Overview
Toyota has turned its exhibition vehicle skunkworks division, Gazoo Racing, loose to apply the tuner treatment to the small Corolla hatchback. Furthermore, what a wonderful piece of work they’ve done: The final product is the 2023 GR Corolla. It’s a little dread, and this hatchback’s nature and performance have made it one of our favorite cars in 2023. Toyota has turned its exhibition vehicle skunkworks division, Gazoo Racing, loose. This division has been tasked with applying the tuner treatment to the small Corolla hatchback.
The little three-cylinder engine is amped up here to 300 horsepower and comes just with a six-speed manual transmission and all-wheel drive, which naturally makes it a lot of car enthusiasts’ favourite car of the year. As of late, Toyota’s been on a campaign to add energy to its setup with sportier contributions — witness the restored Supra sports vehicle — and more snazzy plans, and this rally-racer-inspired hot hatchback ought to help that work.
What’s happening in 2023?
The GR Corolla is another expansion to the Toyota arrangement for 2023 and will go up against well-known sport compacts like the Honda Civic Si, Hyundai Veloster N, and the Volkswagen Golf GTI and Jetta GLI. Truth be told, given its cost and potential, the GR Corolla will probably challenge the highest level of hot hatchbacks— the Volkswagen Golf R and the impending Honda Civic Type R.
Performance
The engine of the GR Corolla contains a turbocharged three-cylinder motor. This motor is taken from the GR Yaris, a hatchback that sells in worldwide business sectors beyond the US. For the GR Corolla, it was adjusted to make 300 horsepower. A six-speed manual is the main transmission, and all models accompany Toyota’s GR-Four all-wheel-drive framework. The GR-Four framework permits the driver to pick between various power-distribution modes. It begins with a 60/40 front-to-rear split for each day and heads up to 30/70 to have fun and drift.; a 50/50 split choice is planned to give the most extreme foothold to race with maximum traction. Current models of the Corolla, even the lively SE and XSE models don’t offer enough performance to race; however, the GR’s suspension and powertrain upgrades make it a genuine competitor in the sports hatchback vehicle segment.
The Circuit Edition trim comes standard with front and rear LSDs (limited slip differentials); the base Center model offers those as a choice. The restricted version Morizo is a track-centered model that comes with lighter-weight manufactured wheels, a retuned motor that produces 295 lb-ft of torque (the standard model makes 273 lb-ft), and an extraordinarily adjusted suspension. Additionally, it comes with super tacky Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires. On a twisty street, the GR Corolla rewards its driver with an ideal mix of sure-footedness and politeness. While the pedal position may not be great for heel-toe work, the six-speed manual is generally simple to push; a rev-match feature is in the standard models.
