LONG BEACH, Calif. — Toyota Motor Corp. is revving again into the recent hatch market with a brand new all-wheel-drive Corolla developed by its in-house Gazoo Racing group and powered by a power-dense three-cylinder engine.
Toyota’s next-gen rally racer, revealed to journalists right here this week, includes a manual-only transmission in addition to a powertrain that enables the driving force a alternative of entrance/rear energy distribution biases — 60-40, 50-50 or 70-30 — to finest go well with driving circumstances.
However the 1.6-litre, turbocharged, engine is the star attraction. Mated to a six-speed handbook transmission, it delivers as much as 300 hp and 273 pound-feet of torque — giving it 185 horsepower per litre of displacement.
The identical engine was used beforehand by Toyota’s Gazoo Racing in-house efficiency store for the GR Yaris scorching hatch in Europe, the place it was rated at 268 hp. Engineers have been in a position to get the ability output boosted to 300 hp utilizing an revolutionary “triple exhaust” setup that lowered again strain, defined the GR Corolla’s chief engineer, Naoyuki Sakamoto.
The 2023 Toyota GR Corolla will go on sale this yr with what Toyota is asking a “Core” trim obtainable in certainly one of three colours — white, black or crimson — with a color-keyed roof and spoiler. A limited-run upgraded “Circuit” trim received’t be obtainable till 2023 however will characteristic a carbon-fiber roof, a vented hood and rear spoiler, in addition to a shift knob signed with CEO Akio Toyoda’s racing pseudonym, Morizo.
In both trim, the specifically designed rally racer is aimed toward shaving weight and bettering structural rigidity, suspension and dealing with. The mannequin nonetheless options Toyota’s Security Suite 3.0, with all of its accompanying driver-assistance and security options, in addition to the model’s 12.3-inch contact display infotainment show display, with Toyota Audio Multimedia system normal.
The 2023 Toyota GR Corolla is 173.5 inches (440 cm) lengthy, 72.9 inches (185 cm) vast and stands 57.2 inches (142 cm) tall, excluding the antenna, with a curb weight of three,249 kilos, Toyota stated.
Pricing for the 2023 Toyota GR Corolla can be launched later. It’s anticipated to start arriving in dealerships within the fourth quarter, Toyota stated.