Currently reading: Toyota GR Corolla for Europe looks likely as prototypes hit the 'Ring

Volkswagen Golf R rival is currently on sale in North America and Japan with 300bhp

Toyota looks to be readying its GR Corolla hot hatchback for a European launch as prototypes begin testing at the Nürburgring.

Hot hatch fans have long called for Toyota to bring the Gazoo Racing variant of the Corolla to Europe. The standard car is the Japanese brand’s third biggest seller in the region, behind the Yaris and Yaris Cross.

Toyota's performance division performs strongly already in the region with its three current models, the GR Yaris, GR Supra and GR 86. However, the latter is being killed off soon by the EU's new GSR2 safety regulations, which could make space for the Corolla to finally go on sale in Europe. 

The standard Corolla is built in Burnaston, Derbyshire, but the all-wheel-drive hot version is built at the same Motomachi facility in Japan as the GR Yaris. It has already been engineered in both left-hand drive (for North America) and right-hand drive (for Japan).

The latest version, unveiled this summer and spotted testing at the Nürburgring in right-hand drive guise, is powered by a turbocharged 1.6-litre engine that makes 300bhp. That’s 42bhp more than the GR Yaris, which uses the same three-pot powertrain and four-wheel drive system. It can, like the Yaris, also be optioned with either a eight-speed automatic or six-speed manual gearbox.

With those power figures it is a natural rival for the likes of the BMW M135i (296bhp), Honda Civic Type R (315bhp), and Volkswagen Golf R (328bp).

A more powerful GRMN (Gazoo Racing Meisters of the Nürburgring) variant has also been spotted lapping the Nordschleife (pictured below). Not yet revealed, the track-honed GR Corolla sits lower to the road and sports a chunkier rear wing.

Toyota already sells a special-edition GRMN Yaris in its home market in very limited numbers, which is a stiffer, lighter and more powerful version of the GR Yaris.

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Asked about the prototypes, a Toyota spokesperson told Autocar that “all major car manufacturers test their biggest global products at the Nürburgring”, but did not deny the possibility of the car being destined for European dealerships. 

Even if it is confirmed to be sold on this side of the Atlantic, the GR Corolla would no doubt be a highly exclusive proposition. It's currently sold in North America from $36,500 (£27,636), but if it follows a similar costing structure to its sibling in the UK (which commands a £21,500 premium over the standard Yaris), it would cost north of £50,000.

Will Rimell

Will Rimell
Title: News editor

Will is Autocar's news editor.​ His focus is on setting Autocar's news agenda, interviewing top executives, reporting from car launches, and unearthing exclusives.

As part of his role, he also manages Autocar Business – the brand's B2B platform – and Haymarket's aftermarket publication CAT.

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warriorman33 18 September 2024

People need to realise why cars like this sell , the initial outlay is large but the resale means they are cheaper than standard stock hot hatches . My Yaris GR lost 3k in 2 years , my friends i30n lost 12k in the same time. Depreciation is the true cost , not outlay. If you have the outlay it's a greast choice as you will get an unbelievable drivers car .

xxxx 18 September 2024

Yaris GR was in very very limited supply at first, was and still is in a very limited sector and to top it off they've now bumped up the price big time. For all those reasons your GR kept its price.

The Corolla GR is different, it's very very expensive to start off with and has competition.

tuga 18 September 2024
Would love to drive one, wouldn't buy it at those prices.

Also, this gen Corolla is already late for a replacement. Maybe wait for the next one?

ianp55 18 September 2024

Good luck selling this at £50k Toyota UK seems to have taken leave of it's senses by pricing the new Landcruiser starting at £74995 and the Yaris GR at £44250 and it's two limited editions at £60000 is either greed or commercial suicide. Perhaps Toyota UK should reflect on their last attempts to sell large cars here the Camry and Highlander sold poorly here and didn't stay long here. Perhaps they should reflect on what has happened to Honda UK which has seen it's market share fade here since 2000

jason_recliner 19 September 2024
They're expensive here, too, but you get it back at resale time as noted above by a poster. Built to a standard, not a price.