Grally

GRally

Toyota is building a rally Corolla. For America. For the ARA, specifically. The GR Corolla RC2 combines the proven GR Yaris rally mechanicals that the company has been fielding in WRC2 for years. But with the GR Corolla on sale in the US as a rally inspired all-wheel drive performance hatch, Gazoo Racing will bring the Corolla back into rally after decades of ceding the spotlight to the (cheaty) Celica and the Yaris.

For one, the Yaris doesn’t have much of a performance history here. In fact, it doesn’t have any. The Yaris-related vehicles sold abroad had some hot (well, mild) hatch versions, and eventually a slightly unhinged GRMN version. What America got was the Echo, and then a Yaris, and finally neither—its place at the bottom of the lineup, in a tier devoid of both performance and charm—was the Mazda 2-based Scion iA/Yaris iA.

I like goofy, slow cars, but writing that brief history of the American-market Yaris almost put me to sleep. The GR Corolla is infinitely more interesting—recall it has a 1.6-liter three-cylinder, a turbocharger, an advanced all-wheel-drive system, and a snarling three-outlet exhaust. In street form it makes 300 hp and 295 lb-ft.

Imagine travelling back two decades in time and telling some enthusiasts that a sub-2-liter triple would make 300 hp for the street, and it would somehow not be the Only Thing Anyone Could Talk About.

The GR Corolla RC2 will compete in ARA’s, uh, RC2 class. It’s been developed by Rallysport Services in the US, but as mentioned earlier, is going to utilize the GR Yaris Rally2’s basic mechanical package. They’re related anyways, but the shared mechanicals should make dialing in the car a little easier. American Seth Quintero will take the wheel for the rest of the season. 

Quintero’s background is in rally raid, particularly Dakar, using a Toyota GR DKR Hilux of late. The GR Corolla RC2 will debut at the 100 Acre Wood Rally in March.

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