Enlarge / You’ll be forgiven for thinking this is a WRX, but it’s actually the new Toyota GR Corolla.
Toyota
Overall, Toyota is known for reliable but boring cars. But among the millions of RAV4s and Camrys, there’s evidence of a wilder streak. There’s of course the Supra, which is as eye-catching as few cars are today. And there’s the GR Yaris, designed to homologate a rally car before a rule change made it obsolete.
“GR” stands for Gazoo Racing, and it seems the GR magic has turned the Yaris into a cult favorite. Toyota hasn’t sold this little three-cylinder, four-wheel-drive pocket rocket in the US market, but it will bring its successor, the GR Corolla, to the country. Also powered by a turbocharged 1.6-litre three-cylinder engine, the GR Corolla features all-wheel drive and will be available later this year.
Like the GR Yaris, the GR Corolla will be built at a dedicated factory in Motomachi, Japan, as opposed to the regular Corolla line at the company’s Takaoka Plant. The car’s body has been reinforced with stronger welds and adhesives, and buyers get the option of a forged carbon fiber roof to save weight where it really counts.
The GR version is wider than the regular Corolla due to flared wheel arches, and it’s studded with grilles and vents that variously draw in air for cooling or make the air work by directing it in the desired direction .
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Enlarge / Like the Ferrari F40, the GR Corolla has three exhaust pipes. But unlike the F40, the GR Corolla Core shouldn’t cost much more than $32,000.
Toyota
The GR Yaris and GR Corolla share the same turbocharged 1.6-litre three-cylinder engine (known as the G16E-GTS), although the GR Corolla has a new exhaust that puts out slightly more power – 300 hp (223 kW) and 273 lb -ft (370 Nm).
That power is sent to all four wheels through a six-speed manual transmission; There are no flap paddles here, even as an option. The AWD system is equipped with a feature most commonly found in Gran Turismo – with a twist of the wrist you can change the torque split between the front and rear axles from 60:40 to 50:50 or 30:70, depending on your mood . Torque-sensitive locking differentials for the front and rear axles will also be available.
Toyota will offer the GR Corolla in two trim levels, a more affordable Core Edition and a more expensive Circuit Edition, with the latter including the forged roof, suede and leatherette interior, and limited-slip differentials, among other features. Both versions will use Toyota’s new infotainment system, which is a big improvement over the Entune system the company has been using.
Enlarge / The interior of the Circuit Edition is dark and brooding.
Toyota
We don’t know exact pricing yet, but it seems reasonable to expect the GR Corolla Core to start at around $32,000 (similar to the Hyundai Veloster N), with loaded GR Corolla Circuit Editions hitting almost $40,000, eh the Honda Civic Type-R and Volkswagen Golf R.