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We got to ride the GR Corolla Morizo on the track, and it's fun.
Car enthusiasts agree on very little, but drop the term "hot hatch," into the conversation and we bubble up with excitement like a pack of Mentos dropped into a bottle of Coke. We love a good showdown like a Volkswagen Golf R vs. a Honda Civic Type-R and Toyota has risen to the occasion with their recently announced Toyota GR Corolla. Toyota's Gazoo Racing (GR) brand produces vehicles like the GR Supra and GR86. And once again to satiate those hot hatch devotees, they created the 2023 Toyota GR Corolla Morizo edition.
The Morizo gets its name after Toyota GR master driver Akio Toyoda, who also happens to be the brand's president. Limited to only 200 numbered-units for 2023, the Morizo edition is lighter, stiffer and more powerful than the GR Corolla. To truly understand the capabilities of what this mighty machine can pull off, Toyota invited us to an exclusive track day near their headquarters in Plano, TX so we could ride along with four-time Dominican Republic drift champion Jhonnattan Castro.
To make the 2023 Toyota GR Corolla Morizo lighter, faster, and stronger; the Gazoo Racing team found ways to drop almost 100 lbs from the base GR Corolla. They got rid of the rear seat, rear speakers, and even the rear wiper to save weight. They also gave it a forged carbon fiber roof and forged wheels.
The increased-grip comes from extra-wide Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires, dual limited slip differentials, and the GR-Four all-wheel drive system that adjusts from 30-70 to 50-50 to 60-40 front to rear power bias. To up the rigidity, the Morizo edition gets a rear strut and two additional floor braces, plus a bunch of extra spot welds on the frame.
Toyota kept the same 300 hp three-cylinder turbo (side note: three cylinders turning out 300 hp is insanely-impressive engineering) from the GR Corolla, but were able to boost torque from 273 lb-ft to 295 lb-ft. That extra torque meant they needed to adjust the gear ratios and engine tuning to allow the 6-speed manual with rev-matching to hold up under sustained acceleration at peak torque.
At first glance, the Morizo is hard to distinguish from the standard GR Corolla or the GR Corolla Circuit edition. Sure it carries over that angular rally-ready silhouette, but we had to look closely to notice the flared fenders and wider tires. There are no loud and overbearing badges or flashy logos like many other special edition vehicles.
The exclusive matte finish grey exterior with the 19" matte wheels make for a fantastic pairing. And the functional brake vents, black GR-badged matrix grill, and gloss black accents throughout add to the street cred for this pocket rocket.
GR Corolla Vs. Golf R
Like a club racer, this GR Corolla has to be both track- and street- ready, and the Morizo balances both on the interior. Of course, the rear seat is gone and replaced with some extra braces for stiffness but from the front seat forward, it's a daily driver. There is a 12.3" screen featuring Toyota's Audio Multimedia system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity and their standard Safety Sense 3.0 which brings all the same elements of radar cruise control, lane departure alert, etc.. We doubt anyone is charging their phones on the wireless pad while apexing long curves at Laguna Seca but good to know it's available.
The standout interior design feature is without a doubt, the shifter. Despite the sporty styling, what sets it apart is the small detail of Morizo's signature at the base of the shift pattern. Subtle, like the mark of an AMG engine builder, and reassuring that what we were sitting in was unique. Like the shifter, the steering wheel, seats, and door have gorgeous black trimming Brin Naub suade with synthetic leather accents and red stitching details. It's beautiful.
The black suede seats were very comfortable, though not as high-bolstered as we would have liked for Johnnattan's hotlap. Overall, it's a very livable interior for those who want a track-ready weekend toy that can double as a weekday grocery getter.
We arrived at the track in the morning while the Texas humidity was only starting to build and met up with Jhonnattan. We walked around the car to get a closer look at the design, the wheels and the features before hopping in. Because it was a track event, Toyota instructed us to wear a helmet which seemed innocent enough, until Jhonnattan pulled out his drift gloves and we realized this wasn't going to be ordinary "look how fast this guy can drive" hot laps.
We clicked our seat belt in, held tightly to our cameras and with a nod, we launched out of pit lane and down to turn one. Instantly, we felt how balanced the car was, how responsive the turn-in, and how much grip the wider tires and all-wheel drive system were able to maintain. The brakes were strong but not sharp, and the suspension was able to handle tight apexes and a quick chicane while managing to keep the car flat.
After the lap Jhonnattan confirmed what our butts and upside down stomach told us in terms of turn-in and balance.
The appeal of a hot hatch is the versatility of cargo space and seating without sacrificing fun. Sure the 2023 Toyota GR Corolla Morizo edition won't be doing many runs to Home Depot or family road trips but Toyota has the Tundra or upcoming Sequoia to fill those slots. This is purely a vehicle for fun and to honor someone who is just as enthusiastic about driving as you and me.
Bradley Hasemeyer is an Emmy-Award winning host, father and lover of station wagons. As a child, Bradley and his father would walk around car lots after they closed in order to explore cars without annoying salesmen interruptions, watched VHS tapes of F1 races and try to ID cars at night based on their tail lights. His father would always win. This early love of all things automotive led Bradley to spend more than 15 years in the industry as a journalist, host and consultant. For more than 150+ episodes, he helmed the Autoblog show Translogic while also writing for and producing videos for various outlets like Gear Patrol, Road & Track and Business Insider. When not internally obsessing over his next wagon purchase, he can be found chasing his 2-year old son around the yard, strategically negotiating with his 8-year old over screen time and helping his wife find her phone (we got a Tile!).