Test-Driving The 2024 Toyota GR Corolla Circuit Edition

Every few years, another automaker tries to introduce a new hatchback or station market to the stubborn American market. Most recently, Toyota brought a GR—or Gazoo Racing—variant of the Corolla to the United States, which promised rally racing provenance at an affordable price point.

After a long wait, I recently received a GR Corolla in the Circuit Edition trim to test for a week in Los Angeles. The Circuit Edition sits just below the exclusive Morizo Edition, and adds a carbon-fiber roof, Torsen front and rear differentials connected by Toyota’s Intelligent Torque Controlled Coupling (ITCC), a more aggressive rear spoiler, brake calipers painted red, some interior trim details and a unique Blue Flame paint job available as an option. But surprisingly, the Circuit Edition actually weighs more than a base GR Corolla—or even one equipped with the diffs of the Performance Package—at a curb weight of 3,285 pounds.

Still, that drivetrain serves as ever GR Corolla’s main differentiator versus the competition. The turbocharged 1.6-liter three-cylinder engine pushes up to 25 psi of boost, allowing for peak ratings of 300 horsepower and 273 lb-ft of torque (other than the Morizo, anyhow). And now onto the most surprising decision of all: The GR Corolla only comes with a manual transmission. In the modern automotive era, that’s just about heresy, and yet this stick shift manages quite well for a commuter car application. The slightly long throw makes finding gates between gears easy, with light action but enough positive engagement to allow for more aggressive driving. The clutch pedal even provides a bit of weight and feedback to allow for more subtle or sporty shifts at whim.

A pair of Torsen torque-biasing differentials front and rear—not limited-slip, as most reviews might claim, Google the difference to learn more about Audi’s Quattro rally cars—are connected by the ITCC system, which the driver can control via a dial on the center console. Pretending I sat in the true homologation special GR Yaris available abroad, I immediately played around with the ITCC knob, switching between the Normal mode’s 60:40 front-to-rear torque split, the 30:70 rear-biased mode and Track mode to lock the split at 50:50 and save clutch pack wear.

As perhaps expected, I preferred 30:70, far and away. Sending more grunt to the rear wheels not only creates a bit of tail-happiness as torque builds from the peppy turbo-three, but also loosens up the steering to make the GR Corolla more flickable.

Finding a Key Balance in a Hot Hatch

Still, all-wheel-drive traction and sheer mechanical grip make the potential for drifting on Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tires somewhat questionable without cranking the steering wheel hard while hitting seriously high speeds. The engine simply lacks the grunt to break all four wheels loose, even by side-stepping the clutch with the traction control off. That grip comes in handy while ripping around corners, though, as this little hot hatch manages to claw into asphalt creating far more lateral g forces than expected.

The chassis nonetheless rides a bit nose-heavy despite the tiny engine, which only encourages early braking and then pushing through corners in classic rally-car fashion. Unfortunately, though, the suspension simply doesn’t live up to the drivetrain’s promise, lacking both the compliance to make daily life comfortable or the tautness to truly amp up driving dynamics at the edge of traction. Instead, the dampers live in bland sort of middle zone, only happy on the smoothest asphalt possible, yet clearly not refined enough for true track use.

There’s a magic point where firm suspension actually calms down a ride, as the ground provides damping force. Not here, sadly, because the GR Corolla simply never feels settled in any scenario. Perhaps the shock damper tuning represents a purposeful attempt to emphasize the undeniable joys of driving a slow car fast—or at least an unsteady one.

And almost unavoidably, I started driving the GR Corolla at just about full throttle all the time, ripping through gears and downshifting with hard blips as much as possible, the whooshes of turbo wastegate actuation bringing a silly smile to my face.

With more time behind the wheel, I also started fiddling with the configurable gauges, eventually settling on a g-meter to the right and a boost gauge on the left, with the tachometer, speedometer and gear selector display in the center. Surprisingly, the system will allow a g-meter on both sides, but not the boost gauge and fluid temperature readouts simultaneously.

Another odd detail that wound up bugging me for the full week: some of the weirdest pedal spacing on any car this side of a 1970s Jeep. The tiny brake pedal simply sits too far away from the top-hinging, narrow accelerator to allow for easy heel-toeing, or more accurately, side blipping with the sole of my shoe.

A Simple And Budget-Friendly Corolla Interior

The GR Corolla’s almost Spartan interior may also set some buyers off, but I appreciate the simplicity. It’s got a small screen with Wireless Apple CarPlay, intuitive controls for the climate and infotainment, plus comfortable seats. What else could one want, other than maybe a small center armrest? And the cargo capacity was just large enough to let me slip in a road bike with the seats folded down.

At a level of classy design below the Volkswagen Golf R, which will not come with a manual transmission for much longer, the GR Corolla occupies a unique slot in the market—especially now that the Subaru WRX leaves so much to be desired and the STI has been shelved. Stick shifts increasingly get the axe these days, too, so in a dream world, Toyota sticks with the decision to retain clutch pedals (on the Supra, as well). However, I’d argue against selecting the Circuit Edition as a package on the GR Corolla, and say that saving money by speccing a base model with the optional diffs seems like the wiser move to keep the price tag under $40,000. If, that is, dealers wake up to the real world and stop trying to tack on “market adjustments.”

Saving money on a budget GR Corolla seems key because this car just begs for a few light mods to bring out more of the spunky side. Most importantly, a set of aftermarket shock dampers, but also maybe mild ECU tune and an exhaust setup to unleash more pop and bang. A custom brake pedal from the aftermarket might help, too.

Then, for real fun or simply more all-weather confidence, swapping on a set of knobby tires will help to embody more of the rally-racer aesthetic (plus some more slip-and-slide in all other conditions). I don’t think wheels smaller than the stock 18-inchers will provide enough space to prevent pebbles from getting stuck on the brake calipers, sadly, and a set of skid plates for the underbody also seems wise for anyone planning any serious sojourns off the pavement. After all, the GR Corolla simply isn’t as real of a homologation special as the GR Yaris available in foreign markets. But this hot hatch still gets as close to that rally potential as anything available in the United States today. Now if only more manufacturers would decide to get in on the fun.