Think the standard Toyota GR Corolla isn’t quite hardcore enough? Well, meet the new GR Corolla Morizo Edition, a two-seater with angrier styling, more torque and less weight…
A mere two months after the long-awaited global reveal of the Toyota GR Corolla hot hatch, the Japanese brand has whipped the wraps off an even more hardcore version dubbed the Morizo Edition.
Seemingly exclusive to the United States, just 200 examples of the GR Corolla Morizo Edition will be produced. Described as a “purpose-built” all-wheel-drive hot hatch, the newcomer ditches its rear bench, gains even more aggressive styling and benefits from additional torque.
So, what does Morizo mean? Well, it’s the name Toyota president Akio Toyoda assumes when he slips in behind the wheel of a performance car. For this special edition, Toyoda himself set the target of tighter handling, a high torque-to-weight ratio and a “highly rigid” body.
While the turbocharged 1.6-litre three-cylinder petrol engine makes an unchanged 224 kW, peak twisting force increases from 370 Nm to 400 Nm (albeit across a slightly shorter part of the rev range). In addition, the Morizo Edition boasts a model-specific close-ratio version of the brand’s six-speed manual transmission.
With a claimed weight of 1 440 kg, the Morizo Edition is around 30 kg lighter than a standard GR Corolla, chiefly thanks to the removal of the rear seats and the addition of a forged carbon-fibre roof. Toyota says the two-seater design – with the rear bench replaced by two braces for extra structural support – furthermore allowed for “additional weight removal in the rear”, with no need for rear door speakers or rear window regulators (even the rear wiper blade and motor were ditched).
What else makes a Morizo Edition? Well, it gains wider Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres wrapped round 18-inch forged alloy wheels, as well as red-painted monotube shock absorbers and a unique suspension tune. Toyota’s GR engineers also increased rigidity by adding two more floor braces and one additional rear strut brace, while the frame gains an additional 349 spot welds and over six metres more structural adhesive than standard.
Inside, you’ll find red-and-black Ultrasuede (a material repeated on the steering wheel) and leather semi-bucket seats with high bolsters and harness holes. On the outside, the Morizo Edition features “functional venting”, along with model-specific front brake ducts.
While Toyota South Africa Motors says it has “requested the [standard] GR Corolla for local introduction”, it seems likely this Morizo Edition will remain exclusive to North America. But we can dream, right?
