• The GR Corolla is one of the hottest cars available today, offering a combination of practicality and sporting character for a largely neglected enthusiast market.
• Toyota GAZOO Racing adds a Direct Automatic Transmission (DAT) option to the GR Corolla for 2025 in addition to a handful of other improvements that will widen the car’s appeal.
• The new transmission is an 8-speed unit that promises none of the typical auto box spoils by measuring driver inputs rather than relying on chassis sensors to predict shifting behavior.
• 2025 GR Corolla models will arrive at Toyota dealerships this winter with additional details and pricing to follow.

I already know what you’re thinking. Why are we wasting our time talking about an automatic transmission on an enthusiast-driven page? First things first, the 8-speed box in the 2025 GR Corolla isn’t your standard-issue auto. And secondly, GAZOO Racing’s foundational credo is “pushing the limits for better”. It was created, and still exists today, to create sensational cars for the enthusiast. But I understand your persistent reservations. Even if it’s not your standard fare box, is an automatic transmission really the better way forward?

Admittedly, 99% of the time, I’d still choose a manual gearbox as a driving purist. But I’ll happily remind people that the GT4RS is only available in PDK and is one of the most heralded new cars in recent memory. Maybe it’s time we listen to what GAZOO Racing has to say.

A SPECIAL REQUEST

After a lauded premiere, Akio Toyoda, chairman of Toyota Motor Corporation and accomplished motorsport driver, challenged the GAZOO Racing team to think critically about the evolutionary step for the GR Corolla. The 8-speed Direct Automatic Transmission (DAT) was one of the most notable innovations from the GR squad and it must be special if it passed Morizo’s stringent standards.

The secret sauce behind the DAT’s success is in its software, which has been optimized for sporty driving. Unlike the GR Supra and GR86 automatic transmissions where gear shifting relies on sensing chassis behavior—deceleration g-force and speed—the DAT’s optimized software acutely measures driver inputs (throttle and brake) to predict shifting behavior. Because of this philosophy change, the DAT box is much more adept at anticipating your intentions, whether up or down a gear.

The Toyota GR development team used circuit and rally driving courses to set the DAT’s ratios. The goal was to optimize the DAT shift points—to maximize power and torque delivery—with similar ratios to the 6MT. This evolution solves most of the issues that enthusiasts have with automatic transmissions—the soulless and senseless operation that removes critical intimacy from the driving experience.

A WIDER NET

This 8AT GR Corolla introduction means that the trio of GAZOO Racing cars—86, Corolla, and Supra—have both automatic and manual transmission options. Similar to its automatic counterparts, the DAT allows drivers to focus on their inputs—throttle, brake, and steering—without adding a variable on track. A transmission cooler is fitted as standard, too, with an additional sub-radiator available as an optional extra for Premium grade cars. For others who are getting into the sportscar arena or are new to driving altogether, the new box allows more people to experience just how special the GR Corolla is behind the wheel. As more sportscars go the way of the dodo bird, widening their appeal is a very good thing.

IS THAT ALL?

We’ve focused all of our attention so far on the new DAT but the 2025 GR Corolla has more to offer. Although the G16E-GTS 1.6-liter engine still produces 300hp, it now delivers 295 lb-ft of torque to help power the car through the corners. The torque is complemented by improved cornering traction, thanks to additional rebound springs and revised rear coils and stabilizer bars. The rear suspension geometry has been optimized also, which has contributed to the aforementioned cornering proficiency while also helping reduce rear squat during acceleration.

On the outside, the 2025 GR Corolla has a new front fascia to improve cooling and aerodynamic performance in equal measure. The rework also makes room for the DAT-specific transmission cooler and optional sub-radiator.

THREE TRIMS

The 2025 GR Corolla will be available in three trims: Core, Premium, and Premium Plus. The The last of the list adds standard features that enthusiasts have pined for since the limited-run Morizo Edition was announced—a carbon fiber roof, the beloved vented bulge hood, and matte black wheels to name a few.

FOR DRIVERS

For as much change as there is for 2025, there is one constant that I’m happy to see: a one-year NASA membership and free track day are complimentary with your GR purchase. The NASA x Toyota GR Track Experience program will enter its sixth year in 2025. “The GR Experience has been exceptional for introducing buyers of new GR Supras, GR86s, and GR Corollas to the sheer joy of driving a car on a real racetrack,” said NASA CEO Jeremy Croiset. “NASA instructors are some of the best in the country, and with our emphasis on fun and safety, we hope to show the next generation of Toyota GR owners how they can get the most enjoyment from their cars, and become safer and more competent drivers.”

At the moment, Toyota is doing everything right to deliver products that enthusiasts have been clamoring for but it has also been conscious of where it could break down barriers for prospective “outsiders”. Indeed, the enthusiast car world is a niche within a niche and the car maker—and its motorsport division—understands that without mainstream support, the sportscar as we know it could be hard to justify. So kudos to you, GAZOO Racing, for keeping a pulse on the industry and for making cars that check more than boxes; the entire lineup, including the DAT-equipped GR Corolla, has already won our hearts.

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