New Toyota GRMN Corolla is built to crush laps at the Nurburgring
There’s no mistaking this Corolla as a commuter car – the GRMN is as focused as a Porsche 911 GT3 RS
Toyota has been building some pretty tasty performance cars through its Gazoo Racing outfit over the past decade or so, but its top-tier GRMN treatment has generally been reserved for the most specialised models. And now, for the first time, it’s attached to the Corolla.
Revealed in a prototype form, the new Toyota GRMN Corolla will go on sale next year in limited numbers in Japan, the USA and Australia – and it comes with very clear inspiration behind its development.
Unlike the smaller GR Yaris, which was built to homologate the WRC rally car, the Corolla GRMN is more geared to road use and has been inspired by Toyota’s GR Corolla Nurburgring endurance racer. This focus has been applied to each of the GRMN’s new elements, so while there’s no increase in its 300bhp power output, there’s a collection of other finely honed elements that create the most extreme Corolla yet.
The first centres on the 1.6-litre turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine, which has been re-tuned to offer better responses at higher revs. Peak torque is up by 15Nm, and it’s produced higher in the rev-brand, between 3,600rpm and 4,800rpm. This will give the GRMN a different feel to the standard GR Corolla, sacrificing some low-down grunt for sharper high-end response. To help with cooling, there’s a new water-injection system for the intercoolers, too.
The engine is then connected to a six-speed manual transmission, and the all-wheel drive system has been optimised to improve high-speed stability. For the same reason, the electric power steering system has also been re-tuned and the standard suspension replaced entirely by a higher-specification system. Toyota has been fiddling with the bump stops too, to keep the car stable at the extremes of its suspension travel.
At the same time as this high-speed optimisation, the aero kit has also been given a thorough overhaul. Up front, a new bonnet and bumper help with cooling, while new front wings with huge vents help reduce high-pressure air inside the wheelarches. There’s also a new adjustable rear wing and the familiar 18-inch forged wheels from the GR Yaris, finished in bronze.
Inside, Toyota has removed the rear seats and fitted new buckets designed to accommodate a racing helmet, helping contribute to the 30kg weight saving over the standard GR Corolla. If you still need those back seats, Toyota is also developing a new Morizo RR variant, which will reinstate the rear seats and have an eight-speed automatic transmission.
Just like the standard GR Corolla, there’s little chance that this hot hatch will arrive in the UK, despite the fact that a large majority of its production is now based in Sunderland.
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