2025 Toyota GR Corolla Spied With Camo'd Front End, German Plates, Right-Hand Drive

Immediately after the unveiling, Toyota updated its Japanese website as follows: "Introducing the car to regions outside of North America is currently under consideration." That being said, can you help us understand why Toyota is testing a right-hand-drive GR Corolla in Germany with camouflage on the front bumper exclusively?

Pictured with Japanese and Euro-style headlights, this fellow boasts familiar BBS forged wheels mounted with Michelin high-performance summer tires measuring 235/40 by 18 inches. The red brake calipers that squeeze on slotted rotors also come as familiar to GR Corolla owners and enthusiasts. But we can't see any parking sensors either fore or aft.

Zooming in reveals a red 12 o'clock marker on the steering wheel, red seatbelts, and what appears to be a paddle shifter on the left side of the steering wheel. In a similar fashion to the masked exterior badging, the steering wheel's Toyota logo is also hidden from prying eyes.

Intriguing may be the most appropriate word to describe this fellow. On the other hand, one has to wonder if Toyota intends to bring the GR Corolla to the United Kingdom and the rest of Europe. Also worth considering, this prototype may be a preview of the 2025 GR Corolla for the Japanese market where – as of September 2024 – the build & price tool shows the 2024 model with a starting price of 5,250,000 yen.

That’s 36,645 dollars at current exchange rates. By comparison, the US-market spec originally retailed at $36,100 sans the $1,095 destination charge for the 2024 model year. Now available to configure at $36,500 from the outset, GR Corolla is a member of a select club of manual hot hatchbacks with standard AWD.

The big news for 2025 is the introduction of a torque-converter automatic with eight forward ratios, a Gazoo Racing-developed box shared with the GR Yaris. According to Toyota, the Direct Automatic Transmission is tuned specifically for one of four available drive modes, that mode being – obviously – Sport.

Under the hood, Toyota worked its magic on the 1.6-liter turbo inline-three lump with 300 ponies to its name. Previously unique to the GR Corolla Morizo Edition, peak torque has been increased by 22 pound-feet to 295 pound-feet (400 Nm) across the board. Unfortunately, it's not clear if the short-ratio manual of the Morizo has also carried over to the 2025 GR Corolla.

As ever, the GR-FOUR system defaults torque distribution to 60 percent for the front and 40 percent going to the rear wheels. Gravel mode results in a 50:50 split, whereas Track mode changes torque distribution to a rear-biased 70 percent for a bit more oversteer. Audi Sport, meanwhile, can't do better than 50 percent going to the rear axle of the RS 3 Sedan and Sportback, with 100 percent of that distributed to either rear wheel in the so-called RS Torque Rear mode.

The ridiculously powerful A 45 S 4MATIC+ doesn't go crazier than 50:50 and a drift mode either. Because it's thankfully available with a manual, the GR Corolla is closer to the Subaru WRX than other compacts. The Golf R can't be taken into consideration because VW made it dual-clutch only for the 2025 model year.