The 2023 Toyota GR Corolla is coming to Canada this fall in 3 delicious skins

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If you’ve ever wondered how important it is to have a gear head at the top of a car brand, look no further than the current list of fun cars Toyota has to offer. Boss Man Akio Toyoda is an avid racer who takes a keen interest in his company’s offerings. The latest to bear multiple of his fingerprints? The new 2023 GR Corolla.

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A bona fide A member of Gazoo Racing’s family of sports cars, the GR Corolla is a four-door hatchback with an aggressive mug and mouth to match its pants. Under the hood is a turbocharged 1.6-liter, three-cylinder engine tuned to a hard-to-believe 300 hp and 273 lb-ft of torque. This is routed to the ground through a GR-Four all-wheel-drive system with three selectable power distributions, one of which sends 70 percent of available power to the rear wheels.

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Let’s repeat that: three hundred hp from a three-cylinder engine. That’s a hundred ponies per pot, not to mention the near-insignificant torque count. This is one mad mill, and we can’t wait to hear its triple threat buzz. Of course, a powertrain like this can only have one dance partner – a six-speed manual transmission with a short-throw shift lever. Expect a zero to 100 km/h acceleration time of less than five seconds.

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There will be three trims of the GR Corolla. First out is a Core fairing with 18-inch alloys and a Torsen limited-slip differential. The latter is only available in Canada, so pay attention if you get messages from an American outlet – ours is better. An 8-inch touchscreen handles infotainment duties, Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 tries to keep things shiny, and heated front seats (also Canadian spec) keep your buns warm. Price? $45,490.

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Next is the Circuit Edition, a trim level exclusive to the introductory year. For $53,990, it adds a carbon fiber roof, GR red caliper brakes and a vented hood bulge to the Core trim. Other additions to the Circuit include a protruding rear spoiler and fancier GR suede-upholstered seats, as well as a unique shift knob and upgraded audio speakers. The steering wheel is also heated.

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At the top of the stack is a $59,990 Morizo ​​model. Named for Akio Toyoda’s racing nickname, this is a track-focused weapon that ditches the back seat in the name of weight savings while cranking the torque to 295 lb-ft of twist. Driver and front passenger are held in place with Brin-Naub and leatherette-trimmed GR sport seats, while the six-speed manual transmission is brushed with closer gear ratios. Like the Circuit, it has a carbon fiber roof and angry hood.

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All GR Corollas are four-wheel drive and feature a system that can be quickly adjusted by the driver to distribute power 60-40, 50-50, or 30-70. Toyota describes it as its first “sports AWD system in more than 20 years” and has the advantage of being refined by a cadre of WRC drivers. Sounds good to us.

The GR Corolla model is said to be assembled at the GR Factory, a dedicated production facility where legends like the Lexus LFA and Supra A80 have been built. Entry-level Core trims will hit retailers this fall, with the Circuit and Morizo ​​editions going on sale next spring.