Toyota GR Corolla sports nameplate's rally wins and uprated GR Yaris engine

MANILA: The newly unveiled Toyota GR Corolla sprang to life based on the strong desire of Toyota President Akio Toyoda (a.k.a. Morizo) to "bring back a Corolla that captivates (brand's) customers".

Through such achievements as the TE25 Corolla earning Toyota's first World Rally Championship victory in 1973, followed by the Corolla Levin's win in the 1,000 Lakes Rally in 1975, the Corolla laid the foundation for Toyota Gazoo Racing's (TGR) concept of "making ever-better motorsports-bred cars". 

In developing the GR Corolla, TGR's goal was to win races and make the racing cars commercially available. In concrete terms, the vehicle was comprehensively developed in racing by participating in the Super Taikyu Series using a hydrogen engine-equipped Corolla to also refine a hydrogen engine with Toyota Master Driver Morizo himself taking stints behind the wheel.

Furthermore, to ensure that the GR Corolla could be driven with confidence and enjoyment in a variety of situations, prototypes were put through their paces not only on racing circuits but also on highly demanding dirt roads and snow-covered roads.

Driving was done rigorously by drivers who each have unique perspectives, including Morizo, racing driver Hiroaki Ishiura, All Japan Rally Championship winner Norihiko Katsuta, and in-house evaluators.

While the basic body framework of the Corolla Sport has been adopted, the GR Corolla sports 20-millimeters-wider front fenders and 30mm-wider rear fenders to produce a broader stance that foreshadows a spirited driving experience.

The triple exhausts of a muffler created to further increase the output of the 1.6-liter in-line three-cylinder intercooler turbo engine also emphasize rear end stance. 

Honing the vehicle's cooling and aerodynamic performance on all kinds of roads, including racing circuits, dirt roads, and snow-covered roads, resulted in the inclusion of a front-bumper air intake and front-fender and hood-bulge air outlets.

Inside the GR Corolla, a short-stroke shift lever for the six-speed manual is positioned for natural operation by simply lowering the arm from the steering wheel enables quick gear changes.

A hand-operated parking brake has been used to allow better vehicle control even when pushing the car to its limits, such as when drifting.

The full TFT Meter, which was developed exclusively for GR models, has been newly adopted. Inspired by race cars and reflecting insight from professional drivers, the new display improves visibility during sporty driving. 

Under the hood of the GR Corolla resides the 1.6-liter turbocharged engine from the GR Yaris — tuned to make more power than the latter with 304ps and 370Nm.

Like the GR Yaris, the GR Corolla engine features a valve-equipped triple-exhaust muffler that reduces both exhaust pressure and noise. In sum, the engine provides overwhelming acceleration and a more-pleasant extension of RPMs.

The basic body framework of the Toyota Corolla Sport has been adopted, and, while retaining the excellent driving stability provided by a long wheelbase, high-speed cornering performance has been improved by widening the track by 60mm up front and by 85mm in the rear.

The GR Corolla's GR-Four four-wheel drive system uses an electronic multi-plate clutch to provide variable front and rear driving force, like in the GR Yaris.

This time, however, the system's "4WD" mode, which controls driving force distribution, and its "Drive" mode, which controls accelerator response, steering, and others, have been separated to enable selection according to driver preference and the driving environment.

Furthermore, the use of pillow-ball bushings and the optimization of the springs, shock absorbers, and wheel alignment combine to fully transmit the GR-Four's optimal distribution of driving force to the road surface

Body rigidity has been strengthened for more agility. In the GR Corolla, braces have been added between the rear wheel wells, to the under-floor tunnel, and under the floor in front of the fuel tank to improve handling stability.

Also, like in the case of the GR Yaris, the roof panel is made of carbon fiber, which offers a high degree of freedom of shape and contributes not only to increased rigidity but also to weight reduction.

Opposed caliper disk brakes provide stable braking force and controllability. Meanwhile, the latest active safety package Toyota Safety Sense comes standard in the GR Corolla.

Photos from Toyota 

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