2024 Toyota GR Corolla

Please note that the pictures have been provided by the seller 

Highlights

• Never officially sold in the UK or Europe

• 1.6-litre turbocharged triple, offering 300bhp

• Advanced multi-mode AWD system

• Just 15,651Km on the clock (9,725 miles)

• Excellent specification and condition inside and out

Overview

If there’s one thing sure to light a fire under most petrolheads, it’s the opportunity to own a truly rare performance car. Naturally, there are any number of marques that put out a handful of models each year, usually at stratospheric prices (and you have to be invited to buy them). But for the real connoisseur of fast machinery that’s just a bit unusual, the real gems are the JDM and US models that never officially make it to these shores. And if they’re never officially sold anywhere in Europe, then you’re definitely onto a winner. 

Which, quite naturally, brings us on to the delightfully familiar and yet not-at-all-so machine you see here. Obviously, it’s “just a Corolla”. Only it isn’t, this is a GR Corolla, designed and engineered by the same mentalists that brought us the GR Yaris. Which is very much not a Yaris, despite being one. In the same way, the GR Corolla has about as much in common with the reliable family hatchback your neighbour drives as a Grey Wolf does with a Chihuahua. They’re both technically dogs, but that nipped and tucked DNA makes an awful lot of difference.

How much difference? How does 300bhp from a 1.6-litre 3-cylinder turbocharged lump and a multi-mode AWD system grab you? Yeah, we thought that might get your attention. And it looks fighty too. Not in a lairy, boy-racer way. More a purposeful, JTCC-vents-wings-and-wide-arches kind of way. Despite the pumped-up styling, we think it looks really well balanced and attractive. Well done Toyota, gold stars for everyone.

With fewer than 10,000 miles on the clock, all the DVLA and import paperwork sorted and the kind of performance that induces the kind of vocalisations usually reserved for rollercoasters and American cinema-goers, it’s a massive undersell to say that this is very special. And if you’re the sort of driver who loves that feeling of having something a bit unique (guilty as charged here), well they don’t come much more unique than this. The chances of coming across another one within about an 8,000-mile radius is slim in the extreme.

Brilliant to drive, wildly Japanese in its aesthetic, highly collectible, presented in excellent condition and as rare as a five-legged pony, this is definitely not to be missed.

History and documentation

• JDM import (first registered February 2024) - all duties paid

• SVA/IVA issued 23 July 2025

• UK registered in September 2025

• Never officially sold in the UK or Europe

• 15,651Km on the clock (9,725 miles)

• Service book shows stamps at 12,680Km and 13,428Km

• Full document pack

• Two keys

• V5 present in owner’s name

• No MOT necessary until 2027

• Warranty provided

• HPI clear

• London ULEZ compliant

Interior

• Deeply sculpted GR sports seats, trimmed in black leather and Alcantara with red contrast stitching and embroidered GR logos on the front headrests

• All of the upholstery looks to be in very good order, with no sagging, wear or damage apparent

• The front seats feature a two-stage heating function

• Black carpets and OEM GR sport overmats

• Dark grey headlining, which appears to be in very fine fettle, with no marks, sagging or damage on show

• Electrically operated side windows and door mirrors

• Dual-zone climate control

• Multi-function steering wheel, trimmed in black leather with red contrast stitching

• Black leather handbrake and and gear lever gaiters, again with red contrast stitching

• Keyless entry and start

• Reversing camera

• 8” touchscreen which controls the main infotainment systems

• JBL audio system with Apple CarPlay

• 12.3” driver display

• Voice control functionality

• Hands-free phone connectivity

• All of the internal trim and switchgear presents extremely well, looking to be in true “nearly new” condition, with nothing missing or damaged as far as we can tell

• Immensely practical boot space with underfloor storage and inflation kit

• The vendor assures us that all of the cabin’s functions and features operate just as they should, with no known faults or issues

Exterior

• Pearl White paintwork, with a subtle but striking metallic fleck

• Overall the paintwork shows very well, with no scuffs, marks or damage to note

• Matte forged carbon roof

• The bodywork looks to be near pristine, with no dents, corrosion or misalignment we could discern

• Rear spoiler and integrated diffuser

• Automatic LED lights

• Rear privacy glass

• Tinted wind deflectors fitted all round

• Gloss black external trim contrasts well with the paintwork

• Carbon mirror caps

• All of the external trim and badging looks to be in lovely condition, with no real wear we could identify

• Similarly, the glass elements and light lenses all look to be clean and clear, with no misting, delamination, or notable cracks/chips

• Unique triple-exit exhaust system

• 18” forged BBS alloy wheels, finished in black, which all show very well and look to be free from lacquer peel or kerb damage of any kind

• A matched set of Yokohama Advan Apex tyres (235/40 all round) is fitted, and they all appear to have good tread depth and no obvious sidewall damage

Mechanical

• 1,618cc 3-cylinder turbocharged engine (G16E-GTS)

• Factory performance figures: 300bhp, 273lb-ft, 0-62 in c.5 seconds, 143mph (electronically limited)

• 6-speed manual transmission with rev-matching function

• GR-FOUR AWD system, with multiple modes offering various levels of torque-splitting

• GR sport brakes – 356mm discs with 4-pot calipers at the front, 297mm discs with 2-pot calipers at the rear

• MacPherson front struts and a full double wishbone set-up at the rear

• Toyota Safety Sense – offering adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assist and collision avoidance systems

• Anti-lock braking system

• Power assisted steering

• Switchable traction control system

• The engine bay is very clean and tidy, with no evidence of leaks or other issues that we could identify

• Blitz front strut brace

• Red Tanage GT Cooling Plate shrouding the radiator and intercooler

• We’re assured that the car runs and drives just as it should, with no known mechanical faults or issues

Summary

What could be more characteristically JDM than taking a perfectly fine but run-of-the-mill family hatchback and turning it into a fire-breathing, supercar-baiting, touring-car styled, all-wheel drive, turbocharged maniac? Not much, in our opinion.

On the one hand, it’s an absolute travesty that we never got the GR Corolla in the UK and Europe. It’s an incredible machine that’s perfectly suited to our twisty tarmac and… er… “changeable” road and weather conditions.

On the other hand, its rarity does mean that this excellent machine is very collectible and highly desirable. So it’s an absolute must-have for any serious JDM enthusiast or collector. Or anyone who loves superb performance cars that are just a bit different.

And it’s definitely not a Chihuahua.

To arrange a viewing, click the 'Book Viewing' button located under the 'Place Bid' button. Viewings can be booked up until the day before the auction ends, after which the option will change to 'Contact Seller' for further enquiries. This seller is located in Caldicot, South Wales.