Is This the Toyota Corolla GRMN?

The vents in the front fenders suggest it's not a regular GR version.

Toyota Corolla GRMN Nurburgring Spy Video

Photo by: CarSpyMedia

Adrian Padeanu

By: Adrian Padeanu

Updated: Sep 23, 2024 at 3:07am ET

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The prototype has a completely camouflaged front end.
The GR Corolla is not sold in Europe yet it's been spotted in Germany.
Its large rear spoiler indicates this is a Circuit Edition but the vented front fenders say GRMN.

Toyota gave the GR Corolla an update for the 2025 model year at the beginning of August, complete with an eight-speed automatic transmission option, more torque, and better cooling. But the hot hatchback's evolution isn't over, or so it seems. A new video shot at the Nürburgring shows a partially camouflaged prototype undergoing high-speed testing.

Ok, so what is it? Our first thought is Toyota might be interested in bringing the GR Corolla to Europe. However, we're not so sure that's the case. Emissions regulations are stricter in Europe, and selling the 300-horsepower hatch on European land would hurt the company's fleet average emissions. From 2025, automakers must meet even stricter targets to avoid paying massive fines.

Lest we forget Toyota sells the smaller GR Yaris in Europe with the very same three-cylinder engine and the newly launched automatic. Selling both would be overkill. It would be great for enthusiasts to have more options, but the reality of 2024 is that fun cars are a small segment and that the math rarely works in favor of mainstream, relatively affordable performance vehicles.

The orange side markers in the headlights suggest that we're dealing with a prototype of the US-spec GR Corolla. The chunky rear spoiler leads us to believe that Toyota was testing the Circuit Edition. According to the professional car paparazzi, it might've actually been a hotter GRMN. That would make sense given the wider front fenders with built-in vents.

What do you think?

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The test vehicle does have a roll cage, but many prototypes that automakers are testing have that. Even lower-powered, far less exciting cars have been spotted at the Nordschleife with that safety upgrade. Why is it working out at the 'Ring gym? Perhaps to test the new goodies presumably coming for the 2026 model year.

The spy video raises more questions than answers, but it sure looks like Toyota is cooking up something related to the GR Corolla. Our money is on a facelift and/or GRMN but time will tell whether that's the case. Meanwhile, we're still patiently waiting for the BMW-powered GRMN Supra to come out...

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