Toyota gr corolla morizo edition feature

Toyota GR Corolla ‘Morizo’ Track Special Unveiled

By Ben McKimm - News

Published: 3 June 2022, Last Updated: 12 June 2023

GR or ‘Gazoo Racing’ – Toyota’s special ops for its most engaging vehicles – might as well stand for ‘Good Riddance’ at this point because while other manufacturers pull their hair out thinking about EV things, the GR team is doing petrolheads the service of creating truly memorable vehicles before the inevitable day rules and regulations make them disappear. No other manufacturer in this market is as interested in enjoyment as Toyota GR is and their latest Toyota GR Corolla Morizo Edition two-seater is their best example yet.

It all started with the GR Yaris in 2019, and the brand has successfully built its reputation for exciting rally-bred 2022 Land Rover Defender 90 Review: Beauty and Brawn with GR specials in the time since. The announcement of a GR Corolla sent the internet into a frenzy earlier this year, and their latest two-seater track special will really light the fire under fanboys with a 224kW, four-wheel drive, manual track car for the road. Let’s take a look.

Toyota gr corolla morizo edition side quarter

Image: Toyota

“The introduction of GR Corolla to Australia demonstrates Toyota’s commitment to continue delivering exciting new vehicles, with racing DNA at their core,” said Sean Hanley, Toyota Australia Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Franchise Operations.

We tend to agree with Sean, Toyota clearly had one thing in mind when it was making the limited-edition model; throw the rulebook out in the search for enjoyment. Applying the good old formula of ‘remove weight and add power’ the GR Corolla Morizo edition increases torque by 30Nm to a maximum of 400Nm in its little (but strong) turbocharged 1.6-litre three-cylinder engine. Peak power remains unchanged at 224kW.

Image: Toyota

Why the ‘Morizo’ Edition is Better for the Track

Weight has been reduced by 30kg, mostly by removing the rear seats and replacing them with body reinforcements. We’re a little unsure why the brand kept the vehicle as a four-door, but something about GR Yaris remaining the only two-door in the range might have something to do with it.

Overall 3.3-metres of additional structural adhesive has been added to the vehicle to add body rigidity which will transform the car without you visually seeing any of it.

As is the case with any great track car, it’s not all numbers and figures. Track nerds will love the lower gearing that will only enhance the corner to corner acceleration of the GR Corolla Morizo. Alongside the 18-inch wheels – which are more suitable for track duties – have been optioned with Michelin Cup 2 tires (typically reserved for supercars like the Porsche GT3) and tire widths have been increased 10% to 245/40R18.

The suspension has also been tailored with monotube shock absorbers fitted to the rear multi-link suspension and inverted monotube shock absorbers for the front MacPherson strut set-up.

Toyota gr corolla morizo edition dashboard

Image: Toyota

What About the Inside?

Inside you’ll find bolstered semi-bucket seats with cast-black paint on the instrument panel and doors. The steering wheel and centre console are finished in Ultrasuede which is better looking and offers more grip. You may have to consider driving gloves if you don’t want to ruin the wheel daily driving your track toy with sweaty palms.

Is the GR Corolla ‘Morizo’ Coming to Australia?

If you want to get your hands on one in Australia the good news is the GR Carolla Morizo edition will only be limited in allocation for the first production year, although, we expect second-hand market prices to be astronomical until the future stock numbers have been confirmed by Toyota Australia. How much will it cost? Toyota is yet to confirm pricing for the Australian market, but we’d predict a 20% increase on the standard price (that’s also yet to be unveiled) a ball-park estimate would be $85,000 AUD but it could also be much more.

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