I’ve always had a soft spot for hot hatches and the 2023 Toyota GR Corolla, as made the spot even softer. The core trim I had was the entry level of the GR Corolla model, but it still packed a big punch.

Starting on the outside, the aggressive front bumper and wide fenders makes it easy to differentiate it from the standard Corolla. The Supersonic Red color made it stand out, which meant I needed to behave on the streets to avoid calling attention to myself. Having the 18-inch wheels in black made the optional red painted calipers stand out. With this being the core, the tire of choice is the more civilized Michelin Pilot Sport 4 vs the MORIZO’s Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires.

You get inside and the majority of the standard Corolla remains the same. The seats get a GR logo and made sure I stayed in place when taking fast turns. The leather wrapping on the steering wheel felt nice as I gripped it tightly during spirited runs. The all digital gauge cluster had good options to customize it to your liking. I do recommend setting the tachometer to remain the round dial as the bar was difficult to read with the early RPMs not being linear in spacing.

When it came to performance. The Toyota GR Corolla has to be one of the most confidence inducing cars I’ve ever driven. In the track mode’s 50:50 power distribution, the grip was never ending! The turbocharged 3-cylinder delivered 300 horsepower and 273 lb.-ft. of torque. Having the 6-speed manual made going through the gears a blast. The only thing I did encounter is needing to make sure you shift extremely close to the rev limiter or else the turbo will need to spool back up. It felt like a small bogging of power but then kicked right back afterwards.

With this 2023 GR Corolla, Toyota has brought the essence of what 80s and 90s hot hatch were, to the present day. You can bet that this is one hot hatch I will be considering as my next car!