Leaked? Is This the Super-Hot 2027 Toyota Corolla GRMN?
A dealership show in Las Vegas may have featured the 2027 Toyota Corolla GRMN on display before its public reveal.
Justin BannerWriterMotorTrend StaffPhotographerManufacturerPhotographerSep 12, 2025
2023 Toyota GR Corolla Morizo Edition 4
The time to get excited over a hotter hatch Toyota Corolla is nigh thanks to teasers that seem to show a juiced-up version of Toyota’s already hot hatch is on the way. Now there are some reports that say the 2027 Toyota Corolla GRMN is real, and it looks like something from the early 2000s tuner era. But that might not be a bad thing as it also features some real go-fast parts installed from the factory, just as we saw from the GR Corolla Morizo Edition.
The GR Corolla Morizo Edition was already considered a bonkers, limited-run car for a mainstream brand, and now Toyota is possibly doing something similar with the Corolla GRMN. A GR Corolla Forum leak shows there are many similarities, starting with the same 18-inch forged wheels in a new shade of Bronze. We also see fender vents, a new exposed-carbon hood, and, most importantly, the rear seat delete. There also appears to be a new set of GR Recaro front seats with even more bolstering, but the post from the Toyota Town Hall Dealer Expo makes no mention about whether this is a production version or possibly a version you will be able to order on top of the standard Corolla GRMN, as we see with the GRMN Yaris from Japan.
For those unfamiliar, the “GRMN” model is the top spec of Gazoo Racing Toyotas, and the acronym stands for “Gazoo Racing Meister of Nürburgring,” a nod to the famous track in Nürburg, Germany. Right now, the only GRMN model in the wild is indeed the GRMN Yaris that was initially limited to 500 examples and featured a wider stance, a 44-pound weight reduction, AWD, a close-ratio gearbox, and other improvements that really let the 270-hp Yaris fly. The car was also available with a Circuit Package or Rally Package.
2023 Toyota GR Corolla Circuit Edition In Action 3
Prior to a potentially kitted out Corolla GRMN, owners salivated for the GR Corolla Circuit Edition and the further stripped-down Morizo Edition. The GR Corolla Circuit Edition was already a rare and truly hot hatchback. It was a single-year run featuring a lightweight treatment using a forged carbon-fiber roof, hood vents, a big rear wing, and a near perfect weight balance. Toyota then turned that up to 11 with the Morizo Edition by ditching everything it could to still be called a reasonable street car, including losing the rear passenger seats, rear door speakers, and window regulators, and adding a set of 18-inch forged-aluminum wheels. The Morizo also used a unique gearbox with a short-throw shifter better suited for circuit driving and putting down the power from the 1.6-liter turbocharged I-3 to all four wheels.
2 2025 Toyota GR Corolla Premium Plus front view KristenLee
We reached out to Toyota to confirm if the car seen at the Las Vegas dealer show is in fact the Corolla GRMN, but it would only say, “We cannot comment on speculation about future product.”
Justin Banner
Having experience in many forms of the automotive industry, Justin Banner has done more than just write about cars. For more than 15 years, he’s had experience working as an automotive service technician—including a stint as a Virginia State Inspector—service advisor, parts sales, and aftermarket parts technical advisor (a fancy way of saying he helped you on the phone when you had trouble fitting your brakes over your aftermarket wheels and the like). Prior to his tenure as a full-time editor, Justin worked as a freelance writer and photographer for various publications and as an automotive content creator on YouTube. He’s also covered multiple forms of motorsports ranging from Formula Drift, drag racing, and time attack, to NASCAR, short course off-roading, and open desert racing. He’s best known for breaking down complex technical concepts so a layperson can more easily understand why technologies, repairs, and parts should matter to them. At MotorTrend, Justin is part of the news team covering breaking news and topics while also working as a judge for MotorTrend Of the Year events and other major comparison tests.