Turbo charged titans

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It has plenty of punch but can’t get the power to the ground, the steering wheel twisting in your hands as it struggles for grip.

TOYOTA GR COROLLA

Like a wet road after a downpour, Toyota’s GR Corolla shines in the rain. It finds traction when rivals slip, encouraging you to explore the depths of its performance.

Blessed with a rally-bred fourwheel-drive system, it has simple limited-slip differentials at the front and rear. There are fixed-rate shock absorbers, three pedals and a stick for its six-speed transmission, as well as an old-school handbrake lever.

The snarling expression of its styling is matched by a yowling intensity from a three-cylinder engine that must be worked hard to deliver 221kw and 370Nm.

Quicker than the Cupra but slower than the Golf, it doesn’t have adaptive shock absorbers or an artificially enhanced drift mode.

Club racers will happily trade those for a round steering wheel, lightweight 18-inch wheels that fit track-focused tyres and proper monoblock brakes fitted as standard to the front and rear.

The cabin is a plain affair, borrowing heavily from the drab interior of a standard Corolla. Sure, it has a classy digital dashboard and superior seats to the regular model, but this doesn’t feel like a car that costs $67,000 drive-away. Then again, physical buttons for the climate control are better than the tap-andswipe touchscreens of the VW and Cupra.

You can’t make the suspension softer or lean on semi-autonomous features in traffic jams but you can send extra power to the front or rear tyres when additional stability or agility is called for. Tiresome in traffic, the Corolla is a riot in the right circumstances.

Getting hold of one won’t be easy but Toyota is at least taking orders.