Honda Civic Type R Drag Races Toyota GR Corolla, It's Over in 14.8 Seconds

One could further argue the Toyota Corolla GR is thoroughly unique due to the aforementioned in combination with its three-cylinder turbocharged engine. It's not your usual econobox three-pot, though, because the Japanese automaker developed the G16E-GTS with an emphasis on performance.

Shared with the GR Yaris that isn't available in the US market, the 1.6-liter mill produces up to 300 horsepower and 295 pound-feet (400 Nm) of torque in the GR Corolla Morizo Edition. The black-painted GR Corolla in the video below isn't the Morizo, though, meaning that it's down on power and twist.

This particular example of the breed was produced for the South African market, where the GR Corolla is rated at 221 kW at 6,500 revolutions per minute and 370 Nm at 3,000 to 5,550 revolutions per minute. Said numbers convert to 296 horsepower and 273 pound-feet. Approximately 20 kilograms (44 pounds) heavier than the white-painted Civic Type R next to it, the GR Corolla has a small advantage over the Honda from a standing start thanks to its clever all-wheel-drive system.

By design, the GR-FOUR AWD distributes the available torque 60 percent to the front wheels and 40 percent out back. In sport mode, that would be 30 and 70 percent, respectively. Despite Honda's platform being compatible with all-wheel drive, the FL5 comes exclusively as a front-wheel-drive hot hatch.

Gifted with a four-cylinder turbo and a six-speed manual, the Civic Type R belts out 235 kW at 6,500 revolutions per minute and 420 Nm at 2,500 through 4,500 revolutions per minute. In other words, it develops 315 ponies at the same engine speed as the GRC and 310 pound-feet sooner than the GRC.

Pictured at the Gerotek vehicle testing facility with Jacob Moshokoa in the 'Yota and Ashley Oldfield in the Honda, the Japanese contenders race over 400 meters (that’s 2.3 meters short of a quarter mile) no fewer than three times. The GRC wins the first round in 14.93 seconds compared to 14.95 for the FL5, after which the Civic Type R asserts dominance with a 14.82 compared to 15.06 clicks for the heavier car.

The third and final race was the closest of the lot, with the GR Corolla and Civic Type R posting 14.86 and 14.87 in the quarter mile. Jacob and Ashley of Cars.co.za also tested the five-door hatchbacks from a 30-kph roll, a scenario that obviously favors the Honda. Even so, it was pretty close as well, with the timing equipment reading 13.26 for the front-drive Civic Type R and 13.34 for the all-paw-drive GRC.

At press time, a brand-new Civic Type R costs at least 999,900 rand in South Africa, a price that converts to $53,040 at current exchange rates. The GR Corolla comes in two flavors (Core and Circuit), with prices ranging from 841,000 to 902,400 rand (44,610 to 47,865 freedom eagles at current exchange rates).