Arguably the hottest compact hatchback in the United States right now, the all-new GR Corolla is a little different from its main competitors. The Civic Type R and sedan-bodied Elantra N are both front-wheel drive, but Toyota made a business case for a trick AWD system in their hot hatch.
In standard operating mode, the GR-Four is programmed to split available torque 60 percent up front and 40 percent out back. Engaging sport mode changes those parameters to 30 percent for the front axle and 70 in the rear. As for track mode, 50:50 is the ticket. An active clutch pack on the input shaft of the rear axle manages the torque bias between the front and rear.
Another notable difference concerns the engine bay, where you’ll find a three-cylinder turbo rather than a four-cylinder turbo. Why did Toyota use this configuration? For starters, the G16E-GTS is a unique powerplant, developed by the Gazoo Racing division for two applications. The GR Yaris, for example, has been taken to simply ridiculous output figures by the mad lads at Motive Video in Australia without even touching essentials that include the aluminum block, connecting rods, pistons, or head gasket.
Tipping the scales at 3,285 pounds (1,490 kilograms), the GR Corolla develops 300 horsepower and 273 pound-foot (370 Nm) of torque on full song. By comparison, the FK8 CTR levels up to 306 horsepower and 295 pound-foot (400 Nm) while tipping the scales at 3,121 pounds (1,416 kilograms) because it’s front-wheel drive. Last, but certainly not least, Hyundai quotes 276 horsepower, 289 pound-foot (392), and 3,186 pounds (1,445 kilograms) for the Elantra N with the standard six-speed stick shift.
Given these numbers, are you willing to bet your money on the GR Corolla in a quarter-mile drag race? Throttle House’s Thomas, James, and Kartson are much obliged to demonstrate who’s boss in a straight line, and much to the surprise of FWD loyalists, the ‘Yota has the legs on both of its FWD rivals. On the other hand, the roll race ends with a win for Kartson in the FK8 CTR.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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