Mini Mayhem to Rally Homologation: Rowan Atkinson’s GR Yaris Goes to Auction

There’s a certain irony in the fact that Rowan Atkinson is about to send a hot hatch to auction. After all, this is the man who made a battered Mini as famous as any Aston Martin, once drove around with an armchair strapped to the roof in Mr Bean, and has form when it comes to interesting machinery. But unlike the lime-green Leyland from his slapstick days, or his McLaren F1 real-life ‘daily’, this one’s far more attainable.

Atkinson’s own Toyota GR Yaris is heading under the hammer with Iconic Auctioneers at the Race Retro sale on 21 February, held at Stoneleigh Park. And no, there’s no armchair on the roof rack. We checked.

Celebrity-owned cars can be a mixed bag. Sometimes they’re over-specced garage ornaments. Sometimes they’ve lived hard lives. This one appears to sit neatly in the sweet spot. It’s finished in Platinum White Pearl, fitted with the all-important Circuit Pack, has covered just 6,700 miles from new and comes with a full main dealer service history. It’s been with Atkinson for the past three years and is being offered directly from him, with a guide price of between £25,000 and £30,000.

That, in today’s market and for a car with celebrity connections, doesn’t sound outrageous for a clean, low-mileage GR Yaris – and that is even before you factor in the previous keeper.

If you’ve somehow forgotten the hype, the GR Yaris wasn’t just another warm hatch with a body kit. It was built as a homologation special for Toyota’s World Rally Championship effort. That meant a bespoke three-door shell, lightweight construction, a 1.6-litre turbocharged three-cylinder engine and a proper GR-FOUR all-wheel-drive system. Basically, it shares a badge with the regular Yaris, but that’s about it.

The Circuit Pack cars are the ones enthusiasts really want, as it gives you uprated suspension, forged wheels, Torsen limited-slip differentials front and rear and stickier rubber. In short, it’s the version for people who actually enjoy driving, rather than just talking about it online. That makes Atkinson a fitting owner, given that he’s a regular at classic racing events such as the Goodwood Revival and Members Meeting.

It’s easy to pigeonhole him as the man in the tweed jacket with a dodgy Mini and a talent for silent chaos. But Atkinson is a well-documented petrolhead. He’s owned everything from classic British sports cars to modern supercars, and he’s no stranger to serious performance machinery.

The GR Yaris fits that pattern rather well. It’s compact, clever and engineered with intent. It’s also the sort of car that rewards proper driving input – something Atkinson has long been known to appreciate away from the cameras.

Auction house managing director Rob Hubbard describes the GR Yaris as “one of the most interesting performance cars of its generation”, which feels fair. In an era increasingly dominated by weight, electrification and synthetic driving experiences, the GR Yaris landed like a reminder of how things used to be done – small, light(ish), mechanical and full of character.

The sale takes place on 21 February as part of the Race Retro Show at Stoneleigh Park, with bidding available in person or online via Iconic Auctioneers.

So if you fancy a rally-bred hot hatch with a bit of comedy royalty in its backstory – but none of the slapstick damage – this might be your moment.

Just don’t be tempted to strap an armchair to the roof. That trick’s already been done.

You can check out the auction for yourself on the official website.