Don't Blink: Toyota GR86 Video Teases GR Corolla With Manual Trans

We know the Toyota GR Corolla is coming. The automaker already dropped clues into some clever teasers, and now, you can add one more to the list. In a seemingly normal short video promoting the GR86 sports car, you'll find a couple of quick jump cuts that are over in less than a second.

Pause the video at just the right moment, and you'll get a distorted view of the GR Corolla's front clip, still wearing the red camouflage wrap we've seen previously. A second quick pause catches a three-pedal setup being shifted, though it could reference the GR86 which we know features a six-speed stick. However, with the rest of the video showing external GR86 footage and the timing of the jump cuts, we suspect this is definitely a manual transmission GR Corolla teaser.

Curiously, Toyota's Instagram video is an edited version of the original that was posted. The first version contained a very clear look at a GR Corolla test vehicle, still wearing camo wrap but easily identifiable as the forthcoming hot hatchback. Fortunately, we were quick on the draw and grabbed a screenshot before it was pulled. We have no idea if it was a mistake on Toyota's part, or if it's part of the teaser campaign. In any case, that's the image you see at the top of this article.

Toyota is really playing it cool with information on the highly anticipated hot hatch. None of the teasers mention the GR Corolla by name, but subtle clues point to it having the same turbocharged 1.6-liter three-cylinder engine used in the GR Yaris. In the Japanese market, the engine develops 268 horsepower (200 kilowatts), and we've seen that number referenced in Corolla easers. We've also seen four show up, so the GR Corolla should send its power to each corner through an all-wheel-drive setup.

One thing we haven't uncovered in teasers is a possible debut date. The car should be available by the end of 2022, but as for a reveal, that could happen as soon as next month or as late as the second half of next year.