Designed for performance-minded driving enthusiasts, the Toyota GR Corolla has quickly built an avid fan base across America. With rally-inspired roots, a 300-horsepower turbocharged engine and All Wheel Drive, it’s aggressive stance and powerful good looks was the pure Toyota hot hatch sought by many fans of the brand. Many race fans got their first glimpse of the model at historic Laguna Seca last year, when it served as the official pace car for the 2022 NASA National Championships. As an encore performance, the GR Corolla continues its pace car duties for 2023.
A GR Corolla MORIZO Edition wearing red, white, and black graphics reminiscent of fan-favorite Toyota motorsports and endurance racing liveries will be leading the pack at the 2023 National Championships, Sept. 7-10, 2023, at Pittsburgh International Race Complex (Pitt Race) in Wampum, Pennsylvania. The NASA National Championships, the organization’s marquee event, features NASA race drivers from 14 regions across the United States competing for the top prize, including Sunday’s winner-take-all NASA championship finals.
“At Toyota we have a passion for motorsports so it’s an honor to support racing enthusiasts by pacing all NASA Championship races,” said Mike Tripp, vice president Toyota Vehicle Marketing and Communications. “For three years running we’ve put a TOYOTA GAZOO Racing model in the pace car spot and we’re thrilled to keep playing our part in the race to find the next group of NASA champions.”
The GR Corolla will once again pace more than 350 entrants competing in 25 classes at the Pitt Race. The 2.78-mile, 19-turn, natural-terrain road course is sure to be a gripping battle in each class, as it’s known for its challenging layout, elevation changes, and scenic surroundings.
The pace car role is just one way TOYOTA GAZOO Racing is connecting with the enthusiast community. As part of a continuing program put together by Toyota and NASA, every customer who buys a new GR Corolla will automatically receive a complimentary one-year NASA membership, including one complimentary track day at a NASA High Performance Driving Event. This program started in 2019 as a way to give GR Supra owners performance driving experiences under the tutelage of expert instructors. The program has expanded to include all GR sports cars, with the GR86 and the GR Corolla joining their GR Supra stablemate.
“The relationship between TOYOTA GAZOO Racing and the NASA Owner Benefit Program has been an amazing way to introduce sports car owners to the world of performance driving in a safe and responsible manner,” said Jeremy Croiset, chief executive officer of NASA. “We’re excited to once again have the GR Corolla as the official NASA Championships pace car, and we’re expecting to see a lot of very exciting competition at the Pitt Race. And for those who can’t make it out in person, they can tune in on www.DriveNASA.com to see some of the very best amateur racing in the country.”
The 2023 GR Corolla features a turbocharged, three-cylinder engine delivering 300 hp and 273 lb.-ft. of torque, with the MORIZO Edition bumping the torque figure to 295 lb.-ft. This remarkable 1.6-liter engine is mated to Toyota’s rally developed GR-Four AWD system, which gives drivers a choice of 60-40, 50-50 or 30-70 power distribution to the front and rear wheels. Drivers can also select from four drive modes, ECO, Normal, Sport, or Custom to fit a wide variety of driving situations.
Exclusively equipped with an intelligent Manual Transmission (iMT), the 2023 GR Corolla is available in three grades: the GR Corolla Core, Circuit Edition. or ultra-aggressive GR Corolla MORIZO Edition. The GR Corolla MORIZO Edition benefits from special enhancements by GR engineers, like an exclusive close ratio iMT with shorter gearing, increased chassis rigidity, and an increase in nearly 20 lb.-ft. of torque (295 lb.-ft.). It also subtracts nearly 100 pounds of weight as compared to the GR Corolla Circuit Edition model, by removing the rear seat and other components, further sharpening the handling of this already nimble hot hatch. For additional press materials about the GR Corolla please visit the Toyota USA Newsroom here.
About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in the U.S. for more than 65 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our nearly 1,500 dealerships.
Toyota directly employs more than 49,000 people in the U.S. who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of more than 33 million cars and trucks at our nine manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota’s 10th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, Toyota currently offers 24 electrified options.
Through its Driving Possibilities initiative, the Toyota USA Foundation has committed $110 million to create innovative educational programs with, and in partnership with, historically underserved and diverse communities near the company’s 14 U.S. operating sites.
For customer inquiries, please call 800-331-4331.
About NASA
The National Auto Sport Association (NASA) was formed in 1991 to deliver high quality motorsports events to enthusiasts at major racing venues throughout the nation. NASA has created programs that allow owners of both racecars and high-performance street-driven vehicles to enjoy the full performance capabilities of their cars in a safe and controlled environment. NASA offers many different programs that allows enthusiasts to enjoy motorsports on a number of different levels, including High Performance Driving Events (HPDE), Rally Sport, Time Trial, NASA-X and Competition Racing programs. For more information about NASA, visit www.DriveNASA.com.
