directly from GR Yaris competition outings.

Together, these changes give the Aero Performance model a more focused, motorsport-ready character. It’s not about headline power increases but about extracting more consistency, stability, and control from a car already known for its razor-sharp responses. Toyota has even fitted a racing-style vertical handbrake, reinforcing the car’s rally-inspired personality.

The enthusiast’s car leasing choice

The Toyota GR Yaris Aero Performance sits in a very particular niche, making it an unusual choice as a lease option, albeit an entirely understandable one from the enthusiastic driver’s perspective.

It’s compact, lightweight, and reassuringly mechanical in a way few modern performance cars are. It packs more than enough power to raise a smile on even the most miserable of faces, with the same strengthened chassis, updated cockpit, and Toyota Safety Sense technology found across the latest GR Yaris range, yet it remains a usable day-to-day hatchback.

The GR Yaris has always been a car shaped by motorsport, with the new Aero Performance variant simply making that connection even more obvious… and more than a little tempting.

The new Toyota GR Yaris Aero Performance is a road-legal hot hatch refined through real rally stages, real racing feedback, and real competition data. For drivers who want authenticity baked into every panel and every component, the result is arguably one of the best performance cars on the market.

And even if the full-on motorsport version is not for you, we also have some great leasing deals on the Toyota Aygo X which you can find here.