{"id":31206,"date":"2023-07-21T13:29:22","date_gmt":"2023-07-21T17:29:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=31206"},"modified":"2023-07-21T13:29:22","modified_gmt":"2023-07-21T17:29:22","slug":"payne-flat-out-in-the-bonkers-toyota-gr-corolla","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2023\/07\/payne-flat-out-in-the-bonkers-toyota-gr-corolla","title":{"rendered":"Payne: Flat out in the bonkers Toyota GR Corolla"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\"><em>Pontiac<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 You want a diverse, full-line model lineup?<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">This June at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in France, the 986-horsepower, all-wheel-drive Toyota GR (for Gazoo Racing) Hypercar battled the Ferrari 499F Hypercar tooth and nail for first place in the world\u2019s most prestigious endurance race. The same week, I lapped the 300-horsepower, all-wheel-drive Toyota GR Corolla around M1 Concourse, Metro Detroit\u2019s premier race track.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Yes, Toyota has gone bonkers.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/presto\/2023\/07\/19\/PDTN\/438a1654-2f9a-4928-96c9-f06f299e9685-ToyotaGRCorolla_m1-fr-right.jpg?width=990&amp;height=558&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" width=\"563\" height=\"317\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"gnt_em_gl_i_nt\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"gnt_em_gl_vg\" data-c-tc=\"17\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"gnt_em_t\" data-c-et=\"Gallery: 2023 Toyota Corolla Morizo Edition\"><\/div>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Led by racing fanatic and Chairman Akio Toyoda, Toyota has emerged in recent years as one of the most dynamic brands in the industry as its lineup is now augmented by two sports cars \u2014 the Supra and 86 \u2014 and a raft of Gazoo Racing (GR) models inspired by the hypercar that won five Le Mans in a row and just missed out on No. 6 last month against competitors like Ferrari, Porsche and Cadillac.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"gnt_m gnt_x gnt_x__lbl gnt_x__al\" aria-label=\"advertisement\">\n<div id=\"ad-slot-7103-mi-detroit-C1561-native-article_link-money-autos-2\" class=\"gnt_x_sl gnt_x_al\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" data-gl-method=\"lazyLoadX\"><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Maybe the craziest experiment in the lab is the GR Corolla, which has transformed Toyota\u2019s entry-level sedan appliance into a fire-breathing, steroid-fed hot hatch boasting 187 horsepower per liter from a turbocharged, 1.6-liter 3-cylinder engine blown out of its mind.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">The GR-eatest of the batch is the limited-edition, track-focused Morizo model that I began my Monday with.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">\u201cI think that\u2019s the fastest a Corolla has ever gone around this track,\u201d smiled general manager Keith Bonn, after I cranked off laps quicker than the GR 86 sports cars that M1 has in its track fleet.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_img\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/presto\/2023\/07\/19\/PDTN\/543460bc-3caa-41b4-b01b-c7911a4debd9-ToyotaGRCorolla_m1-rr3-4-turn2.jpg?width=660&amp;height=372&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"The 2023 Toyota Corolla Morizo Edition rotated through M1 Concourse's corners well thanks to a limited-slip front differential and sticky Cup 2 rubber.\" width=\"523\" height=\"295\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"gnt_em_img_i\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/presto\/2023\/07\/19\/PDTN\/543460bc-3caa-41b4-b01b-c7911a4debd9-ToyotaGRCorolla_m1-rr3-4-turn2.jpg?width=660&amp;height=372&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" srcset=\"\/gcdn\/presto\/2023\/07\/19\/PDTN\/543460bc-3caa-41b4-b01b-c7911a4debd9-ToyotaGRCorolla_m1-rr3-4-turn2.jpg?width=1320&amp;height=744&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp 2x\" alt=\"The 2023 Toyota Corolla Morizo Edition rotated through M1 Concourse's corners well thanks to a limited-slip front differential and sticky Cup 2 rubber.\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"gnt_em_img_ccw gnt_em_img_ccw__cap gnt_em_img_ccw__crd\" data-c-caption=\"The 2023 Toyota Corolla Morizo Edition rotated through M1 Concourse's corners well thanks to a limited-slip front differential and sticky Cup 2 rubber.\" data-c-credit=\"Henry Payne, The Detroit News\"><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">\u201cIt may be the\u00a0<em>only<\/em>\u00a0Corolla that\u2019s ever gone around this track,\u201d I replied.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">The Morizo manages such track feats thanks to a boost in torque to 295 (from the standard GR Corolla\u2019s healthy 275), light-weighted body, Brembo brakes and sticky Michelin Pilot Cup 2 tires. Mostly it\u2019s the Cup 2 tires. These marvelous meatballs are the summit of production performance tires and are normally found on supercars like the Chevy Corvette Z06 or Porsche GT3.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"gnt_m gnt_x gnt_x__lbl gnt_x__al\" aria-label=\"advertisement\">\n<div id=\"ad-slot-7103-mi-detroit-C1561-native-article_link-money-autos-3\" class=\"gnt_x_sl gnt_x_al\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" data-gl-method=\"lazyLoadX\"><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">They are on the Morizo because, according to Toyota, that\u2019s how Akio Toyoda would outfit this pitbull if he were to take it on track. I\u2019m not making this up. In addition to the tires and torque, the Morizo gets extra chassis stiffening like a fat steel bar that bisects the cargo area. And there\u2019s no back seat. What the &#8212;-?<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">That\u2019s right, to save weight (and open up room for Akio to throw in four spare tires for the track) the GR Corolla Morizo has four doors \u2014 but only two front seats. More weight savings comes from a carbon fiber roof and forged wheels. For all this muscle (and inconvenience in the case of no rear seats), you can have this one-of-200-imported-to-the-U.S. Morizo special editions for a stiff $50,000.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_img\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/presto\/2023\/07\/19\/PDTN\/187da9da-efb0-4ae5-8a1d-ff25993a34b6-ToyotaGRCorolla_gr-86.jpg?width=660&amp;height=372&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"The 2023 Toyota Corolla Morizo Edition posted faster laps around M1 Concourse raceway than the sister, G 86 sports car, right. Seriously.\" width=\"554\" height=\"312\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"gnt_em_img_i\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/presto\/2023\/07\/19\/PDTN\/187da9da-efb0-4ae5-8a1d-ff25993a34b6-ToyotaGRCorolla_gr-86.jpg?width=660&amp;height=372&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" srcset=\"\/gcdn\/presto\/2023\/07\/19\/PDTN\/187da9da-efb0-4ae5-8a1d-ff25993a34b6-ToyotaGRCorolla_gr-86.jpg?width=1320&amp;height=744&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp 2x\" alt=\"The 2023 Toyota Corolla Morizo Edition posted faster laps around M1 Concourse raceway than the sister, G 86 sports car, right. Seriously.\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"gnt_em_img_ccw gnt_em_img_ccw__cap gnt_em_img_ccw__crd\" data-c-caption=\"The 2023 Toyota Corolla Morizo Edition posted faster laps around M1 Concourse raceway than the sister, G 86 sports car, right. Seriously.\" data-c-credit=\"Henry Payne, The Detroit News\"><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">And that\u2019s not the only special-edition model. The Circuit Edition \u2014 also exclusive to the 2023 launch year \u2014 boasts similar power numbers and body tattoos like GR-Four stamped side rockers,\u00a0 flat underfloor and rear lip spoiler.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">That\u2019s how determined Toyota is to change its image as a maker of vanilla cars \u2014 and to make its mark in a hot hatch market segment stuffed with outstanding athletes: Honda Civic Type R, Mazda3 Turbo, Subaru WRX, Golf GTI, Golf R.<\/p>\n<aside id=\"gnt_atomsnc\" class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_anc\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" data-gl-method=\"loadAnc\" aria-label=\"Newsletter signup form\"><\/aside>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Collectibles aside, you\u2019ll be fine with the standard GR Corolla like the $38,600 blood-red demon I terrorized Washtenaw County with last year. It features the same 12.3-inch digital instrument display as the Morizo and Circuit Editions. Same tablet infotainment display. Same wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay and Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 system surrounding you with useful safety tools like blind-spot assist. Just add the Performance Package so you get limited-slip differentials for maximum Rottweiler grip.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Don\u2019t expect much legroom even with the rear seats intact \u2014 the GR\u2019s biggest demerit when compared with roomier competitors like the Type R or WRX.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_img\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/presto\/2023\/07\/19\/PDTN\/f10dc683-94a4-4ae2-8f55-f700ab35821d-ToyotaGRCorolla_seats.jpg?width=660&amp;height=372&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"The bolstered seats of the 2023 Toyota Corolla Morizo Edition do a good job of holding the driver in place on track.\" width=\"555\" height=\"313\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"gnt_em_img_i\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/presto\/2023\/07\/19\/PDTN\/f10dc683-94a4-4ae2-8f55-f700ab35821d-ToyotaGRCorolla_seats.jpg?width=660&amp;height=372&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" srcset=\"\/gcdn\/presto\/2023\/07\/19\/PDTN\/f10dc683-94a4-4ae2-8f55-f700ab35821d-ToyotaGRCorolla_seats.jpg?width=1320&amp;height=744&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp 2x\" alt=\"The bolstered seats of the 2023 Toyota Corolla Morizo Edition do a good job of holding the driver in place on track.\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"gnt_em_img_ccw gnt_em_img_ccw__cap gnt_em_img_ccw__crd\" data-c-caption=\"The bolstered seats of the 2023 Toyota Corolla Morizo Edition do a good job of holding the driver in place on track.\" data-c-credit=\"Henry Payne, The Detroit News\"><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Unlike Subaru\u2019s hellion, GR Corolla does not come by its all-wheel-drive character naturally. The Corolla was born a front-wheel driver. But like its hatch brethren, the GR Corolla is totally transformed from the base car into an exhilarating grocery cart that can also double as a track car on weekends.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"gnt_m gnt_x gnt_x__lbl gnt_x__al\" aria-label=\"advertisement\">\n<div id=\"ad-slot-7103-mi-detroit-C1561-native-article_link-money-autos-4\" class=\"gnt_x_sl gnt_x_al\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" data-gl-method=\"lazyLoadX\"><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">I recently raced at Canadian Motorsports Park in Ontario in my Lola race car. Our weekend shared track time with production models like Mustangs, Camaros, Porsche Caymans \u2014 and hot hatches like the Fiat 500 Abarth and Honda Type R. The GR Corolla would have fit right in.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_img\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/presto\/2023\/07\/19\/PDTN\/924ec41e-a27f-4adc-a85e-32166d64cd09-ToyotaGRCorolla_engine.jpg?width=660&amp;height=372&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"Kong in a can. The 1.6-liter turbo-3 cylinder engine in the 2023 Toyota Corolla Morizo Edition produces an insane 300 horsepower.\" width=\"539\" height=\"304\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"gnt_em_img_i\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/presto\/2023\/07\/19\/PDTN\/924ec41e-a27f-4adc-a85e-32166d64cd09-ToyotaGRCorolla_engine.jpg?width=660&amp;height=372&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" srcset=\"\/gcdn\/presto\/2023\/07\/19\/PDTN\/924ec41e-a27f-4adc-a85e-32166d64cd09-ToyotaGRCorolla_engine.jpg?width=1320&amp;height=744&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp 2x\" alt=\"Kong in a can. The 1.6-liter turbo-3 cylinder engine in the 2023 Toyota Corolla Morizo Edition produces an insane 300 horsepower.\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"gnt_em_img_ccw gnt_em_img_ccw__cap gnt_em_img_ccw__crd\" data-c-caption=\"Kong in a can. The 1.6-liter turbo-3 cylinder engine in the 2023 Toyota Corolla Morizo Edition produces an insane 300 horsepower.\" data-c-credit=\"Henry Payne, The Detroit News\"><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">The 1.6-liter three is a remarkable piece of technology, and it has a stick shift (also not available in a base Corolla) to match. Notchy and easy to shift, it\u2019s the perfect companion on track (or on country roads) with engine peak torque kicking in above 4,000 RPM. Pedal placement is excellent, too, for heel-and-toe downshifts \u2014 especially since the GR Corolla doesn\u2019t offer rev-matching like some of its peers.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">It\u2019s nice to see Toyota in the pocket rocket game with GR. It\u2019s the answer to the question no one was expecting: what would happen if the Le Mans GR Hypercar and a Corolla had a baby?<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\"><em>Next week: 2024 Ford Mustang<\/em><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"gnt_ar_b_h2\">2023 Toyota GR Corolla<\/h2>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Vehicle type: Front-engine, all-wheel-drive four-passenger hot hatch<\/p>\n<aside class=\"gnt_m gnt_x gnt_x__lbl gnt_x__al\" aria-label=\"advertisement\">\n<div id=\"ad-slot-7103-mi-detroit-C1561-native-article_link-money-autos-5\" class=\"gnt_x_sl gnt_x_al\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" data-gl-method=\"lazyLoadX\"><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Price: $36,995 base, including $1,095 destination ($51,420 Morizo edition as tested)<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Power plant: 1.6-liter, turbocharged 3-cylinder<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Power: 300 horsepower, 295 pound-feet of torque (as tested)<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Transmission: Six-speed manual<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Performance: 0-60 mph, 4.9 seconds (Car and Driver)<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Weight: 3,186 pounds (as tested)<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Fuel economy: EPA 21 mpg city\/28 mpg highway\/24 mpg combined<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\"><strong>Report card<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Highs: All-wheel-drive grip; notchy stick shift<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Lows: Cramped back seat; no rev-match<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Overall: 3 stars<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\"><em>Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Pontiac\u00a0\u2014 You want a diverse, full-line model lineup? This June at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in France, the 986-horsepower, all-wheel-drive Toyota GR (for Gazoo Racing) Hypercar battled the Ferrari 499F Hypercar tooth and nail for first place in the world\u2019s most prestigious endurance race. The same week, I lapped the 300-horsepower, all-wheel-drive Toyota [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,87],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31206"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31206"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31206\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":31207,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31206\/revisions\/31207"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31206"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31206"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31206"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}