The Toyota Gazoo Racing Corolla is a hot-hatch that helps you escape the banality of A-B commutes
There's a solid dependability and million-mile assurance to the Toyota brand name.
However, it's sometimes hard to imagine that something so sensible can also be sporty and sexy, especially if it wears the "Corolla" emblem.
What a lot of folks don't realise is, alongside the practical MPVs and robust econo-boxes exist the Gazoo Racing (or GR for short) models, which comprise GR86, GR Supra, GR Yaris and GR Corolla.
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With the rumour-mill working overtime, there is even word of a Celica and MR2 joining the Gazoo Racing portfolio of happy pills.
No other Japanese brand continues to maintain such a rambunctious roster of sporting machines, especially in an age that prioritises go-green over go-fast.
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Petrolheads have long felt an affinity to hot-hatches, that genre of unlikely, blue-collared "hotted-up" heroes that could nip at the heels of more exotic machinery, especially along the winding roads.
We loved the perk-me-up of the scrappy, pint-sized GR Yaris.
This rally homologation hot-hatch boasts outrageously flared arches, has a rorty turbocharged 1.6-litre three-cylinder, motorsports-honed GR-FOUR all-wheel-drivetrain and is manual to boot.
Its big brother the GR Corolla is animated by the same punchy powertrain (albeit tuned to 300hp).
However, its long(er) wheelbase and five-door body-style endows it with the utility to tackle the likes of the Honda Civic Type R, VW the Golf GTI / R brigade and to some extent the Hyundai Avante N.
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Like the GR Yaris, the GR Corolla has the same phat arches, but it doesn't have its little brother's exaggerated caricature profile.
Also, from the rear, you might have noticed the exhaust oddity of its two tailpipes on the side in addition to the centre-exit.
There's a sporty stance to the lean, mean GR Corolla that brooks no nonsense and it boasts all the familiar go-faster cues, such as the vented bonnet for instance.
In fact, it would be foolish to dismiss this as just another Toyota econo-box, because it'll dance, parry and jab with the best of them... and with four adults in the car no less!
The driver ergonomics are similar to the GR Yaris', which work well with this author's 1.69m height.
From snug seats to pedals to gear-shifter, handbrake and steering wheel, all the touch-points for the driver are well-appointed, so there's good tactile feel when you're pushing hard.
The instruments offer great detail and legibility when you're on-the-move, while more importantly, the critical buttons and knobs to alter driving dynamics are defiantly physical and not digitalised!
A lot of us enthusiasts drive stick-shift not just because we can, but because of that intimate connection forged between Man and Machine with every up- and down-flick of the stubby shift-knob.
It isn't about being fast-faster-fastest, simply because it's hard to beat an automatic or dual-clutch gearbox for sheer shift-speed... or "efficiency".
However, the GR Corolla's magic is in the driver engagement, especially when you come to grips with the slick shifter as you work your way up/down the 6spd gearbox to string together your favourite series of corners.
In contrast to the GR Yaris, there's an effortless, grown-up sophistication about the GR Corolla as it goes about its business of dispensing smackdowns, especially on curvy B-roads where it will dazzle you with its fancy footwork.
With 300hp and 370Nm from the quirky three-pot, it is no slouch, but the way it delivers its meaty goodness feels more refined and progressive.
Like the GR Yaris, we found the soundtrack too muted for our liking (and more importantly, street-cred), especially for something with the GR Corolla's performance credentials.
There's something unapologetically mechanical about the GR Corolla, with its electronics doing a good job of keeping themselves inobtrusive.
There are a few driving modes that determine how much oomph is sent to the rear wheels (from 60/40 to 50/50 and 30/70), so it isn't difficult to find a setting to suit your driving style, surface conditions and type of road you're tackling.
In-gear acceleration is brisk and there's a nicely weighted feel to the throw of the shifter that constantly eggs you on to stir that honey pot – like the GR Yaris, there's also a rev-match feature that auto-blips for less unsettling downshifts.
The steering may be light but it is feelsome, and helm inputs are quickly translated into nimble direction changes.
It isn't outright or effortlessly fast, because this is the sort of car that demands car and driver to be in perfect harmony before you achieve motoring nirvana.
You can't manhandle the GR Corolla in traditional hot-hatch fashion and expect it to defy the laws of physics.
However, if you learn to be measured in your inputs, be it in terms of steering, brakes or acceleration, you'll soon be able to achieve a deft fluidity with the GR Corolla as you ride its wave of torque on the winding B-roads, which will let you turn every mundane commute into a magical one.
TOYOTA GR COROLLA GR-FOUR
Engine 1618cc, inline3, turbocharged
Power 300hp at 6500rpm
Torque 370Nm at 3000-5500rpm
Transmission 6spd manual
0-100km/h 5.3secs
Top Speed 230km/h
Kerbweight est. 1475kg
