After many months of waiting the 2023 Toyota GR Corolla is about to have all of its secrets revealed. Carscoops has been invited to drive the new GR Corolla in all of its trim levels and while we can’t tell you much that you haven’t heard already, we can share some exclusive clips from the event. If you weren’t already excited about this seriously hot hatch we think you will be after this.
As a quick reminder for anyone who’s been living under a rock for the past year, the GR Corolla is a new hot hatchback from Toyota. Limited to just 6,600 units for the US market, it’s going to be a tough car to get one’s hands on when it finally lands. Under the hood is a 300-hp (223 kW) turbocharged three-cylinder engine mated to a six-speed manual transmission. Most importantly, it can send 70 percent of its power to the rear wheels.
Driving impressions and a slew of other juicy information is under embargo until September 14th but we’ve captured some footage that we think will hold you over until then. First of all, we wanted to get a feel for how different the three different trim levels sounded. To do that we captured exhaust clips from the Core, Circuit, and Morizo Edition back to back just as they returned from laps on the track.
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The above clip is the Core model which, just like the Circuit model makes 300-hp and 273 lb-ft (370 Nm) of torque. This particular Core model has the optional Performance package which adds upgraded brakes, limited-slip differentials, and slotted front rotors. Below we have clips of the Circuit and Morizo models which both sound great too. The Circuit model actually produces some pretty aggressive pops and bangs.
Finally, we have a video from the track itself in the ultra-low-production Morizo Edition. It has the same horsepower as the other models but gets a torque bump to 295 lb-ft (400 Nm). It also loses weight which includes a rear-seat delete kit and adds very sticky Michelin Cup 2 tires. Have a look at how it handles the track and let us know what you think in the comments below!