TOYOTA GAZOO Racing has come a long way from its 2007 start as an unofficial entry to the grueling 24 Hours of Nurburgring, the German contest through the challenging “Green Hell” for sports cars. The two-car GAZOO Racing entry of second-hand Toyota Altezzas managed to finish the race with an all-employee crew and this success heralded a new era of Toyota motorsports and product development.
In the ensuing years, Toyota’s motorsports activities have grown around the world and, in particular, the company’s exposure in endurance racing has brought it to the summit of racing, winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans against robust competition and the elements. In addition to its success in the FIA’s World Endurance Championship, Toyota and GAZOO Racing have contested FIA’s World Rally Championship, Dakar Rally and even e-Motorsports.
Earlier this year, the Japanese manufacturer announced TOYOTA GAZOO Racing North America, to centralize its activities on the North American continent and readily identify programs in the area of Canada, the United States and Mexico. In this area, activities are ongoing in NHRA, IMSA and customer racing programs throughout the continent.
Last week, on the Thursday before the opening salvo of Formula Drift, a series where Toyota has found much success with Papadakis Racing’s Fredric Aasbo of Norway, the current reigning titleholder who drives Toyota’s black-and-gold GR Supra adorned with Rockstar energy drink logos, as well as with Ryan Tuerck, who drives the 2023 Toyota GR Corolla hatchback in 2022 competition.
Toyota announced the road-going 2023 GR Corolla hatchback the day before Tuerck started Formula Drift competition in this new model. He had exercised the hatch during the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach media day on Tuesday of last week. It was immediately apparent that this was a match well made. Tuerck’s new bright yellow Rain-X machine was immediately fast and took the No. 1 seed for Saturday’s bracket racing on the three-cornered Long Beach circuit.
What is the road-going 2023 Toyota GR Corolla? Let’s start with what’s under the hood: it’s the G15E-GTS 1,618cc 1.3-liter engine that produces an amazing 300 horsepower at 6,500 rpm and 273 ft-lb of torque between 3,000-5,550 rpm. Compression ratio is 10.5:1.This compact and lightweight 12-valve engine features a single-scroll ball-bearing turbo matched to a six-speed intelligent manual transmission with rev-matching engineered to accommodate the engine’s high torque levels.
The turbocharger on this GR Corolla is integrated into the exhaust manifold, thereby reducing weight, and has an improved three-piece muffler with valve capped off to brushed stainless steel tips. This process reduces weight and controls waste gate bypass gasses, thereby improving the catalyst’s warm-up efficiency. The engine is fed by Toyota’s D-4S direct and port fuel injection system, operating at high pressure for maximum fuel dispersion and efficiency.
Toyota used rigid body design that’s tuned to make the car handle even better. Based on the GA-C Toyota platform, the GR Corolla has significantly more weld points in its frame that strengthens joints. The use of structural adhesives increases going rigidity between different components. Count on McPherson-type struts for front suspension, together with circuit-tuned coil springs, dampers and stabilizer bars. Rear suspension uses double-wishbone-type multilinks, accommodating the GR Corolla’s All-Wheel-Drive (AWD) system’s goal of maximum agility and stability.
In Formula Drift, killing tires is part of the competition. For the road-going GR Corolla, Michelin Pilot Sport 4 rubber with 235/40R18” rubber mounts on 18-inch gloss-black 15-spoke cast alloy wheels. Opposed, fixed 4-piston aluminum brake calipers are used on the GR Corolla, which will come in two grades for the street: Core and launch-year-exclusive Circuit Edition. The mechanical specs noted are for both versions.The GR Corolla’s brakes are sized at 14 x 1.1-inch ventilated and slotted rotors and the Circuit Edition’s calipers are painted red with the GR logo, front and rear. At the rear, both editions carry 11.7-inch x 0.7-in ventilated rotors with 2-piston aluminum fixed calipers.
The use of aluminum and forged carbon fiber body parts are applied for weight savings and for rigidity, while the GR Corolla’s nose ascends to a tapering roof line, with windows flow directed onto the rear spoiler, thereby generating added downforce. Here, Toyota uses its WRC experience to benefit its road-going GR offerings. This 2023 Toyota GR Corolla hatchback’s wide stance and its broad hatch exterior design projects strength with wide front and rear fender flares as well as other touches to accentuate the aerodynamics and to show off the GR Corolla’s lineage. Look for the GR nomenclature throughout this vehicle.
Using the feedback of professional drivers who helped develop the 2023 GR Corolla, its interior centers on a GR Full TFT meter with a 12.3-inch color multi-information display (MID). There is a GR meter with AWD mode, turbo pressure, gear position indicator and tachometer. The shift lever has a shortened stroke and is positioned where a driver’s arm is naturally lowered from steering. GR Corolla uses a pull type mechanical parking brake. Of course there is automatic climate control, one-touch power windows, together with heated
front seats and steering wheel, the latter available on Core Grade. Hands-free phone and voice-command controls are standard on the Circuit Edition, along with a “Morizo” (Akido Toyoda’s race name from the earliest GAZOO Racing activity) signed shift knob exclusively on the launch year Circuit Edition.
The road-going Toyota GR Corolla hatchback will hit showrooms later this year but its more powerful cousin, the Formula Drift edition from Papadakis Racing pretty much overpowered the competition at the season opening Formula Drift competition held April 1-2. After Tuerck earned the No. 1 seed, he out-ran Jeff Jones’ Nissan 370Z, beat Branden Sorensen’s BMW, then vanquished former champ Chris Forsberg in the new Nissan Z.
Forsberg had more new-car pains than did Tuerck and the latter won in the battle, moving on to the Top 4 against former Long Beach winner Aurimas “Odi” Bakchis’ Nissan S15. Again, Tuerck prevailed was ready to tackle Matt Field’s Corvette in the final after Field beat Tuerck’s teammate Aasbo after the GR Supra driver touched Field’s bumper coming into the OZ2 area, knocking the 2021 championship contender into two concrete walls. The walls caused damage to all four corners; Aasbo was first on-scene two apologize once the carnage was assessed.
Tuerck had a finals bye then and brought the new Toyota GR Corolla hatchback a victory in its first competitive dance. Although customers won’t be able to buy a 2023 Toyota GR Corolla hatchback until later this year – and pricing has not been announced – they can watch Tuerck wield the new GR Corolla race car throughout the eight-race Formula Drift season, which continues May 6-7 at the home of red dirt, Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.
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