German tuning brand Prior Design is heavily known for tuning European cars, but once in a while, they also get their hands on Japanese cars. One such example is the Toyota GR Yaris, which we don't get here in the United States because Toyota thinks it's probably too small for our market's tastes. Instead, we get the GR Corolla, but some argue that while the GR Corolla is still a beastly machine, it's not a homologation special like the GR Yaris is. However, there's only so much that an automaker can do to make a road-legal homologation special look nearly like the racecar it's supposed to emulate, but the folks at Prior Design have a solution.
Rally Car Looks For A Hot Hatch Born From WRC
Thanks to the new widebody aerodynamic kit that Prior Design has developed for the GR Yaris, the hot hatch now looks a lot like the WRC car. Not that the standard GR Yaris looks tame, mind you, but this body kit makes the hot hatch look like a genuine racecar. The widebody aero kit is made out of fiberglass that's been certified by TÜV Rheinland, which guarantees the quality of the aftermarket add-ons. The widebody aero kit consists of a front spoiler, cup wings, a roof spoiler, side skirts, and of course, the blistered front and rear fender add-ons that are the highlight of this kit.
While Prior Design didn't make any claims on any aerodynamic improvements, the intention for its fiberglass construction is for easy repair and minimized cost for reconstruction. Basically, that's Prior Design stating that the widebody aero kit is meant for track use. The parts themselves have a "smooth, stylish, high-end surface finish that provides sufficient flexibility combined with a decent stability", according to Prior Design themselves. Oh, and while most of these parts can be bolted on, the front and rear fenders need a bit of alteration in order for the wider body panels to be fitted properly.
Looks That Now Match Its Performance
The overall effect of Prior Design's widebody aero kit has made the GR Yaris look like a road-going version of the car that Toyota uses in the WRC. And while Prior Design is mostly focused on aesthetics, the GR Yaris already offers legendary performance right out of the showroom. The 1.6-liter three-cylinder turbo gasoline engine that it shares with the GR Corolla produces 268 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque.
It is sent through a GR-Four all-wheel drive (AWD) system via a proper six-speed manual transmission. This allows the GR Yaris to sprint from 0-62 mph in just 5.2 seconds. More importantly, the AWD system has a limited-slip differential (LSD) at each axle, plus it even disconnects the wheels when doing handbrake turns. Proper rally car stuff indeed.
The Widebody Aero Kit Doesn't Come Cheap Though
As for pricing, the widebody aero costs a pretty penny--even if the intention of Prior Design in using fiberglass is to make repairs less costly. Depending on the part, its price ranges from €449 ($478) for the hood or €3,899 ($4,151) for the front and rear fenders. Here's to hoping that Prior Design also does a similar kit for the GR Corolla.