Extra-Hardcore 2026 Toyota GR Corolla Adds Torque and Ditches Rear Seats

Toyota dropped three little announcements from the Grand Prix of Long Beach that caught our eye. The 2026 GR86 will come in yellow, a version of the Final Edition Supra has been confirmed for the U.S., and most impressively, a new variant of the GR Corolla is inbound. The details are minimal, but promising, and if we look closer we can make a few educated guesses.

In a press release put out ahead of the Formula Drift event at Long Beach, Toyota shared images of a camouflaged GR Corolla with some new venting and interesting aero. There’s a big new spoiler, too, which matches some spy shots we’ve seen track-testing. All Toyota’s officially saying at this point is that the car is, “Born on the track, this vehicle is expected to have improved aerodynamic performance, a bump in torque, and unique tuning.”

It’s being referred to as a “development vehicle” that is still being tuned “to make it ready for Akio Toyoda’s final test drive,” but some eagle-eyed fans in a GR Corolla Facebook group who were at the reveal in person snapped some pics and we noticed two more details. Looks like there’s no back seat, and also, I’m confident that’s a GRMN badge taped up under the camo wrap.

Toyota’s been continually improving the G’rolla since it came out, even adding an automatic transmission that apparently doesn’t suck. I’m getting the sense we’re looking at an advanced redux of the hardcore Morizo Edition here, possibly as a final most-extreme variant before the car’s body style changes or goes away.

GR, as in Gazoo Racing, is of course Toyota’s on-road performance brand. But GRMN is a designation reserved for its most hardcore variants, the likes of which we haven’t seen in the U.S. market yet. The extra letters are for “Meister of Nürburgring,” and in practice it means the stiffest, most aggressive version of a certain car that Toyota’s going to build. The GRMN Yaris is an example of such a machine.

You can expect minimal weight and sound absorption, maximal grip, and input tuning for precision rather than comfort. And, somehow, Toyota seems to think there’s still torque to find from the already maniacal 1.6-liter turbocharged three-cylinder under the hood. That’s already cranking out 300 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque, by the way, which is absolutely bonkers for that little displacement.

The Supra mentioned earlier is the coupe’s last gasp for U.S. customers, though it’s not as exciting as the one offered in Europe and Japan. The overseas Final Edition has an upgraded version of BMW’s B58 inline-six, making 429 hp—a considerable bump above the standard 382 hp. It also has additional aero, like a swan neck rear wing, canards, and a hood vent that aren’t present on our version. We’ve reached out to Toyota to inquire about those differences.

Meanwhile, the yellow GR86 is called the Yuzu Edition, and it also comes with new dampers and brakes along with the special color. Looks like the same spec as the Subaru BRZ tS. That should make it a great choice for people who want a Toyobaru with just a smidge more edge but don’t want to deal with modding or aftermarket parts.

Seen any GR Corollas tuned by privateers that you like better? Drop us a like at tips@thedrive.com.

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