Toyota Reveals GRMN Corolla, Morizo RR Concept

Toyota has previewed even hotter versions of its already piping-hot hatchback. For 2027, the world will be receiving the track-focused GRMN Corolla, which the manufacturer dubbed the “ultimate” version of the GR Corolla.

The company is likewise showcasing the GR Corolla Morizo RR concept, which retains many of the track-focused alternations without sacrificing everyday drivability.

While the standard GR Corolla is the kind of vehicle that most enthusiasts could live with as their daily driver, the GRMN variant throws many of those concerns to the wind. Toyota is marketing this new car as having been intentionally designed for the track, which is saying something when just about everyone already agreed that the base GR happens to be loads of fun to toss around a circuit.

Over the years, Gazoo Racing (GR) has gradually supplanted aspects of Toyota Racing Development (TRD) since the latter moved almost exclusively to supporting trucks and SUVs. GR handles the global passenger vehicles intended for track or rally use, often as factory-built models, whereas TRD now tends to prioritize off-road aspirations and aftermarket parts. It likewise handles North American oval-track racing, meaning the automaker’s NASCAR teams still run under the TRD banner.

The GRMN (Gazoo Racing Masters of the Nürburgring) designation is basically there to indicate to buyers that this is the most track-worthy version of whatever GR was already offering. Referencing the Nürburgring may be an industry cliche by now. But developing a car at one of the longest and most brutal racetracks ever constructed tends to make them extremely capable vehicles. Toyota wanted to make it crystal clear that the Corolla GRMN is loaded up with “exclusively designed aerodynamic performance parts and a suspension honed through competing in the Super Taikyu Series and testing at the Nürburgring.”

From Toyota:

The GRMN Corolla’s suspension employs exclusive front and rear monotube shock absorbers with rebound springs for improved inner-wheel traction during cornering and for enhanced high-speed cornering performance.

The Nürburgring road surface includes environments that induce significant vertical suspension travel beyond that experienced on typical circuits. To ensure high stability for confident driving even in such conditions, extensive Nürburgring test runs facilitated optimization of bump-stop characteristics. The exclusive shock absorbers were developed by adjusting their stroke down to a millimeter at the front and rear for optimal balance. Furthermore, for enhanced cornering stability and braking performance, the GRMN Corolla sports 245/40ZR18 “Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2” high-grip tires, which are 10 mm wider than those on the base vehicle.

The control program of the GRMN Corolla’s EPS (electric power steering) has been modified from that on the base vehicle to generate the required amount of assistance torque even during cornering under high g-forces. The exclusively tuned 4WD control system provides optimal rear torque distribution during straight-line driving and enhanced stability at the onset of steering input at extremely high speeds.

So you get wider tires, along with an upgraded suspension, new aerodynamic bits (made of carbon fiber), some additional bracing, tweaked all-wheel-drive system, and a reprogrammed electronic steering rack that should result in a vehicle that’s quicker on any racetrack. However, tuning for all those elevation changes in Germany should likewise make it more capable on whatever roads you happen to take on the way to your preferred circuit.

For those worried that the GRMN Corolla cannot be tailored to specific courses, Toyota has made the rear wing adjustable. The same doesn’t appear to be true for the hood and fender ducts, or the frontal spoilers. But it’s assumed they likewise improve downforce, with the hood ducts helping to evacuate unwanted heat.

Heat has always been the biggest enemy of the GR Corolla. Despite earning a staggering amount of praise as a driver’s car, early editions were infamous for overheating during track use. This led to Toyota adding optional oil coolers and redirecting air to help keep the all-wheel-drive system from limiting power in an effort to protect itself.

Now the automaker is implementing an intercooler spray system to help maintain optimal engine performance during continuous full-throttle driving on GRMN models. If you’ve ever driven certain versions of the Subaru WRX STI or Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, you’re undoubtedly familiar with intercooler sprayers. It was one of those rally-inspired components that was undeniably cool to see on a production car and totally unnecessary outside of motorsport. Since the GR Corolla (and Yaris) are obviously inspired by those vehicles, and fills in the gap created by their absence, the hottest version of the car receives the same equipment.

Weight saving has also been made a priority, so the GRMN Corolla has no rear seats. We previously saw this on the limited edition GR Corolla Morizo Edition. Toyota said this saves about 30 kilograms (66 pounds), which will be helpful since it doesn’t actually make much more power than the base model.

The GRMN uses the same G16E-GTS found in the base GR and the 1.6-liter, turbocharged three-cylinder unit continues to make 300 horsepower. However, torque has been boosted from 295 to roughly 306 ft-lbs, which should be enough to help shave a tenth of a second off the quarter mile time.

The transmission remains a six speed with a button for intelligent rev matching. However, the GRMN gets closer gear ratios than the standard GR.

Everything else looks to be focused on appearance. Toyota showcased the car with bronze wheels, rather than the standard black ones. They’re very handsome, and pair well with the shamelessly aggressive bodywork and new paint color, but don’t appear to offer any obvious performance enhancements.

We can see Toyota moving away from the attractive, albeit highly scratch-prone, piano-black plastic trim inside the cabin. GRMN models also come with unique seats with added bolstering, which should be nice during hard cornering, and loads of red accenting.

Toyota equipped the GRMN with a “flocked instrument panel and flocked front pillars.” This effectively gives them a semi-matte finish designed to mitigate glare and is relatively common on modern performance vehicles. There’s likewise a panel bearing the Morizo (aka Akio Toyoda) signature on the dashboard and numerous trim pieces that look to be akin to Alcantara. Since the GR Corolla has embraced raw carbon fiber in the past, the GRMN also sees a tad more of that.

However, it is curious to see Toyota placing the signed microfiber panel so low on the dashboard when one assumes it would be better suited closer to the windshield. As someone with a car that uses Alcantara similarly, the takeaway has been that it’s primarily there to make the car look sporty since it’s not really high enough to mitigate reflections. The material is also less than ideal on any surface that will routinely come into contact with your skin. It can be tricky to clean and prone to absorbing oils, making me wonder why Toyota seems to have added it to the gear selector and steering wheel.

But this is the kind of car that most people will be purchasing as a toy for track days, rather than routine commuting. For those interested in a sprightly daily driver, Toyota already builds the standard GR Corolla.

Still, the automaker has said that it plans on building a five-seat version that leverages the Gazoo Racing Direct Automatic Transmission (DAT). Dubbed the Morizo RR (pictured), the assumption is that this will be a slightly softened version of the GRMN that could more realistically double as a person’s primary vehicle. Its yellow brake calipers look great. But they do seem like they could be a tad smaller than the units found on the GRMN. DAT-equipped versions of GR models also experience some drivetrain power loss. But they tend to make up the difference by way of reduced shift times.

Like other Morizo RR vehicles, we assume the Corolla will be a limited-edition model. The same goes for the GRMN until Toyota says otherwise. That could result in some lofty MSRPs and dealer markups. But we cannot say anything for sure prior to launch, which is yet to be decided for our market.

All we know is that the vehicles will be previewed at the Fuji Motorsports Forest Welcome Center until June 28th and that Toyota plans on opening up the order books in Japan during the third quarter of 2026. Deliveries are expected to commence early in 2027 with other markets, including ours, expected to follow in the succeeding months.

[Images: Toyota]

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