In just one short year, the GR Corolla has become everyone’s favorite five-door all-wheel-drive hot hatch, piggybacking off the lore of its GR Yaris baby brother. Not a small feat, right? It would’ve been easy for its maker to rest on their laurels, but the wizards at Gazoo Racing have made some minor tweaks to the 2024 Toyota GR Corolla Circuit Edition that all add up to an even more appealing package, including a new color that ought to make Tobias Fünke proud.
The biggest issue with the GR Corolla Circuit Edition is a limited choice of good colors. Sure, you can order it in Supersonic Red, but the other choices are all shades. As fun as it is to run around town in one of the giant balls normally found outside of Target, sometimes you just need a different burst of brightness. It’s a hot hatch, it should come in at least one color that does the whole Dr. Strangelove face-melting thing to pedestrians as you pass by. Thankfully, Toyota has realized the error of its ways and will offer the 2024 GR Corolla Circuit Edition in Blue Flame, which is exactly as bright as it sounds.
It’s actually so bright that you could easily miss the jaunty black go-fast stripe up each side skirt upon first glance because your optic nerves were busy being assaulted. That would be a shame because hot hatches are just better with stripes. Want proof? Just look at the Renault Sport Megane R26.R, Fiat Uno Turbo i.e., Vauxhall Chevette HSR, and so on. On the inside, the GR Corolla Circuit Edition keeps the color going if you tick the box for Blue Flame with a blue stripe on the gear knob and blue stitching just about everywhere. Call it a not-so-subtle reminder that you’re right in the head.
Alright, so a fresh color isn’t huge news, but the GR Corolla is all about tiny gains. Mechanically, the 2024 Circuit Edition gains nerdy, infinitesimally small tweaks that you may or may not notice, possibly depending on what motorsports license you currently hold. The flange bolts holding the steering rack to the front subframe are now ribbed for your pleasure, the bolts holding the rear wishbones in feature heads two millimeters wider than on 2023 cars, and the ducts for the front air curtains have been reshaped. To mitigate flex affecting high-speed stability, Toyota’s also reinforced the underbody shielding system with strategically-placed aluminum sheet, which sounds like a glorious pit area band-aid that happened to make production.
Slightly more noticeable is how the forged BBS wheels have been effectively downloaded from the Morizo Edition, giving you the confidence to attack track curbing at Mach Jesus without experiencing an on-the-fly multi-piece wheel conversion. Remember, forged wheels are more likely to bend rather than break.
While the changes to the Toyota GR Corolla Circuit Edition for 2024 aren’t groundbreaking, they’re all appreciated. I mean come on, do you really think we’d say no to another Skittles-colored hot hatch on the road? Expect pricing and details on what Toyota vaguely describes as “all GR Corolla models” to be released closer to the Circuit Edition’s on-sale date this coming winter. Wait, all models? Could the Morizo Edition possibly return? I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.
(Photo credits: Toyota)
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It’s about time! I hope the normal ones get this blue too.
Dr Strangelove face melting? Are you confusing Dr Strangelove with Arnold Toht from Raiders of the Lost Ark? All the face melting in Dr Strangelove happened off screen, unless I’m forgetting something.
That Toyota never bothered to bring the blue from the base hatch over to the GRC for its intro year is the reason I’m currently driving a 2023 GTI. But if they deign to offer it in the Core version and my annual bonus comes good, I know what a part of it will be spent on…
I currently DD a 2021 Corolla Hatch 6MT. This car here, this is my ultimate car.
I’d be lying if I said those haven’t turned my head a time or two. I find them to be legitimately good looking cars with a decent amount of scoot for the money (at least before the world went nuts).
Now I can’t get Linda Ronstadt’s “Blue Bayou” (or Roy Orbison’s, take your pick) out of my head.
I love the idea, I really do – but a hot hatch should be affordable. I’m not dropping $50k plus dealer markup for this, or the CTR, or the new S no matter how great they are. In 2018 I paid less than $20k out the door to buy a brand new Fiesta ST, and there’s no way this car provides $30,000 more in value or fun.
They wanna make a Focus RS soooo bad
I mean, if Ford won’t…
I don’t care about this car, or any like it anymore. Unless you want to pay stupid-fool prices you will never own one. Media types should stop reporting these cars, or at least do it honestly letting people know that they are money grabs and most likely will never find one for a reasonable price.
These aren’t even halo cars, they are corolla’s. I don’t care what people want to think, as other commenters have noted, they are 1 of a dozen none stop new editions and it means nothing. Toyota has really turned heel and a brand I used to love is RAPIDLY loosing me.
You get it. Toyota and Honda see enthusiasts as a money pot that they can squeeze and manipulate as they please…not to mention they know damn well what their dealer networks and stupid ass allocation systems are doing with these cars. All of this stuff is deeply cynical and it’s doing an enormous amount of harm to regular enthusiasts.
A lot of folks can find a way to make a $30-40,000 car purchase happen…but once you’re in the $50-$70,000 range you’re firmly in the rich people toy/very bad financial decision for folks of average to slightly above average financial means realm. And it sucks! This and the CTR/Type S are objectively amazing cars, but Toyota and Honda are greedy and perfectly happy with screwing over the people these cars are SUPPOSED to be made for.
might as well get a bmw or used porsche
Hot hatches are great! I daily one, and my daily before the Kona N was a different one. But once they’re $60,000 they’ve lost the plot. At that point you’re in CT4V BW, M2, RS3, or like you said…certified Porsche territory. Hell I’ll even see used LC500s pop up in the 60s every now and then.
The absolute peak I’d spend on one of these sorts of cars is the base price for the Integra Type S. I think that’s probably the ultimate hot hatch and has the luxury credentials to back up the price. But $60,000+ for a Golf R, CTR, GRC, etc? Hell no.
Totally agree! I really, really want one of these… for MSRP. I just can’t imagine a world where I’m paying $50k+ for a late model Corolla, no matter how objectively badass.
I personally know someone who got a Morizo at MSRP. He wasn’t even trying to get a Morizo specifically. It sucks that they don’t rein in their dealers better but if you are willing to call around, get on lists and possible get a car shipped it’s definitely doable to get a car at MSRP.
I am sure there are some good dealers out there. It’s bizarre to me how all these brands act like they have no control over their vehicles…at the same time own all the software and data in them…
> I am sure there are some good dealers out there
I’m not.
Yeah, it’s a Corolla!!! I don’t understand this and don’t want to (& $50K?! What a ripoff)
I don’t pay much attention to Toyota, mostly because everything they make is butt ugly, but wow. This thing is wild. A 300HP 3 cylinder, AWD and a stick? I mean I’d plop down $45k for a Golf R any day over this, but props to Toyota for offering it…even if the production numbers are too low to ever get your hands on one.
Oh I’d take Toyota reliability over spinning the VW wheel every time….and I say this as someone who’s driven a MK7 R and owned a 7.5 GTI
Reliability is overrated. The Toyota has good bones but it’s fugly inside and out. Not something you admiringly look back at after you park it. Modern VAG products aren’t unreliable, they’re just not as reliable as a Toyota. Unless it’s something absolutely known to spend months in the shop (cough cough, Alfa) then basing an enthusiast purchase on reliability alone is kinda…meh.
Unfortunately my GTI was a nightmare to own (and it was new!), my sister’s VW had multiple, serious issues that included the techs missing a recall during the certification process (she now has a Lexus), and I just watched my mom’s Allroad grenade itself as soon as the warranty ran out.
I may eventually fall victim to the siren song of an S/RS or M car, but for right now I stand firm in my no VAG stance. Except Porsche of course but they’re essentially their own thing outside of their lease specials.
To be fair, the Mk8 isn’t much to look at, either. And I say this as someone who bought one less than a year ago.
Oh look another cash grab from Toyota. This is a normal blue in the GR86/BRZ lineup…or if it isn’t it’s very similar. I think the plain Corolla hatch also comes in this blue. There’s nothing special about it. Toyota claimed the Circuit Edition would be a first year only thing, and yet here they are introducing another artificially scarce model that their dealerships can bend enthusiasts over for. I’m sure there’s already a line of JDM bros around the block willing to pay $60,000 for one and finance at 8 years/14% APR.
There are going to be so many goddamn special editions of the GR cars that none of them will actually be special in the end. If you really want this car (I don’t blame you if you do-I’d started the process to get one when they were first announced) wait another year and get a core model with the performance package. The Circuit Editions don’t offer anything you couldn’t do yourself with the aftermarket support for these. Stop feeding into the ludicrous hype around these cars, it’s not good for any of us or for the health and sustainability of the enthusiast community overall.
This is awesome! Other than the markups, the color choices were the worst things about the GR Corolla! I may have to actually try to get one next year with that in mind. Who am I kidding, I am way too cheap for that.
As a multi-time owner, and current owner, of bright blue vehicles, I approve. Now if only one could be purchased for anywhere near MSRP…
Man I wish Subaru would rebadge one of these and cross-sell it so I wouldn’t have to deal with a Toyota dealership.
I’m not sure the experience would be improved at a Subaru dealership. As a former Subaru owner, I found their dealerships even more varied than Toyota on knowing their product lines and pushing people towards particular models. Subaru would do well with this model in areas like the south and Midwest, where nobody cared about Subaru until the WRX came around and the dealers are focused on selling fun. But in areas like the PNW, intermountain west, and northeast, those dealers sell fun only when forced to, otherwise trying to get everyone in an Outback or Ascent.
We’ve owned several Toyotas and Subarus at this point and are lucky enough to live in a large metropolitan area with multiple dealerships for all brands. None of the Toyota dealerships have been horrible but none have been great either and one was verging on shady. The subaru dealerships have mostly been very pleasant to work with with the exception of the one that was chronically disorganized.
Yeah, that’s fair. I’ve experienced a few semi-shady Toyota dealerships, but most have been no worse than any other competitor’s dealership (none have been as bad as your typical Kia dealership). I’ve only experienced one semi-organized Subaru dealership, even during my time living in prime Subaru country (PNW and intermountain west), so I think disorganized is just the natural state of a Subaru dealership.
I will also say that one organized Subaru dealership I mentioned was staffed almost exclusively by car enthusiasts, so they were good to work with, fun to hang out with, and put on car shows and get-togethers at their store all the time. With that said, they also lived up to stereotype, and the showroom (literally) always had a stank of vape juice in it and everyone was referred to as “bro”.
Or-hear me out-what if they sold a softer version as a Lexus to compete with the Integra Type S? They’ve desperately been trying to build some enthusiast cred for Lexus recently, the Lexus dealership experience is one of the best in the industry, and I can’t imagine it would take all that much work. Just soften the suspension, cover the interior in leather, and you’re good to go. They can even keep it manual only, which all Japanese companies have a raging hard on for when it comes to their performance compacts.
Lexus CT F?
Hell yeah! I’d buy one.
Hell yeah man!!!!! 😀
Too bad they never made a CT-F 🙁
The Lexus crowd isn’t buying a high-strung 3-banger with a stick. Reengineering it to compete with the Integra would never pay for itself.
That blue should be available in the non-circuit edition GR, as well as the non-GR Corolla too.
Toyota used to offer a cool blue on the Corolla hatch but dropped it for 2023 when teh GR came out.
Also, that blue circuit edition should have gold wheels to complete the look 🙂
One of the reasons I don’t own a GRC (yet) is because the first year’s edition, for a reason that continues to baffle me, was never offered in that color. And then, as you’ve correctly pointed out, they even dropped it on the base. But if they offer it on the Core, I’m going to be scrubbing my couch for change HARD.