Toyota GR Yaris queue starts here

If the Toyota Supra experience was any indication, the second full-flavoured ‘GR’ high-performance model from Toyota could sell out in minutes.

Although the pre-order book has not yet opened for the all-wheel drive 2021 Toyota GR Yaris turbo hot hatch, Toyota Australia has invited expressions of interest from potential customers who want to be ‘first off the mark’.

People on Toyota Australia's email list have been asked to nominate their preferred dealer and intended buying time via a Toyota GR Yaris microsite.

Toyota Yaris GR review

Despite being the same size as a Polo GTI ($32,890) and Ford Fiesta ST ($32,290), the Toyota GR Yaris could cost almost twice as much when it arrives in Australia from around November, with UK prices starting at £29,995 ($A52,000).

The first Toyota GR Yaris is more than a warmed-over version of the new Yaris city-hatch that arrives here next month. It shares no body panels with the regular Yaris and the car’s three-door body shell is made from aluminium and carbon-fibre polymer lightweight materials.

The rally-bred pocket-rocket features a unique all-wheel drive system that can shunt up to 100 per cent torque to either the front or rear axles, and is powered by a 200kW/370Nm 1.6-litre three-cylinder turbo-petrol engine (developed from the ground-up by Gazoo Racing) matched to a six-speed manual gearbox.

There’s no auto transmission that's tough enough and will fit underneath the compact hatchback as yet, but the manual's 0-100km/h sprint time should still be around 5.5 seconds.

Massive 356mm front and 297mm rear brake discs are used to counter the engine’s hefty 200kW/370Nm outputs and the car’s dynamics were developed with help from WRC legend Tommi Makinen, who previously lent his name to another the hard-core WRC-inspired road rocket, the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI TME.

The high expected asking price of the Toyota GR Yaris will be offset by performance akin to bigger, brawnier and more exclusive hot hatches like the Ford Focus RS and Honda Civic Type R, both of which are $50K-plus machines.

Five reasons the Toyota GR Yaris will smash its rivals

Two other high-performance versions of the GR Yaris will be available overseas, but Toyota Australia only plans to import the standard model initially.

The Performance Pack model gets recalibrated dampers, sticky Michelin tyres in lieu of Dunlops and mechanical limited-slip differentials front and rear.

In Japan there's a rally version that rides on rugged 15-inch wheels and gets smaller brakes, plus a 'lite' RS version with the beefy bodykit but no performance upgrades, and there will eventually also be a lighter and even more powerful GRMN range-topper.

Expect local pricing and availability for the butch-looking wide-body Toyota Yaris GR to be announced soon.