The GR Corolla is on sale today in Japan, but you can’t just go to your local dealership and buy one as it was originally announced in June when the hot hatch was revealed. Instead, you’ll need to apply to order the performance machine by entering a lottery. The first batch of production cars is limited to 500 units for the regular version and just 70 for the more extreme Morizo edition with two seats and an additional 30 Nm (22 lb-ft) of torque.
Applications can be registered until December 18 for the spiciest derivative at GR Garage stores nationwide. If you stick with the standard GR Corolla, purchasing lottery apps can be done online until December 19. On January 6, the 70 people lucky enough to have the opportunity to purchase the Morizo Edition will be announced. The list of the other 500 customers who will be eligible for the standard car will be published a day later. Deliveries for both flavors are expected to begin in spring 2023.
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As to why Toyota is adopting this rather unusual procedure, the issue stems from supply bottlenecks caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and semiconductor shortages. The Japanese automaker has no other way but to limit production, at least initially. The company is aware that the GR Corolla will be in high demand at home and knows that it will not be able to fulfill all orders. Moreover, the model is also sold in North America, thus putting more pressure on the offer.
Speaking of North America, Toyota Canada held a contest to determine nine winners who had the chance to purchase the Corolla GR. In the US, pricing starts at $35,900 for the Core Edition, followed by the Circuit Edition at $42,900 and the Morizo Edition at $49,900. Japanese pricing also came out, showing a sticker price of 5,250,000 yen for the GR Corolla RZ and 7,150,000 yen for the Morizo Edition. At current exchange rates, this equates to approximately $39,200 and $53,400, respectively.
Toyota says it will consider expanding sales of the GR Corolla provided supply constraints are less of an issue after the first batch of production cars. In the United States, the entry-level Core Edition is capped at 5,000 units for the first year during which the mid-level Circuit Edition will be limited to 1,500 units. The top end will be a 200-car affair for the 2023MY.
The GR Corolla is on sale today in Japan, but you can’t just go to your local dealership and buy one as it was originally announced in June when the hot hatch was revealed. Instead, you’ll need to apply to order the performance machine by entering a lottery. The first batch of production cars is limited to 500 units for the regular version and just 70 for the more extreme Morizo edition with two seats and an additional 30 Nm (22 lb-ft) of torque.
Applications can be registered until December 18 for the spiciest derivative at GR Garage stores nationwide. If you stick with the standard GR Corolla, purchasing lottery apps can be done online until December 19. On January 6, the 70 people lucky enough to have the opportunity to purchase the Morizo Edition will be announced. The list of the other 500 customers who will be eligible for the standard car will be published a day later. Deliveries for both flavors are expected to begin in spring 2023.
34 Pictures
As to why Toyota is adopting this rather unusual procedure, the issue stems from supply bottlenecks caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and semiconductor shortages. The Japanese automaker has no other way but to limit production, at least initially. The company is aware that the GR Corolla will be in high demand at home and knows that it will not be able to fulfill all orders. Moreover, the model is also sold in North America, thus putting more pressure on the offer.
Speaking of North America, Toyota Canada held a contest to determine nine winners who had the chance to purchase the Corolla GR. In the US, pricing starts at $35,900 for the Core Edition, followed by the Circuit Edition at $42,900 and the Morizo Edition at $49,900. Japanese pricing also came out, showing a sticker price of 5,250,000 yen for the GR Corolla RZ and 7,150,000 yen for the Morizo Edition. At current exchange rates, this equates to approximately $39,200 and $53,400, respectively.
Toyota says it will consider expanding sales of the GR Corolla provided supply constraints are less of an issue after the first batch of production cars. In the United States, the entry-level Core Edition is capped at 5,000 units for the first year during which the mid-level Circuit Edition will be limited to 1,500 units. The top end will be a 200-car affair for the 2023MY.