The 300-hp, 3-cylinder all-wheel-drive 2023 Toyota GR Corolla is a $40K teacup supercar that speaks loudly and rolls on wide Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tires
The 300-horsepower, three-cylinder 2023 Toyota GR Corolla is a skunkworks project with Toyota GAZOO Racing team. (Photos courtesy of Toyota)
Table of Contents
Toyota Racing
Engineering by GAZOO
My Favorite Sport Compacts
Pricing for the 3 GR Corolla Editions
Safety Features and Technologies
Corolla GR Core Ride and Handling
Why Buy the 2023 Toyota GR Corolla?
Specifications
I heard the growl of the GR Corolla before the Toyota driver rounded the corner to my house to deliver the week’s test car. The gutty exhaust tone was not the usual pitter-patter of little Corolla feet. The 300-horsepower, all-wheel-drive 2023 Toyota GR Corolla speaks loudly and rolls on wide Michelin Pilot Sport tires.
What is remarkable about this 300-hp is that it comes from a three-cylinder engine. The teacup powerplant is Toyota’s G16E-GTS engine with direct and port injection. The 1.6-liter turbocharged engine is tuned “for snappy acceleration out of the corners,” Toyota says. Peak torque runs steadily from 3,000 to 5,500 rpm. The max 300 horsepower comes on at 6,500 rpm. The only transmission offered is a six-speed manual. And the all-wheel-drive system has driver-manipulated torque split front to rear.
Triple exhaust tips reduce back pressure for maximum power and are a subtle show of weaponry.
If it even matters, the fuel economy is 21 mpg city, 28 highway, and 24 mpg combined using the required premium fuel. The 13.2-gallon fuel tank is the same size as in all Toyota Corollas.
GR Corolla interior features include metal-trimmed pedals, a 6-way adjustable driver’s seat, and an 8-inch multimedia display with 6-speaker audio system.
Toyota Racing Background
The GR Corolla is a wicked little dart of marketing. It promotes another side of this juggernaut automaker, the second-largest automaker in the world (just behind VW Group).
Toyota has been racing professionally for more than 41 years in American events. It has teams in the Baja 1000, NASCAR, NHRA, Formula Drift, World Rally, and even Midget racing. But the transfer of racing technology hasn’t bled so visibly onto Toyota’s retail vehicle development.
The GR Corolla is a special project granted corporate approval from Toyota Motor Corp. President Akio “Morizo” Toyoda, now 67. He is the founder’s grandson, but he has become better known as Toyota’s chief test driver. He is a skilled racetrack veteran and an advocate for corporate-backed racing.
Because Toyoda was so hands-on in race-testing Toyotas, he took the pseudonym of “Morizo” to disguise his activities from the corporate naysayers. It’s a fun story, found here.
The GR Corolla’s 300-hp, G16E-GTS 3-cylinder turbocharged engine, tuned “for snappy acceleration out of the corners.”
Engineering by GAZOO Racing
Toyoda worked with its Toyota GAZOO Racing team to get this project right. It is this skunkworks group that develops technologies for Toyota’s GR sub-brand.
The mild-mannered Corolla is built on Toyota’s GA-C platform, accommodating front- and all-wheel-drive powertrains. But before the power goes in, the Corolla gets a workover at the GR factory at Toyota’s Motomachi plant. The accommodating five-door hatch is transformed with frame reinforcements, functional air vents for the engine and brakes, and other aerodynamic tweaks for stability at speed.
The GR Corolla is Toyota GAZOO Racing’s first wholly developed and manufactured model for the North American market. Their work is also available in the Toyota GR86 ($29,000) and the GR Supra ($45,000). Enthusiasts in Japan, Europe, and other countries also have access to the subcompact Toyota GR Yaris. It scoops up 261 hp from the same GR Corolla engine, but the GR Yaris is 430 pounds lighter.
The six-speed shifter with rev-matching downshifts.
The team’s detail-obsessed engineering created a race-pedigreed and street-legal track car sold at Toyota dealerships with the standard new-vehicle warranty of 3 years or 36,000 miles bumper to bumper and 5 years or 60,000 miles for the powertrain.
Coverage includes “responsible driving on track days,” Toyota says, but it also stresses induvial responsibility. To help protect the car, Toyota offers GR Corolla buyers a one-year membership to the National Auto Sport Association, with a free, coached track day session.
Comparable cars include the 315-hp Honda Civic Type R, 276-hp Hyundai Elantra N, 271-hp Subaru WRX, and 315-hp VW Golf R.
The 12.3-inch driver information screen has digital gauges for power settings and turbo pressure, a center tach, and gear position indicator lights.
My Favorite Sport Compact Cars
The GR Corolla reminded me of the most fun sport-compact cars I have tested. It’s not just about power; it’s the delivery, and the connectedness of the car to the driver.:
1997 Acura Integra Type R;
1998 Ford Contour SVT;
2017-2019 Ford Fiesta ST;
2009 Fiat 500 Abarth;
2018 Hyundai Elantra GT;
2019 Hyundai Veloster N;
2003-2005 Dodge Neon SRT-4;
2004 Mazdaspeed Miata;
2010 Mazdaspeed3 5-door;
2004 Subaru Impreza WRX sedan;
VW GTI or Golf R any year;
And now the 2023 Toyota GR Corolla.
GR Corolla Editions Pricing
There are three performance levels for the 2023 GR Corolla. And buyers of each receive a 1-year membership to the National Auto Sport Association. Included is a free High Performance Driving Experience .
I tested the entry GR Corolla Core. Core pricing starts at $36,995, including the $1,095 freight charge from Japan. There is a choice of three paint colors: black, white, and Supersonic red, a $425 option.
My Core tester had two of the three available factory options:
Performance package, $1,180, includes front and rear Torsen limited-slip differentials, 4-piston aluminum fixed-caliper disc brakes with red-painted calipers and GR logo (front), 2-piston aluminum fixed-caliper disc brakes with red-painted calipers and GR logo (rear)
Technology package, $770, includes 8-speaker JBL audio system with dynamic navigation (with 3-year trial), including 8-inch touchscreen, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatible, one USB media port, wireless smartphone charging pad.
Supersonic Red paint added $425.
Also available is a Cold Weather package, $500, which adds heated front seats and steering wheel.
The GR Corolla Circuit Edition has Brin-Naub synthetic leather-trimmed seats with red stitching.
GR Corolla Circuit Edition, $43,995
There is no shame in owning the entry GR Corolla Core. It is a showcase of performance engineering, but it might not compare well to a friend who stepped up to the Circuit Edition. This rascal gets serious about higher performance.
Circuit Edition standard features include a forged carbon fiber roof and an aluminum hood with a bulge and gloss-black air vents. Its disc brakes are the same size as the Core but with red-painted calipers and GR logo.
Rather than the Core’s open differential, the Circuit Edition has Torsen limited slip differentials front are rear.
And there are more gloss black body trim elements, rather than the Core’s matte black.
Circuit Edition interior features include Brin-Naub and synthetic leather-trimmed sport seats with red stitching, red mesh inserts, and GR-badged headrests. It also includes the cold weather package of heated front seats and heated leather steering wheel.
A carbon-fiber roof is standard on the Circuit and Morizo Editions.
GR Corolla Morizo Edition, $50,995
Finding a track-ready GR Corolla Morizo Edition won’t be easy: only 200 were built for 2023.
The two-seat Morizo Edition is the lightest and most powerful of the three trim levels. Its engine gets a 22 lb.-ft. torque boost to 295 foot-pounds from 3,250-4,600 rpm.
Lightweighting comes from several areas. GR engineers removed nearly 100 pounds of weight versus the Circuit Edition, now estimated to be 3,186 pounds. Most weight savings came from removing the back seat, rear speakers, and window lifts. Even the rear wiper and motor were pulled.
The hood and front door panels are aluminum, which saves weight and slightly lowers the center of gravity.
To further stiffen the hatchback body, the engineers added two more floor braces and one more rear strut brace. The frame has an additional 349 spot welds, with more than 19 ½ feet (6 meters) of structural adhesive applied.
Other Morizo modifications range from a close-ratio transmission and shorter differential gears to front brake ducts and mono-tube shock absorbers. Unique forged wheels have wider Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires.
Check here for current pricing and offers
To lighten the GR Corolla Morizo Edition, engineers pulled over 100 pounds of content for a curb estimated to be 3,186 pounds.
GR Corolla Safety Technologies
The GR Corolla is a legitimate, five-door sport-compact car with an expansive tech safety package that gives it Level 2 semi-autonomous driving capability. Toyota’s semi-autonomous driving is among the most accurate I’ve tested. Lane guidance is precise and did not let the car drift wide through highway cornering or cross the white lines.
Among the safety features are 10 air bags, a blind spot monitor with rear cross-traffic alert, and Toyota’s Star Safety System, which includes enhanced stability and traction controls.
Advanced safety technologies include Toyota Safety Sense 3.0, which includes:
- Pre-collision system with pedestrian detection;
- Lane departure alert with steering assist;
- Lane tracing assist;
- Automatic high beams;
- Dynamic radar cruise control;
- Road Sign Assist.
All GR Corollas have 14-inch ventilated front discs with four-piston calipers and rear 11.7-inch rear ventilated discs with two-piston calipers.
GR Corolla Core Ride and Handling
Choose the Core for its pure fun of rev, shift, and terrorize friends and the school carpool. As with any elite performance model today, the GR Corolla Core has a split personality. Toss the key to anybody who can work a stick shift, and they will have an easy time getting started. Make them aware that there is plenty of sporty fun within legal speed limits. It is on the upper end of engine revs that requires more focus from the driver.
Driving is friendly and unintimidating, but be ready when you engage Sport mode and roll on the power. The engine has bullish torque and acceleration to 60 mph scoots by un 4.99 seconds (same for the Circuit Edition). The lightened and more heavily braced Morizo Edition shaves a couple of tenths at 4.92 seconds.
The clutch has a medium-weight engagement, though never tiring. The shifter has refined gear engagement with a steely machined response. The gearbox is so NOT Corolla.
For all trim levels of GR Corolla, the GR-FOUR AWD has three driver-selectable torque-split settings, front-to-rear: Street 60/40, Touring 30:70), Track 50/50
The suspension is protective of occupants in daily driving but hit a surprise pothole and feel the painful jolt. I’d check the gauges for the flat tire icon on some hits, but I never had a blowout. And those remarkably responsive Michelins will cost around $250 each to replace. The tire has a sticky treadwear rating (UTQG) of 300, which pencils out to a warranty of 30,000 miles. The owner, however, will have waaay too much fun for the rubber to last that long.
Plenty of space for groceries or track gear.
Why Buy the 2023 Toyota GR Corolla?
The GR Corolla is a pocket-class supercar. It would not be my choice as a road-trip car, but it makes for a helluva fun everything else. It is a performance bargain at less than $40,000. But with a first-year build of around 6,600 cars, pricing competition is rampant.
Many dealership markups are ridiculous. Reports by GR Corolla shoppers have quoted “Limited Market Value” markups of $10,000 to $20,000 for a Core model. And the greed rises exponentially for the Circuit Edition and Morizo editions.
However, according to threads on the GR Corolla forum, there are dealers doing MSRP. “You just have to do the research and find them.”
Toyota does what it can to police those exorbitant dealer addendums, a spokesman said.
“We do our best to have a conversation with the dealer and try to get them to look long-term,” he said. “The GR Corolla will always be somewhat limited in volume, but over time enough supply will help alleviate the current dealer markup situation. “
Toyota has not announced its 2024 lineup yet, but it has said the GR Corolla Circuit Edition will continue for model year 2024. And my source said there would be future GR Corollas.
You’ll just have to do the research to find them.
The GR Corolla is a wicked little dart of marketing that promotes a more daring side of juggernaut automaker Toyota, known more for its mass-produced dependability.
2023 Toyota GR Corolla Core Specifications
Body style: compact, 5-door, 5-seat AWD hatchback
Engine: 300-hp, turbocharged direct and port injection, 1.6-liter 3-cylinder with rev-matching downshifts; 273 lb.-ft. from 3,000-5,500 rpm
Compression ratio: 10.5:1
Max boost pressure: 25.2 PSI (Core Grade and Circuit Edition); 26.3 PSI (Morizo Edition)
Transmission: 6-speed manual with rev-matching downshifts
GR-FOUR AWD: 3 driver-selectable torque-split settings, front-to-rear: Street 60/40, Touring 30:70), Track 50/50
Differential type: Open (Core Grade); front and rear Torsen limited-slip differentials Circuit Edition and Morizo
0-60 mph acceleration, manufacturer estimated: 4.99 seconds (Core and Circuit Edition); 4.92-sec. (Morizo Edition)
Top speed: 142.9 mph
Fuel economy: 21/28/24 mpg city/hwy/combined; premium fuel required
CHASSIS HARDWARE
Suspension: MacPherson-type struts front, rear double wishbone-type multilink with stabilizer bars front and rear, 26.5mm front, 24mm rear.
Brakes, all models: 14-inch ventilated front discs with 4-piston calipers; 11.7-inch rear ventilated discs with 2-piston calipers.
Wheels: 18-inch cast alloy gloss black 15 spoke, Core Grade and
Circuit Edition; 18-inch, 10-spoke forged alloy wheels in a matte black finish, Morizo Edition.
Tires: 18-inch 235/40R Michelin Pilot Sport 4, Core Grade and Circuit Edition; 245/40R Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2, Morizo Edition.
Track width, front/rear: 62.6 inches, Core and Circuit Edition; 62.6/63.7 inches, Morizo Edition.
Curb weights: 3,252 pounds Core; 3,262 lbs. with dual limited-slip diffs
Coefficient of drag: 0.35
BY THE NUMBERS
Fuel tank: 13.2 gallons
Cargo space: 17.8 cubic feet
Front head/leg room: 38.4/42 inches
Rear head/leg room: 37.6/29.9 inches
Length/wheelbase: 173.6/103.9 inches
Turning circle: 36.1 feet
FEATURES
GR upgrades include:
- Wide body front and rear fender flares
- Fabric sport seats with GR logo
- Matte black front grille with GR badge
- Rear bumper with air vents and gloss black front fender vents
- Stainless steel triple exhaust tips
- GR leather-trimmed steering wheel.
Standard GR Corolla features include: smart-key locking with GR push-button ignition, a rearview camera with parking aid lines, a 12.3-inch driver info display, an 8-inch multimedia display with six-speaker audio system, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, 60/40 split folding back seat, gloss black 15-spoke 18-inch wheels with 235/40 Michelin Pilot Sport4 tires; 14-inch 4-piston vented front disc brakes and 11.7-inch 2-piston vented rear discs.
Safety features include: 10 air bags, blind spot monitor with rear cross-traffic alert, Star Safety System of enhanced vehicle stability control, traction
control, 4-wheel ABS, electronic brake-force distribution, brake assist, and Smart Stop Technology;
Advanced safety technologies: Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 includes:
- Pre-collision system with pedestrian detection;
- Lane departure alert with steering assist;
- Lane tracing assist;
- Automatic high beams;
- Dynamic radar cruise control;
- Road Sign Assist.
PRICING
GR Corolla Core base price: $35,900, including $1,095 freight charge; price as tested $39,659
Options on test vehicle: SuperSonic paint $425; carpet cargo mat $110; carpet floor mats $179;
Performance package, $1,180, adds front and rear limited-slip differentials with red-painted brake calipers and GR logo
Technology package, $770, adds premium 8-speaker JBL audio with a wireless phone charging pad
Where assembled: Aichi, Japan
Warranties: 3-years/36,000-miles bumper to bumper with roadside assistance; 2-years/25,000-miles free scheduled maintenance; 5-years/60,000-miles powertrain
