Toyota's New GR Corolla Lands in Japan
Featuring an 8-speed automatic transmission.
Toyota has introduced an evolved version of its GR Corolla for the Japanese market, leveraging motorsports insights to enhance its performance and driving experience. Orders began on February 4, with the model officially launching on March 3.
Drawing expertise from the competitive Super Taikyu racing series, the evolved GR Corolla receives upgrades aimed at improving high-speed cornering, acceleration and cooling. A major highlight is the newly developed 8-speed GAZOO Racing Direct Automatic Transmission (GR-DAT), first seen in the GR Yaris.
Feedback from professional race drivers, evaluation specialists and Toyota’s Master Driver Morizo guided the enhancements, designed to deliver exhilarating performance on the track and in daily driving conditions.
An optional SPORT package adds a premium, motorsport-inspired touches to the interior, featuring exclusive semi-bucket seats, an Ultrasuede-upholstered steering wheel, shift knob and parking brake grip, alongside red three-point seat belts and cast-black interior trim elements.
Another notable addition is the new Circuit Mode, activated at select Japanese racetracks through GPS and a dedicated app. This mode unlocks anti-lag settings, boosts the speed limiter, maximizes engine cooling and provides intuitive shift indicators for optimal gear changes during high-performance driving.
Current GR Corolla owners aren’t left behind; Toyota offers upgrade packages allowing them to equip their vehicles with select performance-enhancing parts from the evolved model.
