This Is the World's First Toyota GR Corolla Morizo Edition and It's Smoking Hot

Toyota unveiled the GR Corolla Morizo in June 2022, and we have the first of them right here. The model is finished in Smoke, which is a sort of dark matte gray, over black Brin-Naub and synthetic leather upholstery. That Smoke shade highlights the revised bodywork and makes it look more aggressive.

Toyota came up with wider fender flares, a redesigned front fascia, and rocker extensions to give it that intimidating stance and make sure that everyone who sees this car understands that they are dealing with a special sporty variant.

And this is not just any GR Corolla, but a Morizo Edition. That means that it gets a carbon fiber roof plus a front grille, rear spoiler, and hood vents, all finished in gloss black. There is a triple stainless steel exhaust at the rear, highlighting the athletic personality of the model.

The Morizo variant rides on 18-inch forged alloy wheels finished in matte black with 245/40 Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires. Toyota equipped the sporty Corolla with a GR track suspension and red-painted GR-branded brake calipers.

The track-focused GR Corolla Morizo lacks the rear seats and the rear. But the driver and passenger sit in bucket seats, trimmed in black Brin-Naub and synthetic leather with contrasting red stitching matching with the red seatbelts and GR logos on the headrests, while the Morizo shift knob is wrapped in Alcantara.

The GR multifunction steering wheel is covered in exclusive Ultrasuede and features a red stripe that enhances the sporty ambiance on board. Automatic climate control and a push-button start are also on the menu. The Safety Sense 3.0 systems with dynamic radar cruise control, lane tracing assist, road sign assist, and pre-collision system with pedestrian detection, is on board as well.

The functions of the car can be controlled via the 8-inch touchscreen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity. There is a plaque mounted on the left side of the dashboard that confirms that we are dealing with number 001 of only 200 Morizo Edition examples ever produced.

The GR Corolla is powered by the turbocharged 1.6-liter G16E-GTS inline-three engine. The power unit delivers 300 horsepower (304 PS) and 295 lb-ft (400 Nm) of torque, a bump from 273 (370 Nm) to both axles via a six-speed iMT manual transmission with automatic rev-matching, a GR four-wheel-drive system, plus front and rear Torsen limited-slip differentials. It sounds like Toyota nailed it. This recipe seems it has got all the necessary ingredients to be tagged a 'fun-to-drive' car.

The hot hatch does the 0-60 mph (0-97 kph) run in 4.9 seconds on its way to a top speed of 143 mph (230 kph). Of course it is not supercar territory. But keep in mind that, with this drivetrain, the car weighs 3,186 pounds (1,445 kilograms), which is not too much to pull by that 1.6-liter. Besides, GR engineers removed approximately 100 pounds (45 kilograms) of weight compared to the GR Corolla Circuit Edition model.

The Morizo Edition also sports additional floor and rear strut braces and a GR track-tuned suspension. Red-painted GR-branded four-piston front and two-piston rear brake calipers over slotted rotors provide the stopping power.

The car comes with 349 additional welds across the body and over six meters more structural adhesive than a standard Corolla hatch frame, changes that provide the extra stiffness that it needs.

The Toyota GR Corolla Morizo that we have right here is brand-new. The 12.3-inch instrument cluster integrating the odometer shows 16 miles (26 kilometers). And it is offered by a dealer on Bring a Trailer without reserve.

Whoever wants to take it home is also getting the manufacturer’s literature, two key fobs, a window sticker, a Memorandum Invoice, and free shipping anywhere within the continental US via RunBuggy. Furthermore, the selling dealer will assist the buyer with registration.

All the proceeds will be donated, along with the BaT buyer’s fee, to the El Monte City School District and Vision to Learn, a non-profit organization that provides vision screening, eye exams, and glasses to children in disadvantaged communities.

The auction has already started and will run until October 24. The funds will be directed to funding the Science, Technology, Engineering, Art & Math labs, plus market spaces at each of the district’s schools. Part of the proceeds will be used to support a transportation career technical education program for students with hands-on automotive industry experience.

First destination for this car, after the moment it rolled off the assembly line as the first of the 200 units, was Longo Toyota, a dealership in California, which paid $52,929 for it. With seven days left, bidding has already hit $67,000.