Toyota made waves in September 2020 when the GR Yaris went into production. It was the first true homologation hot hatch we had seen in decades, but Americans thought there was just one problem with it-we weren't getting it. So, to appease us and make even more money, Toyota crammed the four-wheel-drive, the gearbox, engine, brakes, and everything else they could take from a GR Yaris into a Corolla Hatchback.

As a result, the GR Corolla now exists, and while it only matters to those in the U.S., it is doubtlessly a good car nonetheless. Now though, Toyota is making the GR Corolla even more extreme with the MORIZO edition. Only 200 examples will be produced, and all of them have real performance-enhancing modifications installed and are for the 2023 model year.

The headline figure is the bump in torque, up from 273 pound-feet to 295 pound-feet, while horsepower is pegged at 300, the same as the 'normal' GR Corolla. Toyota's engineers have fettled with the tuning to get the torque bump and to get the engine to produce all that torque from 3250-4600 RPM.

Toyota said, "the MORIZO edition has an exclusive close ratio intelligent Manual Transmission." However, the ratios are the same in all GR Corollas, except for 1st, which is longer in the MORIZO, and 3rd, which is a bit shorter. There are tighter differential gears as well, which would accentuate the torque even more.

The MORIZO edition is also a decent bit lighter as it has no rear seat, no rear door speakers, no rear window operations, no rear wiper, and a carbon fiber roof. In fact, the MORIZO weighs in at 3,186 pounds, down from 3,292 pounds in the standard GR Corolla. There are also bespoke 18-inch forged wheels that find themselves wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires, as well as special ducting for the front brakes.

Further modifications come in the form of suspension tuning. Two strut braces in the rear will increase structural rigidity, as will the "349 spot welds and over six meters more structural adhesive," said Toyota. However, it should be noted that the last two are included in every GR Corolla. Something else that is shared between the MORIZO and every other GR Corolla is the front and rear Torsen limited-slip differentials. Plus, the adjustable four-wheel-drive system carries over as well.

As for the interior, it is awash with black suede and leather with red accents, as well as an old-fashioned AUX port. Supposedly, the MORIZO also has enough room for a full set of tires should you feel so inclined to take it to the track.