We’ve been bracing for this moment for the better part of four years, what with rumours and non–stop teasers building up the hype. Unfortunately for Toyota, someone over at the GR Corolla Forum has managed to find the company’s American holding page for the new GR Corolla, spoiling the surprise a day before the reveal.
This, then, is Toyota’s soon-to-be-launched über hatch, hours before you’re supposed to see it. And it looks good, doesn’t it? The Corolla Hatchback is already a fetching five-door, but slathered in Heavy Metal grey paint and hunkered down with its rally-style fender flares, it now really looks the business.
At the front, you’ll find a GR Yaris-inspired front fascia with a massive rectangular lower grille and vertical corner air inlets, along with fog lights where the brake ducts used to sit on its smaller sibling. There’s also a sizeable power bulge on the bonnet, atop which lie a pair of louvred vents, while twin holes have also been cut into the slim black grille bar up top.
Along the side, you’ll find the front fender vents shown in yesterday’s teaser, plus deep side skirts with an embossed GR-Four logo, a forged carbon fibre roof and extensions for the fat rear flares on the rear doors. But it’s at the back where the GR Corolla looks its most aggressive, with a large tailgate spoiler and a rear diffuser with a unique triple tailpipe setup – normal round tips at the corners and a big oval exhaust exit in the centre. Honda Civic Type R, eat your heart out!
Although we don’t get a clear look at the interior, a single photo shows the GR Yaris’ bucket seats, including the adjustable head rests. The reason the GR Corolla shares so many bits with the Yaris isn’t just because the two are part of the Gazoo Racing family – you’ll find an entire GR Yaris hiding underneath the bigger body.
That’s right – as previously reported, the GR Corolla will get the Yaris’ full running gear, including the G16E-GTS 1.6 litre turbocharged three-cylinder engine. Outputs have been boosted significantly to a round 300 hp and 370 Nm of torque, representing increases of more than 40 PS and 10 Nm over the Malaysian-market GR Yaris. All that gets sent through a good ol’ six-speed manual gearbox – no auto option as rumoured.
The GR-Four all-wheel-drive system has also been retained, utilising a multi-plate clutch to shuffle torque front and rear depending on the drive mode – 40:60 front-to-rear in Normal, 30:70 in Sport and 50:50 in track. Interestingly, the Corolla doesn’t get the GR Yaris Circuit Pack’s 18-inch BBS forged alloy wheels, sticking to the standard matte black multi-spoke rollers. However, buyers will be specify the kit’s Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres and Torsen front and rear limited-slip differentials.
So there you are, the Toyota GR Corolla. What do you think of the looks, performance and specs – especially next to the new Volkswagen Golf R and the upcoming Civic Type R? Sound off in the comments after the jump. And don’t forget to check back here for full details once the car is finally, officially revealed tomorrow morning.
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Bring it on! Looking forward with GR86 soon
New Pocket Friendly Racing Legend
Toyota G16E-GTS, robust engine built to win FIA WRC Rally with GR Yaris,
Ppl have tuned it beyond 400hp.
Pair with TNGA, double Wishbone
Low CG, stiff chasis
50:50 – 30:70 GR-Four AWD
Torsen front and rear limited-slip differentials.
Collectible within Budget.
GR Corolla is powered by a 1.6 liter 3 Cylinder Yamaha engine, it can be easily surpass by Honda’s next generation Formula 1 and CBR-RRR Fireblade inspired 1.6 liter 4 Cylinder power plant
Also Good but need sponsorship fund money to keep it running properly,
good for F1 short distance <500km race, not endurance nor daily ride.
Not even matching to over 5000km each FIA World Endurance Championship 24hr Le Mans Race, a whole new level of challenge.
Different category to individual car ownership too,
TNGA GR Yaris 1.6 has the engine built for FIA WRC racing, yet good for daily ride + ACC equipped
Inb4 ppl comment…with this price rather buy BMW
But now not anymore.
ya, buy bmw sleep in work shop.
Design looks great.
Only let down, why only 300hp, it is very close to Yaris GR. And why 1.6L? Corolla GR should be using 2.0L 4cylinder with power close to 400hp.
Let the Japanese beat the Germans, once in a while in terms of horses.
Much too ah beng when compared with sleeper looks of Golf R, that is a daily driver car your mother would approve.
can we have this powertrain in the myvi please?
Myvi milo tin chassis will koyak with that much power.
it seems that almost all of paultan’s writer pool does not have the basic good manners to even acknowledge the readers of this blog for correcting their mistakes.
Is it so hard to reply thanks to this person? What kind of journalistic etiquette that you guys follow?
There are even writers that just delete readers comments about mistakes in their writings while sneakily correcting the mistakes of their work.
Is this what the founder of this blog previously did to the readers? why are the writers having so much bad mannerisms in their journalistic work?
manual only. thats the best part
can you shift faster than DCT? or even robo single clutch tranny?
this “manual best” mindset is childish and old.
manual is fun, but there are other tranny that are as fun, without sacrificing on daily drivability.
childish and old? what are you trying to say? cant make up your mind ah. its like your grandmother being ugly and pretty.
Looks good but I feel that the 2 door GR Yaris is more special. My next car has to be 2 door so I think I’ll stick with my plan of BRZ and bolt on the HKS Supercharger kit at a later date. Still works out to be cheaper than the GR Yaris, but not as limited and as special… oh well.
GR Yaris 300k, this?