Toyota GR Corolla to be unveiled Friday

[FROSTYBALLS]

https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/new-toyota-gr-corolla-268bhp-4wd-hot-hatch-arriving-week

[StreetHawk]

Interested in this.. will it come to the UK though? 

[Bernard Foy]

7 minutes ago, StreetHawk said:

Interested in this.. will it come to the UK though? 

I would think that they will market it in the UK, why should Toyota ignore a large European market, even though it is no longer a member of the EU.

[Cyker]

My american friends are foaming at the mouth for it because they didn't get the GR Yaris  

[StreetHawk]

10 minutes ago, Bernard Foy said:

I would think that they will market it in the UK, why should Toyota ignore a large European market, even though it is no longer a member of the EU.

I hope you’re right, if it’s the same engine and drivetrain as the GR Yaris then I’m sure they’ll be in huge demand over here. 

[Notfer]

If this does come to the UK, I'll be going to my dealer to find out when I can order one! Although the whole reason I sold my ST was to cut down on fuel spends!

[AndyRC]

https://www.evo.co.uk/toyota/202232/gr-sports-car-teased-for-april-1-reveal-its-the-toyota-gr-corolla-but-theres-a-catch
 

Article on EVO website saying that a “Toyota spokesperson” has said the GRC won’t be sold in any European markets ☹️

[Kental]

April 1st reveal????? Remember BMW M3 pick up, if it was announced this year, no one would bat an eye lid

[Cyker]

TBH I don't think it'll be as popular as the GR Yaris because Toyota fundamentally don't understand why the GR Yaris is so popular.

Some of the reasons the GR4 is so popular is it is a real 'homolgation special' which just gets WRC fans foaming at the mouth as they long for the Lancer Evo and Scubi Impreza days. Another is that is has a proper full-time AWD system, not like the AWD-but-really-FWD systems most AWD vehicles have. But most of all, it has all that, plus power, but is still small and light and extremely agile - something that almost all modern power cars have lost - There is no car like this in current production, so the GR4 is unique and essentially has no competition. People have been begging for something like this for decades but never expected anyone to make one because manufacturers always believed nobody would buy such a bizarre combination of features. Even the motoring press shunned it initially, thinking it was stupid, until popular opinion forced them to reverse their opinions. The car is a modern day automotive unicorn and probably the last of its kind and car people instinctively know this.

The Corolla version will be bigger, heavier and less agile as it won't have the custom rally-spec chassis or tweaks that went into the GR4, and it just won't be as special as the GR4. That alone isn't an issue as I'm sure it will be a very good performance car, but unlike the GR4 it will be in the same territory as things like the Evo, Impreza, Golf R, Focus RS and even the Civic, so it will have a lot more competition.

That said, in countries where the GR4 is not available, there is a lot of hype for it - As I mentioned my mates in the US are champing at the bit to get a go in one  

[AndyRC]

I don’t see that a GRC would have much competition if they keep the price below £40k, only competition would be Cupra , Golf GTI and Civic Type R (but only FWD), AMG 35. The GRY platform would make a real difference against this opposition and would make a real alternative. Add in 10 year warranty and it looks a great deal 🤔

[davidif]

5 minutes ago, AndyRC said:

I don’t see that a GRC would have much competition if they keep the price below £40k, only competition would be Cupra , Golf GTI and Civic Type R (but only FWD), AMG 35. The GRY platform would make a real difference against this opposition and would make a real alternative. Add in 10 year warranty and it looks a great deal 🤔

Surely it would be down on power compared to the Cupra, Type R etc for pub bragging rights!!

[AndyRC]

1 minute ago, davidif said:

Surely it would be down on power compared to the Cupra, Type R etc for pub bragging rights!!

But it would win top trumps hands down if it gets the GRY brakes , Torsen diffs both ends and adjustable power split on the AWD not a Part time  Haldex system 👍

[davidif]

3 minutes ago, AndyRC said:

But it would win top trumps hands down if it gets the GRY brakes , Torsen diffs both ends and adjustable power split on the AWD not a Part time  Haldex system 👍

It certainly would in the real world, but the pub bragging rights brigade would simply dismiss it as not powerful enough!

I recently read a piece slating the facelift I30N (280bhp) for being underpowered/not accelerative enough. Madness IMHO!

[AndyRC]

3 hours ago, davidif said:

It certainly would in the real world, but the pub bragging rights brigade would simply dismiss it as not powerful enough!

I recently read a piece slating the facelift I30N (280bhp) for being underpowered/not accelerative enough. Madness IMHO!

Fascination with ultimate BHP is quite funny , the more you have the lower % you can actually use.  A 270bhp GRC would have more than enough power. The brakes, diffs and brakes would let you use all of what you have.  I doubt it would sell to the baggy jogger and baseball cap   brigade   and would sell to a more discerning demographic 🤔

[Kental]

The BHP braggers are often pre pubescents in their bedroom so not really going to hurt new car sales.... 

[Stopeter44]

8 hours ago, Kental said:

The BHP braggers are often pre pubescents in their bedroom so not really going to hurt new car sales.... 

Sounds like me, and the days, oh so way back, when I had just graduated from motorcycles to performance cars, and still not old enough have a licence 🤣.

[Cyker]

Yeah one thing that my Mk1 diesel taught me is that quoted BHP figures are mostly BS. They're peak figures so are meaningless unless you are on track. My Mk4 'only' had 74HP but felt far more powerful than the 100HP Mk2 I was forced to change to.

I figure it's better to have 74HP all the time in the rev range you normally drive at, than 100HP only at a redline that the car will never see!  

Now I tend to look at the torque curves of a car - If it peaks early and then stays flat for most of the rev range I know it will be fun to drive in the real world  

 

[StreetHawk]

A shame if it’s not going to be sold here. I can’t see it being as popular as the Yaris but I’m sure there would be a big uptake. 
 

All they have to do is say there are a limited number of cars coming over here and people will be throwing money at them. 
 

[Gerhard_Corolla]

23 hours ago, Cyker said:

TBH I don't think it'll be as popular as the GR Yaris because Toyota fundamentally don't understand why the GR Yaris is so popular.

Some of the reasons the GR4 is so popular is it is a real 'homolgation special' which just gets WRC fans foaming at the mouth as they long for the Lancer Evo and Scubi Impreza days. Another is that is has a proper full-time AWD system, not like the AWD-but-really-FWD systems most AWD vehicles have. But most of all, it has all that, plus power, but is still small and light and extremely agile - something that almost all modern power cars have lost - There is no car like this in current production, so the GR4 is unique and essentially has no competition. People have been begging for something like this for decades but never expected anyone to make one because manufacturers always believed nobody would buy such a bizarre combination of features. Even the motoring press shunned it initially, thinking it was stupid, until popular opinion forced them to reverse their opinions. The car is a modern day automotive unicorn and probably the last of its kind and car people instinctively know this.

The Corolla version will be bigger, heavier and less agile as it won't have the custom rally-spec chassis or tweaks that went into the GR4, and it just won't be as special as the GR4. That alone isn't an issue as I'm sure it will be a very good performance car, but unlike the GR4 it will be in the same territory as things like the Evo, Impreza, Golf R, Focus RS and even the Civic, so it will have a lot more competition.

That said, in countries where the GR4 is not available, there is a lot of hype for it - As I mentioned my mates in the US are champing at the bit to get a go in one  

They cannot understand why such 'small' markets as Mexico can get the Yaris GR:

 

 

🤣

[davidif]

21 hours ago, Kental said:

The BHP braggers are often pre pubescents in their bedroom so not really going to hurt new car sales.... 

Some maybe, but not all. I have colleagues in the office (at a law firm) who are only interested in peak bhp!

[AndyRC]

3 hours ago, davidif said:

Some maybe, but not all. I have colleagues in the office (at a law firm) who are only interested in peak bhp!

Which I’m sure they will never need as they lift off the gas to avoid breaking the law at 60mph  😉

[TonyHSD]

This car will be as successful on the markets available as the Yaris is here in UK, it will be pretty much same car slightly different form factor, but not much off , since the Yaris GR is half Yaris / half Corolla already. 🏎👌

[davidif]

38 minutes ago, TonyHSD said:

This car will be as successful on the markets available as the Yaris is here in UK, it will be pretty much same car slightly different form factor, but not much off , since the Yaris GR is half Yaris / half Corolla already. 🏎👌

I'm guessing it will be a little heavier than the GR Yaris.

[Cyker]

I'm expecting it to be a good chunk heavier - AFAIK the GR Corolla is just a Corolla with the GR4 running gear and won't have any of the custom carbon and aluminium panels (The difference in weight between just the bonnet of a normal Mk4 Yaris and the GR4's is very noticeable!).

 

[FROSTYBALLS]

Auto Express today: 

https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/toyota/corolla/104846/toyota-gr-corolla-leaks-295bhp-triple-and-manual-transmission

Extract:

"The Toyota GR Corolla won’t be coming to the UK, however, a Toyota GB spokesperson confirmed. One reason for this could be Gazoo Racing’s ‘Power of Three’ ethos, which involves only three GR models being sold in one market at the same time. In Europe, we already have three - the GR Yaris, the GR Supra and the new GR86. In North America, the lack of GR Yaris provides a ‘space’ for the hot Corolla."