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Toyota GR Corolla Discussion
- Thread starter geokilla
- Start date
GTI Jake
Autocross Champion
Slacker! There's even a GLI in this google image of Anchorage VW. Start cold calling.
Time to hire a moose for my advertising department lol
“Good day sir, do you like to BRAP?!”
Canadians didn't get cheap MK7 and MK7.5 GTIs like Americans did. A base GTI manual was always about $30k + tax and PDI if I remember correctly. So out the door, it's almost $37k including taxes.
Mr. Conundrum
Go Kart Champion
I like it... I like it a lot! It's got me wondering if I should pair back my GTI modification plans and save that money for one of these instead 
. We'll see. I'd want to get a 2nd or 3rd year, anyway. Let the hype die down a bit to try and get one MSRP and let the aftermarket develop.
. We'll see. I'd want to get a 2nd or 3rd year, anyway. Let the hype die down a bit to try and get one MSRP and let the aftermarket develop.The motor itself has pretty high potential. These guys in Australia found the GR Yaris' head gasket started to fail at 350-360kw @ the hubs (470-485hp). The only motor work, besides bolt ons, were upgraded valve springs. But like @bentin said, 350-400whp is probably a semi-reasonable power level to expect. Still pretty nutty for 1.6 liters!
KawaZukiVdub
Go Kart Newbie
Very interested in the GR Corolla but potential dealer markup plus being back in that car payment life again is making me 2nd guess myself a bit... Idk if I'd want to trade in the GTI (bought brand new back in Nov 14 so I've had this car for awhile now) for this but this is an exciting car I'm not gonna lie... we'll see, may ride down to a Toyota dealership tomorrow and see about deposit info etc.. pricing will be the main deciding factor on what I decide to do.
brat_burner
Autocross Champion
I can't speak for all EV's but Tesla does run an oil filter on the drive unit. Brake fluid is typically a 2yr/20k recommendation.
2023 Toyota GR Corolla, Explained by Its Chief Engineer: 'Americans Demand Power'
Naoyuki Sakamoto gives C/D the details on everything from engine design to chassis welds on the new hot hatch—and laughs out loud at the idea this car's AWD and a RAV4's have anything in common.At the reveal of the 2023 Toyota GR Corolla, we grabbed a few minutes with Toyota's chief engineer on the project, Naoyuki Sakamoto, to dig into some of the challenges in developing the car, and what he thinks makes it so capable on track.
C/D: Everyone here in the States was so jealous of the Yaris GR. How soon after Yaris did the team start the GR Corolla?
NS: Actually, we started to develop the GR Corolla in 2018. So before Yaris, we were working on it. I’d say almost the same time we are developing both cars.
The GR Corolla uses a three-cylinder engine. Was that designed for Yaris and adapted, or planned for Corolla originally?
The Corolla is using the Yaris engine, but to bring it to the U.S. market we thought we'd need more power, so we started modifications to make that possible. Americans demand power.
We are like that. If horsepower was a goal, why stick with the three-cylinder? Wouldn’t it have been easier to turbocharge a four cylinder?
Actually, the compact engine is right for a sports car. The more you can keep heavy parts close to the center of gravity, the better it handles, so a lighter engine is better. A lighter car is better.
What does the Circuit Edition weigh?
3200 pounds.
So to make more power, what did you do? You didn’t bore or stroke it, it's the same size as the Yaris's engine, but what, 30 more horses? And a three-cylinder needs a balance shaft, right? And this is twin-cam?
Yeah, 300, up from 268 hp. We increased the boost, and to do that, we needed to reduce the backpressure. We needed to move more fuel in, more exhaust gas out, and it creates a high backpressure. And yes, a balance shaft, and twin-cam, of course.
How do you keep everything cool?
We did so much testing on track, in summer, in winter. We opened up the grille, you can see, it's huge compared to a stock Corolla. Vents to direct air through. Even the intake, we have a thin intake for slow speed, to move air through quickly, and another duct below that opens at higher rpm, to bring more air into the engine.
Is the whole chassis and body different than a stock Corolla?
The chassis is reinforced, 349 more welds and 2.7 meters more sealant, more glue. The floor is different in the back from stock, to make room for the differential. We also moved the battery from front to back for better weight distribution. The front fenders are one piece, the back extensions are bolt-on. The carbon roof is only for GR. The doors are the same as a stock car. The suspension geometry for the front uses a new connecting point, 15 mm higher to make the roll center higher, and we made it stiffer but also lighter, just in the design.
And the GR-Four, the AWD, is that a performance version of what a customer would get in say, a RAV4?
[NS laughs and brings over the AWD specialist, who also laughs]. It's the GR system that is unique to this vehicle here in the States. It's developed through racing, from our rally series. It's going to offer a lot of acceleration control in different conditions.
Was the choice to use forged carbon fiber for the roof rather than a woven carbon because it keeps the price down, or because it's stylish and new?
Both!
You tired of talking about this car yet?
No! I’m excited about it. We built it with a lot of passion.
Naoyuki Sakamoto gives C/D the details on everything from engine design to chassis welds on the new hot hatch—and laughs out loud at the idea this car's AWD and a RAV4's have anything in common.At the reveal of the 2023 Toyota GR Corolla, we grabbed a few minutes with Toyota's chief engineer on the project, Naoyuki Sakamoto, to dig into some of the challenges in developing the car, and what he thinks makes it so capable on track.
C/D: Everyone here in the States was so jealous of the Yaris GR. How soon after Yaris did the team start the GR Corolla?
NS: Actually, we started to develop the GR Corolla in 2018. So before Yaris, we were working on it. I’d say almost the same time we are developing both cars.
The GR Corolla uses a three-cylinder engine. Was that designed for Yaris and adapted, or planned for Corolla originally?
The Corolla is using the Yaris engine, but to bring it to the U.S. market we thought we'd need more power, so we started modifications to make that possible. Americans demand power.
We are like that. If horsepower was a goal, why stick with the three-cylinder? Wouldn’t it have been easier to turbocharge a four cylinder?
Actually, the compact engine is right for a sports car. The more you can keep heavy parts close to the center of gravity, the better it handles, so a lighter engine is better. A lighter car is better.
What does the Circuit Edition weigh?
3200 pounds.
So to make more power, what did you do? You didn’t bore or stroke it, it's the same size as the Yaris's engine, but what, 30 more horses? And a three-cylinder needs a balance shaft, right? And this is twin-cam?
Yeah, 300, up from 268 hp. We increased the boost, and to do that, we needed to reduce the backpressure. We needed to move more fuel in, more exhaust gas out, and it creates a high backpressure. And yes, a balance shaft, and twin-cam, of course.
How do you keep everything cool?
We did so much testing on track, in summer, in winter. We opened up the grille, you can see, it's huge compared to a stock Corolla. Vents to direct air through. Even the intake, we have a thin intake for slow speed, to move air through quickly, and another duct below that opens at higher rpm, to bring more air into the engine.
Is the whole chassis and body different than a stock Corolla?
The chassis is reinforced, 349 more welds and 2.7 meters more sealant, more glue. The floor is different in the back from stock, to make room for the differential. We also moved the battery from front to back for better weight distribution. The front fenders are one piece, the back extensions are bolt-on. The carbon roof is only for GR. The doors are the same as a stock car. The suspension geometry for the front uses a new connecting point, 15 mm higher to make the roll center higher, and we made it stiffer but also lighter, just in the design.
And the GR-Four, the AWD, is that a performance version of what a customer would get in say, a RAV4?
[NS laughs and brings over the AWD specialist, who also laughs]. It's the GR system that is unique to this vehicle here in the States. It's developed through racing, from our rally series. It's going to offer a lot of acceleration control in different conditions.
Was the choice to use forged carbon fiber for the roof rather than a woven carbon because it keeps the price down, or because it's stylish and new?
Both!
You tired of talking about this car yet?
No! I’m excited about it. We built it with a lot of passion.
Clem604
Autocross Champion
On the local enthusiast forums here in BC there are already 78 confirmed deposits on the GR from 5 dealers in the lower mainland here. There recently was information released by an Ontario dealer saying that ONT would get the majority of allocations which is currently 30 cars so I'm guessing BC will get 15-20? How true this information is unknown so take it with a grain of salt.
Edit: Information was from a sales manager at Clarington Toyota in Bowmanville ,Ont.
Edit: Information was from a sales manager at Clarington Toyota in Bowmanville ,Ont.
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the
Autocross Champion
Man... sounds like there are going to be at least 78 more cars on the road gapping the Scion FRS.
The Fed
Old Guys Rule
Tesla also has a conventional 12v car battery, coolant, and an electric coolant pump and heat exchanger to keep the batteries cool. You get enough of a leak in the cooling system and the drive system shuts down, leaving you stranded. Or a dead 12v battery. Or so I read. So if you buy an EV you'll still need to carry a jump box. And do they come with a spare?
brat_burner
Autocross Champion
I don't even know, but a lot of cars come with run flats or they just toss a fix-a-flat kit in the trunk.
Yeah, my neighbor’s Tesla 12v battery died and there’s a mechanical door release inside, but the doors latch electronically. So he could get out, but he couldn’t get the door to latch. They towed it on a flatbed with a strap around it to keep the door closed to the dealer for a new 12v. Amusingly, his 48v batteries were freshly charged.
FROSTYmk7.5
Go Kart Newbie
all the better reason to not offer an automatic version
odessa.filez
Autocross Champion
I would think pricing for the Circuit will be under GR Supra 4cyl msrp, but who knows? Maybe a Corolla will cost more than a Supra? 