GR Corolla. , good auto car

Pardon my typo I meant Autocross car. I'm considering changing my BRZ that has a mild STX build (needs header and tune) with a GR Corolla.  I figure it will be in a very competitive DS class with the Type R, Elantra N, Focus RS.  I'm a little worried about the lack of low end tourqe.  It is a major frustration with my current car on small tight lots.  Thoughts?  What ever car I own will be a for season car in NE climate.

We may never know, so far they've only been driven by 4 YouTube celebrities and they can only be purchased with gold dubloons that have been blessed with unicorn tears.

In reply to ShinnyGroove (Forum Supporter) :

Hahaha, my favorite post in a long time! 

Is it classed yet?  It might end up in BS with the new type r.

ShinnyGroove (Forum Supporter) said:

We may never know, so far they've only been driven by 4 YouTube celebrities and they can only be purchased with gold dubloons that have been blessed with unicorn tears.

Most accurate post ever.  If there are 2023 best post awards this is a contender.

Currently it's technically classed in HS, pretty sure it'd be competitive there. Sounds like classing should be announced in the next fastrack or possibly the next draft update to the 2023 rules, whichever comes first.

You kind of asked two questions there. Will it be competitive with the focus rs and hyundais? Probably. Will it be a competitive DS car? Probably not.

Saw two truckloads in Charleston SC three weeks ago, they look pretty cool in person. I haven't looked on lots are they they thin on the ground? 

In reply to chandler :

I've contacted 4 dealers that had one listed, 3 didn't actually exist in real life (one even admitted they didn't even know when they would get one) & one had a car.  It was being sold and he had a wait list of 5 other people so far.  A friend that works at a Toyota dealer said the way allotments work, he doen't know when they'll get one, and the chances of that guy having 5 are slim-none.

Didn't Toyota themselves say they like to keep demand high and supply lown on these types of vehicles?

Seems like it's all GR models. A search online of GR86's shows like 1 on the ground in my metropolitan area.  The local Mazda dealer has like 20 Miatas sitting on their lot. 

Toyota did the same B.S. with the MR2 spyder back in the day. Dealers had one if you were lucky and the all slapped "market adjustments" on them like they were selling an exotic. 

I hope Hyundai sells every Kona N they can assemble. 

mblommel said:

Seems like it's all GR models. A search online of GR86's shows like 1 on the ground in my metropolitan area.  The local Mazda dealer has like 20 Miatas sitting on their lot. 

How many Mazda 3 turbo AWD hatches?

Seems like a better deal to me.  Sure the engine is "only" 250hp but with 310ft-lb, the numbers look like a 300hp engine that cuts out early, up in the top of the range that you never use because it makes 310 ft-lb of torque.

Pete. (l33t FS) said:

mblommel said:

Seems like it's all GR models. A search online of GR86's shows like 1 on the ground in my metropolitan area.  The local Mazda dealer has like 20 Miatas sitting on their lot. 

How many Mazda 3 turbo AWD hatches?

Seems like a better deal to me.  Sure the engine is "only" 250hp but with 310ft-lb, the numbers look like a 300hp engine that cuts out early, up in the top of the range that you never use because it makes 310 ft-lb of torque.

A quick check shows about 20 2.5 turbo AWD hatchback Mazda3's within 50 miles of my house. All at or below MSRP. So, yeah if I were in the market I think Toyota could go suck eggs. The forced scarcity thing from a economy car manufacturer is extremely tiresome. And every Toyota dealership I've ever been in felt very predatory and scummy. Multiple sales jakals stalking as you get out of your car and managers with "WHAT CAN WE DO TO GET YOU IN A NEW VEHICLE TODAY???"

In reply to mblommel :

The hatchback comes as automatic only.  No manual.  It is not set up as a Mazda speed replacement.  Toyota is importing 6000 this year.  We may need to wait a year to get one.  One local dealer has a GR for 12k over MRSP.  Needless to say that one is still on the lot and the dealer will never have my business. Our other Toyota dealer does not does not mark up to local customers.  I am number 2 on the list for there last one.  If one doesn't come this year, I'm still loving my BRZ

In reply to Miataguy2 :

With an engine that should not require rowing your way down the road, a manual is kind of unimportant.

I guess it depends on if you see the transmission as a means to an end, or the end itself.

You would think after a similar problem with the Yaris variant, they would deal with the problem...

Even if the Mazda 3 AWD Turbo came with a 6spd, it'd need some serious exterior treatments to give it that rally look the GR Corolla has. 

They are just a little too long and sleek. Even with flares they look kinda weird. It's the same deal with the newer Impreza. As they have gotten more pedestrian they lose some of what makes them rally cars.  

Best (renders and concepts from the internet) I could come up with:

Mazda 2:

CX-3 based:

In reply to racerfink :

But all of the magazines did track tests, media launch last Fall. No problems reported.

Miataguy2 said:

In reply to racerfink :

But all of the magazines did track tests, media launch last Fall. No problems reported.

I think they were doing 1 lap at a time, start in the pits, end in the pits. That's a lot easier than lap after lap. I'll look to either put some header wrap on the exhaust on mine, or make up some sort of other heat shielding and possibly direct some air at it. My car's due to arrive in 8-10 days, very excited.

One of these took top pax today in DS at the Martin Sports Car Club event.