For those of a certain vintage here in west, the Toyota Corolla conjures up images of something beige, four door and economical. The model however once had more sporting pretensions earlier in its lineage, and returns to those roots with the 2023 GR Corolla.
Media event held at a B.C. racetrack. (By Benjamin Yong)
GR stands for Gazoo Racing, the brand’s factory motorsport division, and is also responsible for products such as the 86 and Supra.
“Customers across Canada have been urging us to bring a hot hatch to market, especially after seeing the GR Yaris in Europe. So our answer is the first ever 2023 GR Corolla. It has all the rowdiness of that pocket rocket Yaris you’ve seen in Europe, in a package that’s ideal for the North American market,” said Alec Markin, Prairie and Pacific Zone manager, during a media briefing before setting journalists loose on the racetrack in Duncan, B.C….