Tag Archives: Toyota

NEW CARS

Next-Gen Toyota Corolla Promises a Revolution, Not an Evolution

Toyota is preparing to do the unthinkable: reinvent the world’s best-selling car. The 13th-generation Corolla, previewed by a striking concept at the Tokyo Motor Show, is set to ditch its conservative roots in favor of a bold, design-driven identity—one that finally puts style and technology on equal footing with the Corolla’s legendary reliability.

Since its debut in 1966, more than 50 million Corollas have found homes in driveways, garages, and rental fleets across the planet. But Toyota’s designers say the next one will look—and feel—like none that came before.

“We’re going to reinvent the best-selling car of all time,” said Lance Scott, Toyota’s European design chief, at the unveiling. “The Corolla has always been a car for everyone, but now we’re redefining what ‘everyone’ means.”

The Shape of a New Era

The new Corolla’s styling marks a clean break from today’s model. Toyota’s latest design language—edgy, assertive, and unmistakably modern—transforms the familiar hatchback into something far more sculptural and athletic. The concept’s long hood, coupe-like roofline, and sharp surfacing wouldn’t look out of place in a Lexus showroom.

And that’s by design. Scott and his team in Nice, France, wanted people to do a double take.

“When we started the project, we wanted to make a Corolla that people would look at and say, ‘I can’t believe that’s a Corolla,’” Scott explained.

The goal is to make the Corolla aspirational again—without abandoning the everyday sensibility that made it a household name.

Power for the People

In true Toyota fashion, practicality meets flexibility. The next-gen Corolla will ride on a platform engineered to support multiple powertrains—from traditional internal combustion to plug-in hybrid to full EV. Toyota says the packaging of its all-new compact engine is key to achieving the sleek proportions of the concept, while still allowing for drivetrain-agnostic design.

“You can choose your powertrain, but you’re not going to compromise on space, style, or functionality,” Scott promised. That means identical cabin and cargo space whether you pick electrons or gasoline.

It’s a savvy move. While rival brands like Volkswagen and Ford are doubling down on electrification, Toyota’s measured approach acknowledges a fragmented global market where EV adoption still varies wildly. “Mobility for all” remains the brand’s mantra—and in 2025, that means offering choice rather than forcing a one-size-fits-all future.

Inside: Minimalism Meets Mobility

The interior takes the same revolutionary leap. Gone are the acres of buttons and conventional console layout. In their place: a minimalist, high-tech cockpit that feels lifted from a concept car (because it literally is). Haptic steering-wheel controls, a secondary passenger touchscreen, and a satellite-style touchpad next to the wheel handle most of the car’s functions.

The absence of a transmission tunnel—possible thanks to EV-friendly underpinnings—creates space for a floating center panel that houses the drive selector and wireless charging pads. It’s futuristic without feeling fussy.

Still, Toyota insists the Corolla isn’t suddenly chasing premium brands. “We’re not taking Corolla upmarket,” Scott clarified. “It’s still the cornerstone—just reimagined for today.”

Breaking the Cycle

With the current Corolla now seven years into its life cycle, the timing for reinvention couldn’t be better. Toyota’s rivals have upped their game, and the line between mainstream and premium has blurred.

“Mainstream brands need a break every once in a while,” Scott said. “Sometimes you need a jump to get ahead.”

Recent history suggests Toyota isn’t bluffing. Concepts like the Aygo X Prologue and Sport Crossover made the leap to production with only minor tweaks—and the Corolla concept looks showroom-ready by comparison.

If the public reaction in Tokyo is strong, don’t be surprised to see this sleek new shape on the road sooner rather than later.

A Global Staple, Reinvented

Toyota hasn’t confirmed where the next-gen Corolla will be built—its long-running Burnaston plant in the UK is a likely candidate—but the mission is clear: to future-proof the world’s favorite car for a decade where drivers expect sustainability, technology, and design to coexist.

The Corolla has always been the sensible choice. The next one might finally be the desirable one, too.

Source: Toyota

NEW CARS

Toyota Turbo Trail Cruiser: A Retro FJ60 With Twin-Turbo Fury

The so-called “baby” Land Cruiser FJ may be stealing the buzz right now, but Toyota’s got something at this year’s SEMA Show that’ll make even die-hard purists sit up straight. Meet the Turbo Trail Cruiser, a restomod concept that takes the squared-off goodness of the 1980s FJ60 and injects it with 21st-century muscle.

At first glance, you’d swear this was just a pristine survivor from the Reagan era—same boxy stance, same halogen eyes, same utilitarian charm. But beneath that vintage sheetmetal lurks something far more sinister: Toyota’s modern 3.4-liter twin-turbo V6 i-Force engine, the same heart that powers today’s Tundra.

And no, it’s not electrified—because it doesn’t need to be. With 389 horsepower and 479 lb-ft of torque, this old-school Land Cruiser packs nearly double the grunt of the original inline-six. It’s refinement and raw power rolled into one turbocharged throwback.

Engineering the Impossible

You can’t just drop a modern twin-turbo V6 into a 40-year-old SUV and call it a day. The crew at Toyota Motorsports Garage went deep into the weeds to make this swap look and feel OEM-perfect.

They designed custom engine mounts, a redesigned oil pan, a dedicated heat exchanger, and a special wiring harness—all so the new mill could fit without hacking up the firewall or altering the FJ’s character. An adapter plate connects the V6 to the original five-speed manual, because purists know: three pedals or bust.

Out back, a bespoke exhaust system delivers a deep, aggressive growl that perfectly matches the truck’s newfound attitude.

Rough-Road Refinement

Underneath, Toyota kept the original ladder-frame chassis, but gave it a subtle 1.5-inch suspension lift and a front shackle reversal to improve articulation. It rides on 35-inch tires mounted on polished beadlock wheels, making it look ready for Moab without losing that showroom-fresh 1980s aesthetic.

And while the hardware has gone through a serious evolution, the bodywork remains gloriously untouched. The chrome trim, the halogen headlights, the upright glass—all preserved in their original analog glory.

Inside, Toyota kept things equally restrained. There’s a JBL audio system and a central touchscreen discreetly integrated into the dash, but otherwise, the cabin still screams old-school adventure wagon.

A Hot Rod With Toyota DNA

Marty Schwerter, Director of Operations at Toyota’s Motorsports Garage, sums it up perfectly:

“The Turbo Trail Cruiser is about showing what happens when Toyota’s modern performance technology is integrated into one of our most iconic classics. It’s a hot-rod approach with Toyota DNA—power, drivability, and reliability in a package that still feels true to the original Land Cruiser.”

That’s exactly what this build delivers: a tasteful fusion of nostalgia and innovation. It’s not trying to reinvent the Land Cruiser—it’s reminding us why we fell in love with it in the first place, only now it’s faster, smoother, and meaner than ever.

The Turbo Trail Cruiser will join more than two dozen other Toyota concepts at the 2025 SEMA Show in Las Vegas—including the track-inspired Camry GT-S and the electrified Corolla Cross Hybrid Nasu—but don’t be surprised if this one steals the spotlight.

After all, it’s not every day you see an FJ60 that can outmuscle a Tundra and still look ready to conquer the Outback.

Source: Toyota

News

Wildness Refined: Inside the Evolution of the Toyota GR Corolla

When the Toyota GR Corolla first hit the scene, it felt like a fever dream made real. Nobody saw it coming—least of all the market analysts who thought Toyota was done building small, unhinged performance cars. Yet, there it was: a compact, turbocharged, all-wheel-drive riot that brought back the energy of Toyota’s rally-bred legends from the ’80s and ’90s.

With a high-strung three-cylinder engine, a proper six-speed manual, and a torque-splitting AWD system that could send most of its grunt rearward, the GR Corolla didn’t just revive the hot hatch—it redefined it. And now, a few years into its life, it’s getting even sharper.

We recently spent time at Sonoma Raceway wringing out the latest iteration, and the message is clear: Toyota’s Gazoo Racing division isn’t just keeping this thing alive—they’re evolving it.

How GR-Four Makes You Faster

At the heart of the GR Corolla’s lunacy is GR-Four, Toyota’s rally-derived all-wheel-drive system. It’s capable of sending up to 70 percent of torque to the rear wheels, but the numbers don’t tell the whole story.

“The front-to-rear torque distribution is determined through feedback control based on vehicle speed and G-forces,” explains Kohara Takashi, an engineer with Toyota’s GR Development Division.

For 2025, the new Track Mode takes that control logic a step further, actively adjusting torque distribution mid-corner. “At Fuji Speedway’s third sector, for example, it improves line tracing by varying the front-to-rear ratio from corner entry to exit,” Takashi says.

It all happens within a 60:40 to 30:70 torque window, shifting in real time with a kind of electronic clairvoyance. The result? You don’t fight the car—it helps you carve.

Cooling the Beast

The GR Corolla’s 1.6-liter G16E-GTS three-cylinder remains an absurd little powerhouse, punching out 300 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque in Morizo trim. For 2026, Toyota engineers turned their attention to a less glamorous—but absolutely vital—topic: heat management.

“The challenges we faced were related to oil and water temperatures of the engine and drivetrain, as well as intake air temperature,” Takashi explains. “We increased the capacity of the cooling fans, and for 2026, we’re adding a new cooling duct to address intake temperature.”

That new duct will be available as an upgrade for existing owners, which is almost unheard of in the industry. Despite the added cooling, Takashi insists that drivability and emissions remain untouched—a rare feat in a world of increasingly delicate performance cars.

The Weight vs. Rigidity Battle

Building a car like the GR Corolla isn’t a matter of mass production—it’s craftsmanship with a stopwatch. Toyota’s GR factory in Motomachi operates more like a race shop than a traditional plant, allowing engineers to obsess over every weld and adhesive bead.

“To balance weight reduction and torsional rigidity, we use more spot welds and structural adhesives than typical vehicles,” Takashi says. “This is possible because the production time per vehicle is several times longer than normal.”

That painstaking build process translates to precision. GR engineers validate each chassis not just in Japan, but also at the Nürburgring, chasing microscopic improvements in how the structure flexes under load. Each lap adds a brushstroke to Toyota’s evolving canvas of performance.

The Wildness Incident

Every great car has a story. The GR Corolla’s might be its best one.

During early development, Akio Toyoda—yes, the boss himself, known internally by his racing pseudonym Morizo—took the prototype for a spin. His verdict was brutal.

“It lacks wildness,” Takashi recalls. “Initially, the GR Corolla had the same specs as the GR Yaris. Morizo said, ‘It lacks power. This won’t do. Start from zero.’”

The team did just that. Drawing on lessons from Toyota’s hydrogen-fueled GR Corolla race car, they pushed the 1.6-liter triple to new limits. The phrase ‘Push, Break, Learn, Repeat’ became gospel, and “wildness” the new guiding principle. The result was the 300-hp Morizo Edition, a car as intense as its namesake.

Data, Instinct, and the Pursuit of Balance

Behind the scenes, the GR Corolla’s evolution is driven by a meticulous loop of feedback and iteration. Takashi describes how suspension geometry changes are informed equally by data and seat-of-the-pants intuition.

“Originally, we had challenges with inner-wheel grip in mid- to high-speed corners,” he says. “We restricted suspension extension using a rebound spring to utilize the jacking-down effect, which improved stability.”

Revised trailing-arm brackets fixed traction issues, but introduced new toe-angle quirks—so the team went back, fine-tuned geometry, and came out with a chassis that now grips harder and reacts cleaner, especially under power.

The GR team’s motto could easily be: Measure twice, apex once.

What Comes Next

While Takashi wouldn’t spill details on hybrid systems or future GR products, he offered one intriguing hint: the GR-Four system isn’t platform-limited. In other words, the same torque-vectoring wizardry that makes the GR Corolla so alive could soon find its way into bigger—or even electrified—GR models.

For now, though, the GR Corolla stands alone: a raw, relentlessly honed piece of driving joy. It’s not perfect—and that’s exactly why it’s special.

Because the GR Corolla wasn’t designed to be polite. It was designed to be wildness, refined.

Source: Toyota