If any affordable performance machine has achieved upstart celebrity status in recent years, it’s the GR Corolla. This 2023 Morizo Edition is absolutely ridiculous on paper — an all-wheel drive, 300-horsepower Toyota hot hatch with no rear seat and a carbon fiber roof. No, this isn’t some video game-inspired one-off. It’s a real car you can buy today, and it’s an absolute blast.
In this week’s episode of Autoblog Garage, we walk around Toyota’s new enthusiast machine to give you a look at all of the details that make this little monster such a treat. We look at the exterior details, the items that were stripped to take weight out of the interior and the nods Toyota’s engineers made to practicality, including a fully functioning infotainment suite that’ll help you get to and from your favorite track in (relative) comfort.
The Morizo Edition cranks up the wick on the already-sparking, 300-horsepower GR Corolla. It packs an additional 20 pound-feet of torque (for a total of 295) in the meat of its powerband along with a shorter final drive ratio, allowing it to accelerate quicker than the standard GR Corolla all throughout the rev range. To reduce its curb weight, Toyota removed the GR Corolla’s rear seat, rear window regulators and switches, and rear wiper. This dropped 106 pounds from the weight of the more-practical Circuit model. Don’t fret, though. There’s still a charge port in the rear seat, so your iPad can ride back there even though your kids can’t. You can let one of your ankle-biters ride shotgun if you like; Toyota left a LATCH anchor rearward of the passenger side for securing a child seat. See? It’s practical!
That sounds like a joke, but it’s really not. Despite an even firmer suspension than what is offered on the standard GR Corolla, the Morizo Edition isn’t nearly as punishing to drive as the performance packages offered on its cousins, the Toyota GR86 and Subaru BRZ. Stick to the standard GR Corolla and it’s significantly more practical than either, rising to the level of the Volkswagen Golf R, but giving up a bit of refinement and poise to the German. Hey, Toyota hasn’t been doing this for the better part of three decades, and besides, if you ask me, Toyota comes out ahead in the fun-to-drive category here.
Check back on Wednesdays for new installments of Autoblog Garage.
