So you drove the Toyota GR Corolla?
Leandre: Why, yes we did, and at the Clark International Speedway at that. We had barely a lap behind the wheel, though, and then another as a passenger.
For safety reasons, Toyota Motor Philippines had us do just one lap per driver. We entered the track from the pits, then pitted again before we hit the main straight. This prevented the brakes from overheating, allowing all of us to still enjoy the hot hatch safely on track.
Our executive editor Sheng Banzon rode in the backseat during my lap with the GR Corolla, then we switched places when it was her turn to give it a go.
How does it drive, then?
Leandre: Before I share my insights, we need to point something out. When it was our turn to drive the GR Corolla, it had already gone multiple laps around the track, and the GR-Four system had already overheated. This forced the drivetrain to go into front-wheel-drive mode.
Despite that, it didn’t dampen our track experience. If anything, it impressed me even more. See, the setup didn’t allow anyone to get a feel for either the track or the car before they went flat out. It was max revs from the moment I exited the pits, yet at no point through the lap did it feel like I wasn’t in control. I’m no track expert, mind you.
The GR Corolla did understeer a bit through the first corner, but that was more of me getting a feel for the car than it underperforming. Had it been in AWD mode, it probably would have felt a bit more precise. But still, once I got a feel for it, the next turns were easy.
Even in 2WD mode, the car could still rotate properly through the corners. The rear even kicked out at some of the sharper turns, but I was easily able to correct it. Just because of how well the GR Corolla handled, it felt as if there was still some power delivered to the rear wheels even in 2WD mode.
All I know is that that the most powerful three-cylinder engine Toyota has ever produced is everything it's marketed to be. Power delivery is instantaneous and linear, and for a car as small as this, there's more than you'll need.
‘Friendly’ is an odd term to use to describe the GR Corolla, but that’s really just how it felt. Even with zero practice and zero seat time, I was still able to wring the hot hatch out through Clark and have a good time with it. It’s through a track with more turns than an open straight where this car shines, and shine it did.
That’s not to say that the 1.6-liter in-line-three turbopetrol engine is a slouch, because it’s a beast of a powertrain. In the GR Corolla, power output is up by a bit from the GR Yaris (296hp, 400Nm), but I was told the difference didn’t feel like much on track. Not that I could tell, because I wasn’t able to drive the GR Yaris there.
Sheng: Not sure how many of you out there are wondering how this compares to the FL5, but that was one of my questions going into this, so here’s the answer, anyway: It’s distinctly raw, rough, and raucous next to the current Civic Type R, whose character is more stable, precise, and clinical.
They’re two very different takes on the hot hatch, after all. Front- versus all-wheel drive. Nat-asp straight-four versus turbo in-line-three. Circuit/touring orientation versus a decidedly rally-inspired approach. It’s not an apples-to-apples comparison—not that that’s gonna stop us from attempting a Big Test in the near future, if both brands are willing to hand over the keys at the same time.
Going back to my impressions, the GR Corolla definitely handles with precision, too, but it has a much lower threshold for rowdy behavior. It’s also happy to keep behaving that way for longer. The rear rotation under braking and turn-in is breathtaking, and I actually stopped breathing the first time I had a taste of how quickly that back end can swing out. Thankfully, it’s polite enough to let you know what it’s doing, and deftly follows your steering and throttle adjustments to regain its balance and go through the corner as intended.
The way the brakes scrub off speed is pretty crazy, too. With just one lap to figure out how this car drives, I braked early and hard the first few corners—it was quite hard on the stomach on the way down from turn three to four, the downshifts from the eight-speed GR ‘Direct Automatic Transmission’ (GR-DAT) announcing themselves in rapid succession. I was interested to see how the gearbox would be left to its own devices, having read that it uses software to predict when to shift and which gear to be in based on real-time input and what’s actually up ahead. The decision not to second-guess such a system paid off, and it meant I could just focus on braking and steering and staying on the black stuff.
As Leandre mentioned, the all-wheel-drive system was overheating by the time we took the wheel. The torque split had apparently reverted to predominantly front-wheel-drive, but there was still a lot of rear grip through the turns, and the back wheels still felt driven and pushing us out of corners. It makes me curious how a fully functioning Track mode, which automatically shifts anywhere from 60:40 to 30:70, would have felt.
You also said you rode in the backseat. How was the experience?
Leandre: Yes, I did. I was the passenger on the second lap, and I must say, it felt way more violent in the back than it did up front. That’s probably because of the GR bucket seats in the front row—it kept me perfectly in place throughout my lap. In the back, I relied mostly on my seatbelt and my feet anchored onto the railings of the front seat. It’s proof of how the entire car just feels stable and planted from the cockpit. It felt like I was hanging on for dear life, while Sheng was just enjoying her time behind the wheel. She was all smiles when we stepped out of the car, while I was so dizzy I felt like I could fall to the floor. Don’t get me wrong, it was still fun, but I’d prefer to at least be riding shotgun the next time I’ll be a passenger in this car on track.
Sheng: One word: brutal. Most people I talked to—drivers and shotgun passengers alike—said they weren’t expecting to be roughed up like that. The GR Corolla doesn’t even sound properly menacing from the outside. I mean, three-cylinder, and also, Corolla. In no universe was automotivedom’s most prolific sedan (the most common body style the nameplate exists in) supposed to be brutal.
Well, my neck and shoulders begged to differ after one lap of clinging to the grab handle in the backseat. I was exhausted even before I took the wheel, and I think a lot of my muscles remained clenched well after our seat time. I’m sure the experience is much more civilized in daily driving, but we’ll have to tell you some other time about ride comfort and backseat amenities, because I was too busy hanging on to notice.
How does it look in the metal?
Leandre: It’s a much, much sexier Corolla. You see bits from the regular Altis, like the headlights and the taillights, but there are big air diffusers and tons of vents to remind you that this is a Gazoo Racing special. The GR Yaris still holds a soft spot in my heart, it being the O.G. homologation special and a three-door, but I still wouldn’t mind having something that looks like this in my garage.
Sheng: Like the Corolla has had enough of being the poster child for practicality and decided to go for an extreme makeover with the help of its bonkers cousin, the GR Yaris. In all seriousness, if the only thing that has stopped you from getting a GR Yaris was the lack of rear doors, this is the answer to your prayers.
So, is it worth the price tag?
Leandre: It’s a lot of money for a Corolla, but if I had that type of money, I’d be very much willing to spend it on this hot hatch. It’s a proper Toyota, and it’s a special one at that. While the future looks incredibly bright for the Gazoo Racing brand, there’s still no telling when those next-generation sports cars will make it to the Philippines, if at all. This and the GR Yaris are what we have at the moment, so if I had the chance to get either, I would in a heartbeat.
Now, it’s just a matter of choosing between the two. They both come in manual and automatic, anyway, so it’ll really boil down to preference in looks and whether or not you need the two extra doors. Honestly, you couldn’t go wrong with either.
Sheng: I’m not the target market, and I’m still inclined to say yes. It would’ve been easier to give an emphatic answer if the price tag weren’t a breath away from the P4-million mark and if that head unit looked like it’s actually from the 2020s, but the ‘GR’ badge here is as much for go as show. This is the real deal, honed from Gazoo Racing’s rally experience and success, and it’s a one-car garage solution if you want something fun and legit for both the daily office run and the weekend track day.
