Discover a Rally Driver’s Journey.
Performance driving instructor Wyatt Knox took a Toyota GR Corolla to a twisting hillside course at Team O’Neil Rally School as an installment of his YouTube show ‘Will It Rally?’. Considering the GR Corolla was developed through Gazoo Racing with a rally-inspired motor and GR-Four four-wheel-drive arrangement based on the GR Yaris, it is fair to expect that it would be able to rally well. Thus, the real inquiry remains: How efficient will it be at rallying?
Racking up an impressive 300 horse power and 273 lb-ft of torque from its 1.6 litre turbocharged three cylinder motor, we know it’s destined to be lightning fast. Teamed with the Toyota GR-Four system, this supercar should have a firm grip on the track and handle to match. It was the suspension that had us especially intrigued – after all, who doesn’t like the idea of testing their abilities on a rally course? And Knox went that extra mile and did it in the snow!
Knox tears around the rally track in a vehicle distinct from the GR Yaris WRC homologation edition, yet still managing to astound spectators with its stunning performance. According to him, the car is entirely unmodified, other than being shod with Nokian Hakkapeliitta R3 winter tires; however, these too are not armed with studs and manufactured merely for daily road-going use, rather than competition.
The magnificence of the GR Corolla is its capacity to deactivate the steadiness and grip control frameworks exclusively using a trick code (Sport setting > Track Mode > Traction Control Off) so as to place the car in Expert Mode.
Although Expert Mode does not deactivate the ABS, it still gives the driver some degree of control over slippery terrain such as snow and ice. Knox was impressed with the car’s liveliness and its torque shifting ability, allowing for maximum grip. He succeeded in working out the modulation techniques and completed the stage in a swift 2 minutes and 30 seconds.
Comparing to its rivals is tricky since the timing was done on a snow and ice course. But, what we do know is that the Toyota GR Corolla performs exceptionally well on rally stages, outstripping even road versions of the regular Corolla. With some remakes to the suspension, it’s probable the GR Corolla will be in its optimum state.