Who’s getting a GR Corolla

In reply to Nathan JansenvanDoorn :

Yeah, I love Evos as much as the next guy, but let's not pretend there isn't a huge fit/finish and refinement difference between a new Toyota and a 25-year-old Mitsubishi.

Do you buy an AWD rally special for the fit/finish and refinement?

In reply to LanEvo :

* and reliability. 

Let's not pretend that people shopping new cars are generally cross shopping cool antiques.  :)

We're not getting the GR Corolla here yet (though I received an update from Toyota yesterday, as I've registered an interest), but I've been eying of the Yaris GRs.... both cars are a pretty option!

I told my wife when the GR Yaris came out in Europe that if they brought it over here I'd for sure be buying one. I want one because it's so cool and because I want companies to keep making things like this. That said, there's no way I'm paying any ADM on an already expensive hatchback. I guess we'll have to see where the market goes. 

LanEvo said:

I just can't see paying $45k (plus god knows how much in dealer markups) and jumping through so many hoops to own a Corolla GR when the Lancer Evolution V is already 25 years old and the Evo VI is almost there.

I'm sure you can find a very clean Evo V GSR for significantly less than it would cost to put a GR in the driveway. To me, the Evo is a cooler car ... and I can't imagine the GR does anything better other than Bluetooth and Apple Car Play. 

I'm more of your mindset, but I think we're in the minority. I imported a 1996 Elise for significantly less than say, a new GR86. Easy choice for me. I'm sure the GR reliability will crush the EVO for someone who just wants to turn the key, thrash it, change the oil every 7k miles and go. It'll probably show it's heels to any rally homologation car of that era as well. I've watched a couple ST205 Celica GT4 vs Yaris GR vids, and it's not close, as it should be. I think if you found an ultra low mile original or nut and bolt restored Evo V, it'd probably command close to 50k. This 42k miles Evo IV GSR sold for $42,500 https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1996-mitsubishi-lancer-evolution-iv-gsr/ , possible crank walk issues and all.

In reply to fatallightning :

Fifth Gear recently uploaded a head-to-head comparison of the GR Yaris to an Evo VII, the same one they tested 20 years ago. The GR is faster at that track.

Link

Nathan JansenvanDoorn said:

In reply to LanEvo :

* and reliability. 

 

Let's not pretend that people shopping new cars are generally cross shopping cool antiques.  :)

 

We're not getting the GR Corolla here yet (though I received an update from Toyota yesterday, as I've registered an interest), but I've been eying of the Yaris GRs.... both cars are a pretty option!

This. 

This is the only forum where I see people comparing brand new cars with amenities, safety increases, and warranties, to stuff thats old enough to drink. 

Let alone the fact that the older Evo is most likely right hand drive.  That kills it for me, I have zero desire to drive a rhd car here, which sucks as I'd love a Skyline GTR.

After contacting my local dealer, I now seem to get daily emails.  Yesterday's was a sale that included 4 various Toyota models, that included a GR86 for $1K less than MSRP.  Deleted already, but it read like $32K sale vs $33K MSRP or something similar.  So maybe?

LanEvo said:

Do you buy an AWD rally special for the fit/finish and refinement?

For what it's worth the GR Corolla isn't an "AWD rally special", there's no homologation angle (that was the GR Yaris), it's a parts bin hot hatch just for Americans 

That said I would buy a new GR Corolla over a 25-year-old Evo for that reason! You could comfortably daily the Corolla with zero headaches, I don't see that being the case with an old turbo Mitsu, as much as I love them.

I don't know if you've been in a new Corolla but they are a damn nice car inside much as most modern vehicles are.

In reply to Jerry :

Scam - trying to get you in the door.  

I talked to a dealer on a truck being built still - lady asks me when I can come in to look at it.  Technically you really don't have anything to look at I tell her.........

Nathan JansenvanDoorn said:

* and reliability.

This goes both ways. The CP9A Evo (4/5/6) is already an appreciating classic, especially the 6.5 TME variant. These are simple and reliable cars with almost bulletproof drivetrains. They're still being tracked, raced, hillclimbed, and rallyed today. There's excellent support and parts availability 25 years after they were made. Plus, there's significant parts interchangability with the next generation CT9A Evo (7/8/9).

In another 25 years from now, I bet you'll still see Evos being raced and driven. Will we see the same for cars like the Corolla GR or Focus RS? I hope so, but I doubt it.

j_tso said:

In reply to fatallightning :

Fifth Gear recently uploaded a head-to-head comparison of the GR Yaris to an Evo VII, the same one they tested 20 years ago. The GR is faster at that track.

I'm not surprised. Then again, the Evo V has the same engine, suspension, and brakes as the Evo VII but is about 200 lbs lighter. Forget about the fact that minimal work on the Evo will unlock the true potential of the engine: my Evo VIII was running over 300 at the wheels with just an ECU reflash. They were seriously detuned from the factory.

fatallightning said:

I'm more of your mindset, but I think we're in the minority. I imported a 1996 Elise for significantly less than say, a new GR86. Easy choice for me.

I had been saving up a substantial amount of money to fund a midlife crisis gift to myself. I was looking at an Aston Martin V8 Vantage, but also considering an M2 CS or Porsche 911. I ended up spending not much less money on a 34-year-old compact car with a 4-cylinder engine.

My E30 M3 is "worse" in every metric than the other cars I was looking at. Totally illogical choice. But it's just so fun to drive and, well ... it's so cool. I have no regrets.

I do have to say: as a divorced guy, an Aston Martin is definitely a better "first date" car than an M3 on Gruppe N suspension. But you can't have it all ;)

In reply to LanEvo :

I'd have to say that any gal who's into me because I pull up with an Aston Martin is really nobody I'd care to spend more time with than a one night stand.  Now if she's geeking out over an E30 M3, that's another story!

In reply to docwyte :

Hear, hear!

In Silicon Valley where I live there is luxury car status-signaling overload to the point of it being unimpressive. I dream of having a DB7 in the garage one day, but as a recently-single guy myself, I'm much more interested in the kind of girl that appreciates the character of an unusual vehicle!

In reply to docwyte :

My experience has been that exactly 0.0% of the female population is impressed by an E30 M3. A similar percentage appreciates arriving at a nice restaurant stinking of unburnt fuel (the car runs rich) with their ears ringing and all their fillings shaken out.

I don't think I have the looks or the charm to pull this off LOL

In reply to LanEvo :

As someone who drove an overcammed, loud as hell mullet mobile for many years, there is a decent chunk of women that enjoy it, just not sure youd want many of them.

docwyte said:

Let alone the fact that the older Evo is most likely right hand drive.  That kills it for me, I have zero desire to drive a rhd car here, which sucks as I'd love a Skyline GTR.

Yeah, I've seen some cool cars too import at prices I like.....but RHD, shifting with the left hand, that's a no from me dawg. 

In reply to z31maniac :

The RHD thing isn't so bad. You get used to it very quickly. Especially on these older cars with tall greenhouses, thin pillars, and excellent outward visibility.

Also, there were LHD versions of the Evo 5 and 6 sold in some Euro markets (Germany and Holland for sure; probably others). You just need to search for "Carisma Evolution" instead of "Lancer Evolution." They cost a bit more, but they're out there.

I really don't care what anyone thinks about what I drive man or woman.  I drive what I want because I like it.  My wife loves her Tahoe and can tolerate my other vehicles so that's okay.  She helped me push a car on our first date so I knew she was a keeper at that moment.  Drive what you like.

LanEvo said:

I just can't see paying $45k (plus god knows how much in dealer markups) and jumping through so many hoops to own a Corolla GR when the Lancer Evolution V is already 25 years old and the Evo VI is almost there.

I'm sure you can find a very clean Evo V GSR for significantly less than it would cost to put a GR in the driveway. To me, the Evo is a cooler car ... and I can't imagine the GR does anything better other than Bluetooth and Apple Car Play. 

It will be much easier to finance and insure a new Toyota than a classic, non US market car.

pointofdeparture said:

LanEvo said:

Do you buy an AWD rally special for the fit/finish and refinement?

For what it's worth the GR Corolla isn't an "AWD rally special", there's no homologation angle (that was the GR Yaris), it's a parts bin hot hatch just for Americans 

The Yaris is not a homologation special for anything, either.  Toyota says it is, but fails to specify what exactly they were homologating for, so they are just flinging sexy-sounding words around without bothering to consider that words have meaning.

In reply to docwyte :

This. Ms Raab appreciates my love for all things automotive because she appreciates that I have interests even if she couldn't care less about the specific content. She also likes that I handle all the car business (buying/insuring/fixing/etc.) because it stresses her out and is fun for me. 

When I got my R32 GT-R I was cross shipping Focus RS. At the time they had the head gasket recall so everybody had them in stock but I couldn't test drive any of them. Had I test drove one I might have ended up with a different car. But as of now I got no regrets. RHD ain't bad if you can give up drive thru's. I say RHD is good for the diet. You got to really be craving that cheeseburger if your willing to go through backwards to get it. I got 3 RHD's now and drive them more than regular cars. Now it foreign to get in the wife's van to drive it.

In reply to LanEvo :

Then that's a failing with your particular E30 M3.  With decent suspension, factory exhaust system and running right none of that happens....