You never look at a Corolla the same with Gazoo Racing. But if you think the GR Corolla or the Morizo Edition is the peak, well, think again. Folks, meet the GRMN Corolla. Billed as the “ultimate” version of the GR Corolla, it is the result of speeding around the Nürburgring and competing in the Super Taikyu racing series. The first prototype of the GRMN Corolla has been revealed, with production planned in limited numbers for Japan, North America, and Australia.
GRMN Corolla was born out of Gazoo Racing’s desire to build a GR Corolla that could attack the Nürburgring at full throttle. To get there, Toyota subjected the car to repeated testing on the infamous German circuit, where rough surfaces, elevation changes, and high-speed corners have a habit of exposing every weakness a car may have. The result is a machine engineered to maintain a high level of car-driver unity even when pushed to the limit.
Under the hood remains the familiar turbocharged 1.6-liter three-cylinder, the G16E-GTS, which produces 224 kW (300 HP), but Gazoo Racing has squeezed out more torque. The GRMN now produces 415 Nm, up 15 Nm over the standard car. The focus was on strengthening the mid-range between 3,600 and 4,800 rpm, helping the car launch harder out of corners. An intercooler spray system also joins the party to help maintain performance during sustained hard driving.
Weight reduction was on the agenda, too. The rear seats have been evicted entirely, turning the GRMN Corolla into a two-seater. The diet trims 30 kilograms from the base car, bringing curb weight down to 1,450 kg.
Aerodynamics received equal attention. The GRMN Corolla gets a hood duct, fender ducts, front side spoilers, and a carbon-fiber rear wing with a five-step adjustment mechanism. The wing angle was reportedly adjusted in one-degree increments during testing to find the sweet spot. That is the kind of obsessive behavior we expect from people chasing lap times at the Nürburgring.
The suspension has been reworked with exclusive monotube shock absorbers, revised tuning, and wider 245-section Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires. The electric power steering and GR-FOUR all-wheel-drive system have also been recalibrated to improve stability and response under high-speed cornering.
Inside, the GRMN Corolla gets a bespoke full bucket seat inspired by Toyota’s Super Taikyu race cars, a flocked instrument panel, carbon-fiber trim, and even Morizo’s signature on the dashboard. There is also a serial-number plate to remind owners that they managed to get one of the limited-production examples.
If a stripped-out two-seat Corolla sounds a little too hardcore, Toyota has another surprise in the pipeline. A five-seat GR Corolla MORIZO RR equipped with the GAZOO Racing Direct Automatic Transmission is currently under development as well.
So yes, somebody at Toyota looked at the already bonkers GR Corolla and decided it needed to be lighter, sharper, more focused, and more Nürburgring. To that end, I think no petrolheads will be complaining.
If you are keen, you can learn more about the Ultimate Corolla here [JP].
Images: Toyota [JP].
