Toyota reveals 300bhp motorsport-bred GR Corolla – but it’s not coming to the UK
Japanese firm’s highly anticipated hot hatch has been revealed in America.
Toyota’s highly anticipated Corolla hot hatch has been revealed in America, but it will not be officially sold in the UK.
The GR Corolla has been tuned and developed by the Japanese firm’s motorsport division, Gazoo Racing, to have more power, better handling and a more aggressive exterior appearance.
Under the bonnet sits the same 1.6-litre turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine found in the much-loved GR Yaris, boasting 300bhp. The all-wheel drive system has also been borrowed from that car, but optimised for use in the Corolla.
The GR model has a 60mm wider track up front and 85mm wider track at the rear compared with the Corolla Sport, which boosts stability in corners.
The body has been stiffened up to improve handling, with extra braces fitted at various places. Meanwhile, the roof is made from light carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic to lower the centre of gravity as well as the vehicle’s overall weight.
On the outside, the Corolla Sport has been used as the base, but the GR version gets wider arches to accommodate the extra track width, while triple-exit exhausts improve performance and further add to the sporty character.
Aerodynamic optimisation also resulted in the addition of a front bumper air intake as well as air outlets in the front fenders and hood bulge.
Inside, a short-stroke gear shifter has been used for rapid gear changes, with a hand-operated handbrake giving more precise control when drifting, for example.
The GR Corolla demonstrates Toyota is serious about its rapidly expanding range of enthusiast cars. Historically, the firm has a reputation for building such cars as well as competing in motorsport, but its range of performance models dwindled in recent years.
That’s all changed with the new GR range of road cars, named after its motorsport division. This includes the GR Yaris, GR Supra and GR 86, but unlike those cars, the GR Corolla will not make it to Europe.
Instead, the GR Corolla will go on sale in the USA and Japan later this year.
