Highly awaited Toyota GR Corolla showing itself on 31 March

In what is expected to be the consolidation of teaser images and rumours dating back almost four years, Toyota has confirmed the reveal of an all-new Gazoo Racing “sport cars” for North America this coming Thursday (31 March).

Although not identified by name, reports have alleged the newcomer will almost certainly be the eagerly awaited GR Corolla based on the myriad of pre-launch images and videos released since the end of last year.

While set to mirror the US-spec Corolla, sans the Gazoo Racing exterior and interior additions, the reveal is likely to preview what other markets could expect from Toyota’s rival for the Volkswagen Golf R and outgoing, front-wheel-drive Honda Civic Type R.

As is known by now, the GR Corolla will be powered by the same G16E-GTS 1.6-litre turbocharged three-cylinder engine as the GR Yaris, tuned to produce the full 200kW/390Nm instead of the 192kW/360Nm delivered by the European-spec model.

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Set to be carried over as well is the intricate four-wheel-drive system and the six-speed manual gearbox.

As indicated by a teaser image last year though, an automatic transmission will also be introduced after Toyota confirmed earlier this month that a new eight-speed torque converter is being developed for use in not only the GR Corolla, but also the GR Yaris.

Once revealed, expect a clearer picture to emerge for other markets, including South Africa, where availability remains unconfirmed.

In 2020, when asked about the GR Corolla possibly coming to market if approved, Toyota Motors South Africa stated, “we will support Toyota’s global GR brand strategy and introduce GR derivatives wherever we feel adequate market opportunity is present”.