Aiming for a car that can attack the Nürburgring at full throttle

Spurred by the stance of Toyota Motor Corporation Chairman and Master Driver Akio Toyoda, a.k.a. Morizo, of: “If it’s going to bear the GRMN name, it needs to be a car that can duly handle the Nürburgring”, the development team honed the GRMN Corolla on what is said to be the world’s most grueling race course. Going all out on the Nürburgring, which provides road inputs and surface variations not found on regular test courses, highlights a car’s weaknesses. Developing the GRMN Corolla at the Nürburgring enabled crafting a car that can be controlled at will at all speeds, even on rough surfaces.

In addition to development through track testing at the Nürburgring, the GRMN Corolla also went through its paces in Japan’s Super Taikyu Series. It was also methodically validated using advanced driving simulators. But it was driving it at the Nürburgring that brought unexpected challenges to the fore. The development team overcame those challenges one by one in pursuit of achieving a high level of car-driver unity, enabling the car and driver to remain in constant, effective communication even when pushing the limits.

GR has applied the insights gained from GRMN Corolla development to the evolution of the base GR Corolla. For the 2026 GR Corolla, announced in September 2025 and launched in November of that year, the application of structural adhesive was extended by 13.9 meters to 32.7 meters to reinforce the body structure, and an added cool-air duct reduces the rise in intake air temperature during high-load driving. Both were the result of applying lessons learned at the Nürburgring.

GRMN Corolla main features

Aerodynamic performance: Super Taikyu Series-tested and Nürburgring-honed

In Super Taikyu Series and similar races and at the Nürburgring, cars constantly travel at high speeds and experience high g-forces. Maximizing vehicle performance under these conditions crucially requires that all four wheels maintain firm contact with the road. The GRMN Corolla features exclusively developed aerodynamic performance parts for enhanced road holding. Its hood duct, fender ducts, front side spoilers, and rear wing incorporate know-how gained from racing, tested on the hydrogen engine-powered GR Corolla that competes in the Super Taikyu Series. Based on all-inclusive Super Taikyu Series trial and error, fine-tuning came at the Nürburgring. This effort included adjusting the rear wing angle, which features a five-step adjustment mechanism, in 1-degree increments during driving tests with professional drivers to verify effectiveness and determine the optimal specification.

Exclusive suspension fine-tuned through extensive Nürburgring testing

The GRMN Corolla’s suspension employs exclusive front and rear monotube shock absorbers with rebound springs for improved inner-wheel traction during cornering and for enhanced high-speed cornering performance.

The Nürburgring road surface includes environments that induce significant vertical suspension travel beyond that experienced on typical circuits. To ensure high stability for confident driving even in such conditions, extensive Nürburgring test runs facilitated optimization of bump-stop characteristics. The exclusive shock absorbers were developed by adjusting their stroke down to a millimeter at the front and rear for optimal balance. Furthermore, for enhanced cornering stability and braking performance, the GRMN Corolla sports 245/40ZR18 “Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2” high-grip tires, which are 10 mm wider than those on the base vehicle.

The control program of the GRMN Corolla’s EPS (electric power steering) has been modified from that on the base vehicle to generate the required amount of assistance torque even during cornering under high g-forces. The exclusively tuned 4WD control system provides optimal rear torque distribution during straight-line driving and enhanced stability at the onset of steering input at extremely high speeds.

Internal combustion engine evolution via the hydrogen engine-powered Corolla

GR has been gaining valuable lessons for the evolution of the internal combustion engine by competing in the Super Taikyu Series with a hydrogen engine-powered GR Corolla, as extended, high-load endurance racing helps heighten not only the potential of hydrogen technology but also that of fundamental internal combustion engine components. Applying insights gained from competing in the Super Taikyu Series has enabled the GRMN Corolla to achieve a maximum engine torque of 415 Nm^*2, 15 Nm greater than that of the base vehicle. The development team optimized the GRMN Corolla’s engine characteristics by analyzing the range of engine use during circuit driving, focusing on increasing torque in the 3,600–4,800 rpm mid-speed range, which is crucial for accelerating out of corners. To maintain stable, high engine output even during continuous full-throttle driving, the GRMN Corolla comes with an intercooler spray system, in addition to the cool-air duct added to the 2026 GR Corolla.

Also, in pursuit of an even higher level of performance and an “untamed energy that captivates customers”, the GRMN Corolla has no rear seats as part of an effort to achieve thorough weight reduction. The power-to-weight ratio has been improved by reducing weight by 30 kilograms compared to the base vehicle^*3, providing customers with an unparalleled driving experience.

A cockpit designed to unlock an even higher level of performance

The GRMN Corolla boasts not only exclusively tuned driving performance but also a specially designed cockpit featuring a driver’s seat and an instrument panel meticulously crafted to enable customers to unlock the value of genuine driving performance. The custom-designed full bucket driver’s seat^*4 was based on the driving position in Super Taikyu Series race cars to achieve holding performance capable of withstanding higher lateral g-forces. The carefully adjusted seat length facilitates clutch operation, and the seat’s glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) construction helps reduce weight. In addition to safety being first and foremost, the aim was to create a driver’s seat that enhances car-driver unity while considering everyday ease of ingress and egress. Development involved installing the seat in a car competing in the Super Taikyu Series and incorporating feedback from various professional drivers, including that from evaluations conducted while wearing a helmet.

The cockpit’s design and meticulously considered color scheme create a space that enables the driver to focus more fully on driving and features an exclusive flocked instrument panel and flocked front pillars. Carbon-fiber ornamentation—developed and manufactured by the Carbon Section at Toyota Motor Corporation’s Motomachi Plant—adorns the instrument panel on the passenger side. Other special items include instrument panel padding bearing Morizo’s signature, door trim and shift knob accented in Alumite Red, and a GRMN-exclusive serial number plate.