Toyota GRMN Corolla unveiled

TOYOTA has officially unveiled the GRMN Corolla – the hottest version of the Japanese marque’s high-performance hatchback – and its coming to Australia in 2027.

The GRMN (GAZOO Racing tuned by the Meister of Nürburgring) Corolla brings with it several performance enhancements over the regular GR Corolla.

These upgrades have been added so that the GRMN Corolla may “be able to run the Nürburgring properly”, as per Toyota board of directors chairman Akio Toyoda’s – a keen racer himself – directive.

For starters, while the power output of the turbocharged 1.6-litre three-cylinder engine – paired with a six-speed manual transmission – remains the same at 221kW, torque has risen by 8Nm to 408Nm. Its all-wheel drive system has also been retuned.

The GRMN Corolla arrives with several aerodynamic upgrades drawn from Toyota’s Japanese Super Taikyu racing activities including its bonnet and fender ducts, front side spoilers, and a five-step adjustable rear wing, which were then fine-tuned in testing on Germany’s infamous Nürburgring.

Under the skin, the GRMN Corolla now rides on monotube shock absorbers with rebound springs at the front and rear, while a new electric power steering tune provides improved feedback during high G-force cornering.

Its 18-inch forged aluminium wheels are also wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 high-performance tyres.

Inside, the rear seats have been deleted in the name of weight-saving – much like the 2023 GR Corolla Morizo Edition – while seating for the front passenger and driver is provided by a pair of bucket seats.

All-up, the GRMN has shaved 40kg off the standard GR Corolla.

Prospective customers will have two colours to choose from when the GRMN Corolla hits local shores – matte black or an Australian and North American market exclusive Khaki.

“Under the direction of our Chairman Akio Toyoda – who races under the pseudonym Morizo – the GR brand was designed to create high-performance sports cars using the knowledge and experience we gain from motorsport and this new GRMN Corolla was honed on one of the world’s most demanding race circuits, the Nürburgring,” said Toyota Australia vice president of sales, marketing and franchise operations John Pappas.

“This is truly our GR philosophy in action, and has produced an astonishing high-performance driver’s car that is as at home on the racetrack as it is on the road.”

The GRMN Corolla isn’t the first Toyota model to bear the Nürburgring-focused nameplate.

In 2009, Toyota released the Japanese-market-exclusive iQ GRMN compact hatchback, limited to a run of just 100 units. Unveiled in 2017, the Yaris GRMN was the first model to wear the badge in markets outside of Japan.

Further details are expected close to the GRMN Corolla’s Australian release, although it will be sold in limited numbers.

It is expected to be priced above the regular GR Corolla, prices for which range between $67,990 and $70,490 plus on-road costs.