In the past, when people talked about Toyota, they always used words such as household, moderate, reliable, etc., but most of the models sold on the market today are indeed still in this style. But with people's enthusiasm for driving pleasure, BMW launched the M Power brand, Mercedes-Benz launched the AMG brand... Caters to the needs of consumers. Honda's high-performance brand GR has ushered in its fourth model after gr supra, GR YARIS, GR86, which is the GR Corolla.
All-wheel drive, performance plus
Born at its production facility in Motomachi, Japan, gr corolla is the birthplace of legendary models such as the Lexus LFA and Supra A80. It is reported that the new car is based on the US market development and manufacturing models, is expected to land in the US market around October, or will introduce domestic sales in the future. The Toyota GR Corolla features high performance, with two versions, core and Circuit Edition.
Optimized for each wheel, the new GR-FOUR all-wheel drive system is Toyota's first sporty all-wheel drive system in more than 20 years, designed for rally racing. The new car offers more than 60:40, 30:70, 50:50 modes of front/rear torque distribution, which means that the driver can adjust the performance at will in any road condition. It is worth mentioning that no matter which mode, the torque balance is automatically adjusted according to the driver's input, vehicle behavior and road conditions.
In addition, the new Circuit Edition version is equipped with a front and rear Torsen limited-slip differential (LSD), which greatly improves cornering performance and grip by controlling the distribution of left and right drive torque on the front and rear axles. Both versions are equipped with 235/40R18 Michelin PS4 tires.
Lightly packed, rigid and soft
In appearance, GR Corolla is based on the hatchback version of the Corolla design, after the transformation of the GR department, the docile image of the hatchback Corolla in the past has become more wild, the generous posture plus the large black net on the front face occupies a large proportion of the front of the car, and the GR logo is reflected in the front face and side skirt. The overall body is based on aerodynamic design, drawing on the valuable experience of many Toyota rally cars, front and rear surround and wide body design to airflow guidance and downforce of the rear wings to ensure the stability and low resistance of the vehicle at high speeds.
Toyota has been focusing on how to reduce weight without compromising strength and safety in order to maximize the performance of the "small steel cannon", so GR Corolla has made extensive use of lightweight metals and materials in key areas. The hood and front door panels are made of aluminium and lightweight high-strength steel, while the roof is made of forged carbon sheet molding compounds that effectively and safely absorb and dissipate impact forces and protect the driver's personal safety.
Faster and safer
Gr Corolla uses GR Yaris's equivalent G16E-GTS 1.6T three-cylinder turbocharged engine with a maximum power of 300 hp and a peak torque of 370 N·m. Toyota made several optimizations to the engine, making extensive use of racing technology elements, including fuel-injected piston cooling, large-diameter exhaust valves, etc., which matched the 6-speed manual transmission and rev to accommodate high torque levels. Its turbocharging inheritance is inherited from the exhaust manifold, which not only reduces the weight, but also further improves the preheating efficiency of the catalyst by controlling the exhaust gas bypass gas.
Xiaobian learned from the official that the GR Corolla series is equipped with a Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 (TSS 3.0) safety system as standard, which further improves the detection capability of millimeter-wave radar, which can detect oncoming vehicles approaching in front or laterally when driving at a bend or approaching intersection, providing audio/visual alerts and automatic braking.
GR Corolla brings together highly skilled technicians from across the company, and almost all members of the department are involved in assembling the GR Corolla, aiming to improve the technical skills of the department's workers and is the most important part of Toyota's GR division, which aims to cultivate talent, drive users and build better cars.
According to Toyota's plan to introduce one GR to the Chinese market every year, gr corolla may enter the domestic market. Thanks to Toyota's active participation in various auto sports events in recent years, it has also achieved good results, which will also help the GR brand to be more competitive and excellent driving performance. However, for a mass-produced performance car like Toyota, if the domestic price is introduced or will be more than 500,000, will you pay for the pure driving pleasure that is gradually lost?