Toyota recently unveiled its new GR family member in the form of the most powerful Corolla ever made. This latest alteration of the world's best-selling car comes with lots of upgrades in true sports car fashion, and it's greeted with a radical bodywork change.
First thing first, let's talk about the Corolla GR motor, which is a masterpiece in engineering, in my opinion. The Japanese sports car is powered by a 1.6 L 3-cylinder Turbo engine that produces 300 horsepower and 273 foot-pounds of torque.
The Corolla GR is available in hatchback configuration only and benefits from a clever GR-Four-wheel-drive system. As mentioned by Toyota, the GR Corolla "feature a rally-derived front-to-rear adjustable AWD System ." However, the best thing about Toyota's new hot hatch is the fact it's exclusively available with a 6-speed manual transmission. I think it's a brilliant move from Toyota, and I am going to tell you why. A couple of years ago, we thought it was the end for the manual transmission since only fewer cars were available with this option every year. However, in the past year, many new models came out with a brand-new manual transmission. Even the Supra would be now offered with a stick shift and a clutch pedal even if the Japanese manufacturer told us it was unlikely to happen when the model first arrived on the market.
GR Corolla Circuit
For the first production year of the GR Corolla, GAZOO Racing decided to offer a special edition of the model alongside the regular GR Corolla, which is called Core. The Core version is a bit more tamed and definitely less impressive in its visual aspect, whereas the Circuit Edition has a massive rear wing and a very aggressive front end. The Circuit Edition also receives a carbon-fiber roof. Both versions will have a wider stance thanks to broader fender flares. However, the Circuit Edition will get a vented bulge well. Again, both cars will get a sportier interior compared to the regular Corolla, but the Circuit Edition gets suede-trimmed sports seats with red accents and an exclusive Morizo signed shift knob.
Even if both versions are exciting, the Circuit Version is the one to get for 2023 since it's going to be available for one year only. Of course, Toyota might come up with a new special edition for 2024, but first-year limited production models have a better tendency to keep a good resell value. Anyways, I don't think the GR Corolla will disappoint you regardless of the version you choose. I am very impatient to put my hand on the steering wheel of these cars to give you my impression.
Toyota hasn't released Canadian prices yet for the GR Corolla, but don't expect it to be cheap. The Core version could cost anywhere between 40 000 and 50 000 $. For the Circuit Edition, I won't be surprised if the price jump over 60 000 $. This is a serious car, and that is why we expect it to come with a serious price tag.
Jean-Sébastien Poudrier
