The 2024 Toyota GR Corolla Circuit Edition is such a weird little thing, and I mean that in the best way possible. Just the thought of a red-blooded Corolla short-circuits my pea-sized brain. I’ve seen what a Corolla should be; it’s supposed to be safe, nondescript, vanilla, and boring. I know this because many moons ago, I owned a beige 2000 Corolla CE — don’t judge me, it was a winter beater — and it solidified that reputation. But this GR Corolla? It’s something else.
First and foremost, just look at the paint. It’s a bright, eye-searing blue Toyota appropriately calls Blue Flame. That’s the furthest thing from beige, and acts as the Red Bull-crushing introduction to this feisty chihuahua of a hot hatch. That’s not all: every GR Corolla comes with a muscular body with wide fenders, an aggressive front bumper, and 18-inch wheels. Admittedly, the base GR Corolla looks somewhat tame in the wrong colour, like an XSE that hits the gym a few days a week, but the steroids kick in with the Circuit trim. With it, you get an aggressive rear wing, an equally aggressive hood with an enormous bulge — heh — and hood vents, forged BBS wheels, and get this — a forged carbon roof. Yes, forged carbon, like a Huracan. The Circuit means business.
A few other GR Corolla-specific items stand out, like the GR badging, vents on the front fenders, and the triple-exit exhaust with tips jutting out from the left, centre, and right side of the blacked-out rear diffuser. It sounds pretty good, too: there’s more volume to it than the Honda Civic Type R but it’s not overbearing, almost like a mature version of an aftermarket exhaust. And before you judge it based on the triple tips, I too thought it looked stupid until I saw (and heard) it in person. It looks better than in photos, and it’s a clever nod to what’s under the hood.
Under that aggressive hood lies what really makes the GR Corolla special: a 1.6-litre turbocharged three-cylinder engine, mated to a proper six-speed manual transmission. There are more than a few turbo-threes out there, but they’re not as spicy as this one, putting out 300 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque. Those are healthy numbers, but admittedly fall short of the boosted four-cylinder powerplants in competitors like the Civic Type R, Integra Type S, and Volkswagen Golf R.
Next year, the GR Corolla will receive an optional automatic transmission, but the six-speed manual here is a nice blend between the fluidity and perfection of a Honda, and the notchiness of a Subaru. It takes some force to put it in gear, but it’s satisfying and devoid of any vagueness or the rubbery feel you’d find in three-pedal BMWs. Compared to a Honda or even my personal car, an Integra Type S, the gear ratios are positively short, allowing you to interact with the shifter on a regular basis. I don’t mind this in a hot hatch at all, but there’s a duality to the Integra in terms of relaxation and hair-raising performance you don’t get in the GR Corolla.
This carries over to the suspension, which is tuned one way and one way only. There are no adaptive dampers to speak of, which in a way is unique in this segment, as everything else the GR Corolla competes with has them. I like this; the GR Corolla always feels ready. The stiff chassis mated to the stiff suspension isn’t punishing, but doesn’t encourage you to sip your morning coffee on the way to work, either. It’s always busy, but it gives you a sense of occasion each and every time you get moving. I don’t remember the last time I saw slotted rotors on a hot hatch from the factory, but the 14-inch discs and four-piston calipers do a masterful job at slowing things down, and the brake pedal feel is excellent.
There are drive modes in the GR Corolla, which presumably affect throttle response and steering feel, but to be honest, I didn’t experience a ton of variation. The steering is weighted incredibly well, and coupled with the small-diameter steering wheel, continues the always-on theme of this rabid chihuahua. Turn-in is also tack-sharp, but my one knock here is a lack of road feel. I’d argue that the GR Corolla gets a bit of a failing grade here; there’s loads of grip in that front end, but I receive no communication from the front tire. Instead, I have to let Toyota Jesus take the wheel, and trust the GR Corolla to get me through the apex with the shiny side up.
And take you through, it does. The GR Corolla’s trick all-wheel-drive system provides tenacious grip no matter what you throw at it. By default, power is split 60/40 front/rear, but with the flick of a dial, you can shift that to 30/70 for some rear-biased fun, or 50/50 for serious on-track duty. This is still a front-based AWD system in theory, but uses some clever clutch slipping techniques to vary the torque split.
With all that said, other reviewers have noted the GR Corolla doesn’t want to power-oversteer even in 30/70 mode, and it seems this is because at full throttle, the system reverts to a 50/50 split no matter what split you’ve selected. I don’t do smoke shows, mainly because I can’t afford the tires, so this bothers me little. But what does concern me are the anecdotal stories from owners saying the differentials overheat during track days. That’s not great in a car like this, but on the street, you likely won’t experience such issues.
The interior is typical Corolla, except with some nicer trimmings and better seats. It’s nothing to write home about, and I’d argue all of the GR Corolla’s competitors feel more premium. The infotainment display is small at only eight inches [Phrasing… —Ed.] and Android Auto kept cutting out on me, interrupting the punchy tunes coming out of the pretty decent JBL sound system. The interior is put together well overall, but is missing some pizazz and features you’d expect at its near $60,000 as-tested price point, like rain sensing wipers and dual-zone climate control. You could argue this is forgivable in a hardcore hot hatch, but the Civic Type R offers all of this for less money.
And that’s the elephant in the room. Although the Core trim starts at a reasonable price point, the Circuit is the trim you want — but for almost $60,000, it’s a hard value proposition in a very competitive segment. Both the Civic Type R and Integra Type S undercut the GR Corolla Circuit, and offer a more mature drive, better performance, and more interior space. Yes, they’re not AWD, but what does that matter when they’re objectively better performance cars? I’m a fan of the trick AWD system in the GR Corolla and the sure-footedness it provides, but there’s a reason I chose a Type S as my do-everything car.
But where the Civic Type R and Integra Type S are useful attack dogs, there’s something about the 2024 Toyota GR Corolla Circuit’s feisty chihuahua attitude that grabs — and holds — your attention.
