Toyota’s GR line is in a pretty solid place right now. The GR86, Corolla and Supra cover a good swath of the reasonably-affordable enthusiast space, so all that’s really left to do is keep the models fresh with the requisite slate of updates and special editions. Toyota treated us to three today, arriving late 2023.
Let’s start with the coolest of the trio which also happens to be the rarest and, potentially, the most affordable. The GR86 Trueno Edition comes in white or red, with black decals to pay homage to the original AE86 Corolla. It also comes with a new performance package that includes Brembo brakes and Sachs dampers, that will be optional on non-special editions. Toyota’s only building 860 of these, in automatic and shift-yourself varieties. Price is due to come later this year ahead of deliveries sometime in the winter.
The car’s decorated with Trueno badges and a new black metallic finish for the 18-inch wheels that typically come standard on the Premium grade. Existing GR86 owners will be happy to know they’ll also be able to retrofit the performance kit to any existing 2022 or 2023 model, so long as they have 18-inch wheels on all corners. With the upcoming 2024 cars, Toyota’s active safety suite will also be standard with the manual transmission for the first time.
Moving up the range there’s the GR Corolla, which gains a new blue color for the returning Circuit Edition and the addition of 18-inch forged wheels, just like the Morizo had, standard for that trim. Changes here are understandably less pronounced as the hot hatch is entering but only its second model year. That said, small upgrades have been made under the skin, per Toyota’s release:
Revisions for the 2024 GR Corolla Circuit Edition includes new ribbed flange bolts mounting the steering gear box to the front suspension sub-frame and flange bolts with a 2mm (about 0.08 in) wider head mounting the rear suspension to the sub-frame. An unpainted bolt now grounds the battery to the frame for direct metal-to-metal contact.
Once again Toyota’s keeping production of the Circuit Edition low, to just 1,600 units. Finally, never to be left out, the Supra is also receiving some love for its 45th anniversary. The automaker will build just 900 examples fitted with what mostly amounts to an appearance package, plus the addition of a small, manually adjustable rear wing. As with the GR86 Trueno, the 45th anniversary flagship will be offered with both the new six-speed manual as well as the eight-speed auto when it reaches owners in the fall.
One last detail that the sim racers in the audience will be sure to appreciate: the GR Corolla will make its “virtual debut” in Gran Turismo 7, the manufacturer also announced today. Given Toyota and GT developer Polyphony Digital’s close relationship, it was only a matter of time before the car joined the 86, Yaris and Supra in the latest installment of the Real Driving Simulator. The timeline for the hatch’s arrival hasn’t been shared, though these things are typically announced in rather close proximity to release, so we shouldn’t have to wait too long.