Toyota Wants To Keep GR Corolla Exclusive, Will Make “One Too Few” Of Them

Toyota’s new GR Corolla seems like a formidable machine that’s guaranteed to sell well, but the Japanese brand wants to make sure it remains exclusive.

Speaking to Road and Track, Toyota Vice President of Marketing Mike Tripp says the brand will produce “one too few” of its GR Corolla. The strategy is similar to that of supercar makers, which keep supply low in order to pump up demand.

Tripp stated that the limitations have nothing to do with Toyota’s ability to produce the cars at its Motomachi production facility, but rather the brand wanting to keep the GR Corolla exclusive and desirable.

“I wouldn’t say the limiting factor on these vehicles is our ability to produce them,” Tripp said. “It’s being very careful to make sure that we maintain the niche credibility.”

According to Tripp, the annual production for the GR Corolla will be around 8,000 units, and 2023 will likely see around 6,000 units produced as production ramps up.

Read More: Why Did Toyota’s GR Corolla Launch Cars Have An EV Button And Analog Stock Gauges?

Photos Mike Gauthier for Carscoops

In addition to keeping production numbers relatively low, Toyota will also release limited and special editions of the GR Corolla. The first of them is the Circuit Edition which is only available for the 2023 model year and features a raft of carbon fiber parts and a huge rear wing. There won’t be a hard cap on production, but Tripp says that Toyota plans to have one for most dealerships, which pegs the number at around 1,250 units.

“When it comes to something that’s this niche, it’s important to us that we give every dealer the opportunity to get one,” Tripp said. “So if you do the math – and this is no guarantee – if we have a special edition for every dealer, that’s 1250-ish. So when you have a total volume of somewhere between 6000 and 8000, and a special edition that’s 1250 of that, we think that’s the right balance. But one too few will be our goal, just not because of production limits.”

Toyota has yet to release pricing or availability for the GR Corolla or the Circuit Edition, but if you want one as soon as possible you’ll probably have to hurry before they’re all spoken for.