The covers have finally come off the Toyota GR Corolla. Or at least a few hours before the official launch on March 31, ie.
The images of the much-awaited hot hatch were discovered and posted online by the viewers of the GR Corolla forum. The page has since been removed. By the time you read this, the car would have been officially unveiled.
The photos show a hot hatch that boasts an aggressively sporty exterior inspired by the more compact GR Yaris, with flared wheel arches, accent bumpers and a massive rear spoiler.
The GR Corolla is Toyota's fourth Gazoo Racing model after the GR Supra, GR86 and GR Yaris.
The Corolla takes the sharp styling nuances of the Yaris a step further by adding black hood vents, large front wheel arch vents and three exhaust tips.
Under the hood, the GR Corolla is powered by the GR Yaris' 1.6-litre turbocharged 3-cylinder gasoline engine. However, output has been bumped up to 300-hp from the Yaris' 261-hp and torque is up from 265 lb-ft to 273 lb-ft. Boasting the same rally-honing 4WD system as the Yaris, the Corolla gets the same choice of Normal, Sport and Track modes that are capable of transmitting up to 70 percent of the power to the rear wheels. This powerful engine is mated to a 6-speed manual transmission with no automatic option.
This output makes the GR Corolla more powerful than rivals in the 271-hp Hyundai Veloster N, 241-hp Volkswagen Golf GTI and 271-hp Subaru WRX. While no 0-60 mph time is posted, the GR Corolla should be able to hit 60 mph in under 5 seconds.
Will be fitted as standard in the US with what will be called "circuit-tuned suspension", with Michelin Pilot Sport tires on 18-inch alloy wheels.
The interior also looks promising as Toyota USA guarantees a "GR leather-trim steering wheel and unique gauge cluster", a cabin that will borrow design cues from the GR Yaris.
US will get the GR Yaris Launch Edition, which includes front and rear torsion limited-slip differentials from the GR Yaris Rally, plus vented hood, black 18-inch wheels, carbon-fiber roof, and ultrasuede and synthetic leather seats.
The 2023 Toyota GR Corolla will be officially unveiled later today, so stay tuned for more detailed news about one of the best cars to come from Toyota in a long time.