TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Premieres Japanese-Market GR Corolla RZ and 2-seater, Enhanced-Performance GR Corolla Morizo Edition

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing held the world premiere of the GR Corolla RZ and GR Corolla Morizo Edition. The GR Corolla RZ is the Japanese-market trim level of the all-new GR Corolla unveiled in April. The GR Corolla Morizo Edition, which was announced simultaneously in the United States, is a trim level aimed at achieving “an untamed energy that captivates customers” and “a driving taste that excites and that powers the urge to keep on driving” and was discerningly crafted, with Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota) President and Master Driver Akio Toyoda, a.k.a. Morizo, directly behind the wheel of development prototypes. The GR Corolla RZ is scheduled to go on sale this fall through Toyota vehicle dealers nationwide, and the GR Corolla Morizo Edition is scheduled to be available in limited quantities through GR Garage locations nationwide from this winter, with a reservation lottery for it planned to start this fall^*1.

Ever since arriving on the scene in 1966, the Corolla has helped elevate Toyota, including playing an active role ever since Toyota’s early days of participation in motorsports, with the TE25 Corolla earning Toyota’s first World Rally Championship^*2 victory in 1973 and the Corolla Levin winning the 1,000 Lakes Rally^*3 in 1975. The Corolla’s driving performance has been embraced by many customers, and the model has evolved with the times into a station wagon and SUV, among others, to become a versatile choice throughout its customers’ life stages. The recently premiered GR Corolla sprang to life based on the strong desire of President Toyoda to “absolutely prevent the Corolla―especially because it is widely loved―from becoming a simple commodity and bring back a Corolla that captivates our customers”.

The development of the GR Corolla carried forth the torch of making ever-better motorsports-bred cars, which focuses on honing cars to win races and making them commercially available. While under development, the GR Corolla was fitted with a hydrogen engine and raced in the Super Taikyu Series^*4 to comprehensively hone a hydrogen engine, which comprises new technologies, as well as the car. Also, to pursue an untamed energy that captivates customers, a team of professional drivers, in-house evaluators, engineers, and mechanics, centered on Master Driver Toyoda, rigorously put the car through its paces on a variety of roads. This enabled the developers to expose defects and repeatedly make improvements, culminating in a car that interacts with the driver and powers the urge to keep on driving.

GR Corolla Morizo Edition, a two-seater with enhanced driving performance

The GR Corolla Morizo Edition was developed based on President Toyoda’s discerning resolve to achieve an untamed energy that captivates customers. Thorough weight reduction, increased engine torque, and optimized transmission gear ratios, combined with improved cornering execution through the use of monotube shock absorbers and high-performance tires, have achieved enhanced dynamic performance for a driving taste that excites and that powers the urge to keep on driving.

GR Corolla Morizo Edition vehicle overview (comparison with the GR Corolla RZ)

• Removing the rear seat to create a two-seater has reduced weight by approximately 30 kilograms.
• Maximum torque has been increased from 370 Nm to 400 Nm, and acceleration performance has been improved by increasing torque in the mid-rpm range.
• Body rigidity was further strengthened by applying an additional 3.3 meters of structural adhesive and adding body reinforcement braces.
• Lower-geared differential gears and the use of closer ratios for the first, second, and third gears have improved dynamic performance and provided a pleasing sensation of gear engagement.
• High-grip tires, widened by 10 mm, improve cornering stability and braking performance.
• Exclusive semi-bucket seats hold the body firmly for accurate driving even when the driver is subjected to considerable g-forces due to improved driving performance.
• Door trim ornamentation, the instrument panel, and others in cast-black paint coalesce with an Ultrasuede®^*5-upholstered steering wheel and center console to give the sporty interior a touch of class.
• The exterior color is an exclusive Matte Steel, and the front windshield bears Morizo’s signature as a testament to the unique and discerning approach to creating the GR Corolla Morizo Edition.

Main specifications (development target values) of the all-new GR Corolla RZ (Japanese-market specifications) and GR Corolla Morizo Edition

*1           Details on the limited number of units to be available and the reservation lottery procedure are to be provided at a later date via the following URL: https://toyotagazooracing.com/gr/corolla/

*2           The Press On Regardless rally held in the United States

*3           The current Rally Finland

*4           Participation using a hydrogen engine-equipped Corolla in the Super Taikyu Series started in 2021 with Round 3 under the banner of ROOKIE Racing. Toward realizing motorsports that are carbon-neutral and sustainable, the goal is to hone, through motorsports, hydrogen engine technologies, which represent a new power source option

*5           Ultrasuede® is a registered trademark of Toray Industries, Inc.

*6           Torsen® is a registered trademark of JTEKT Corporation

Source: Toyota