300 horsepower from a Corolla seems mindboggling, but they made it happen… for under $50,000.
WHO WOULD’VE THOUGHT? Three cylinders for 300 horsepower. At 100 horses a piece, the cylinders make for an average output rivaling that of a Hellcat. Out of a Toyota. For years the pusillanimous crowd cried about how the hot hatch market has fallen into the shadows, with quick-hitting jabs being traded out for hefty SUVs that have never fit any enthusiast’s wish list.
Toyota has finally fired back with the GR Corolla, capitalizing on what was already a handsome figure with the Corolla Hatchback, turning it into a bite-size track demon that goes toe-to-toe with industry stalwarts like the Golf GTI and Honda’s Civic Type R.
On paper, the stat sheet speaks for itself. The rather beige Corolla hatch has been transformed into a 300 horsepower monster fit for a 13.3 quarter-mile run and a 4.9 second sprint to 60 miles per hour. It’s surprising coming from a company who has strayed away from its youthful era, opting to focus on more mass-consumer vehicles. The Corolla mimics Toyota’s thoroughbred, albeit smaller racehorse in rallying—the GR Yaris which isn’t sold stateside.
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300 centuries of horsepower comes from a tiny 1.6-liter inline three-cylinder engine turbocharged with 26.3 psi of boost. The “engine that could” shakes up the Corolla into a completely different vehicle. We loved the linear power delivery that the GR offered—contrary to our initial beliefs. With such a peculiar setup, the GR Corolla seems bleak in the low RPMs but wakes up in the midrange. The turbo configuration also led us to hypothesize that power would come abruptly, a hypothesis that was pleasantly proven wrong. Power delivery was relatively smooth throughout the drive.
Say what you will about Toyota as a sports car manufacturer, the Japanese know how to make a damn-fun car. Like its GR brethren, the Corolla maintains an ergonomic advantage over any other vehicle in its class. The gearbox shifts smoothly, and we noted it as one of the more satisfying ones we’ve gotten to row through. The GR Corolla yearns for some free spirit even as it pulls towards its 6,500-rpm apex. Its symphonious harmony screams through its tri-pipe exhaust. The Corolla doesn’t like to complain and certainly isn’t a whiner. Its steering inputs are precise and we couldn’t find much wrong with the car other than its rigid and back-breaking ride.
It became clear that Toyota left no stone unturned in its pursuit of creating a well-crafted sports hatch. Everything feels thought out to an extensive degree. It dives into corners with reckless abandon but somehow makes it out unscathed uncharacteristic for a front-wheel drive car. Our Premium model sits in the middle of the trim range begging your wallet for a cool $41,415.
The GR Corolla comes at a time when cars are simply getting more expensive. New technology drives automotive prices up, but not for the Corolla. Priced well within the confines of what people find acceptable for a hot hatch putting up serious numbers, the Corolla is just meant to be driven.
It comes packed to the brim with all sorts of useful features like torque vectoring which can turn a stoic face into one gleaming with joy. The center viscous coupling normally directs 60 percent of engine torque to the front axle and the rest to the rear in normative environments but has the ability to send 30% to the front and 70% to the back. This setup rivals even the best RWD systems and can be on the hook for plenty of tickets and police lights.
Overall, the GR Corolla packs a huge punch from a scrappy little car. Even without its partner in crime, the GR Yaris, the Corolla is plenty fun enough for a great time.
