Gazoo Racing has been hitting it out of the park lately. With the likes of the indomitable GR Yaris and gorgeous soon-to-be manual GR Supra, their lineup already offers some stellar picks. The introduction of the stunning GR Corolla raised the bar even further. However, TGR has gone even further by modifying the GR Corolla creating the ludicrous 2-seater GR Corolla MORIZO Edition that’s just one roll-cage away from being a full-blown race car.
The exterior has received some notable changes such as a bumper cover, vented bonnet bulge, functional air intakes and a “Matrix grille” on the front end. At the rear is a spoiler with a flat underfloor curtailing the exteriors underside.
Make no mistake, the GR Corolla is already a wonderfully capable all-wheel-drive machine, but the MORIZO Edition kicks it up a few notches. You’ll find the same engine lying underneath the bonnet but with a few tweaks here and there. Same power, but with more torque – around 400 N.m compared to the original 370 N.m.
Although it’s not an outrageous increase, this is added to the close-ratio intelligent manual transmission (iMT), and shortened gears give the MORIZO Edition some oomph. Peak torque comes just after 3250 rpm and with the added goodies gives the MORIZO Edition amazing acceleration capabilities, but its engine hardware isn’t what makes this model stand out. There are 4-piston callipers on the front and 2-piston callipers on the rear, with each mated to 14-inch slotted brake discs. These are housed in forged 18-inch wheels wrapped in a set of Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres that have 10 millimetres more tread than the standard GR Corolla.
Along with some engine changes is a lighter package, specifically 45kgs lighter than the regular GR Corolla resulting in the car weighing 1445kg. A Lot of this decreased weight comes, as a result of the removal of the rear seats and the incorporation of a forged carbon fibre roof, aluminium bonnet and front door panels. They’ve also removed a few mechanisms in the rear window and doors.
The already rigid chassis was enhanced by added weld points (329 spot welds to be exact), added floor braces, and 6 metres of structural adhesive to the hatches frame. Those rear seats that were removed were replaced by two strut braces which Toyota says while still allowing for ample room to transport four tires on your way to the track.
This is an unreal evolution of an already unbelievable hatchback. Unfortunately, there will only be 200 units made in 2023, with no indication of whether more will be made in the years to follow.
