Louis-Philippe Dubé and Gabriel Gélinas share their driving impressions on the 2023 Toyota GR Corolla and 2023 Audi R8 GT on the latest episode of The Car Guide Podcast
LP drove the 2023 Toyota GR Corolla on the Vancouver Island Motorsport Circuit for the first time. This new extreme Corolla is offered in three trims. Its Core and Circuit trims are powered by a 3-cylinder, 1.6-litre turbocharged engine with an output of 300 horsepower and 273 lb-ft of torque. Both channel the power to all four wheels thanks to an exclusive 6-speed manual gearbox. The third variant is a limited-edition Morizo model. This one uses a recalibrated ECU that injects 22 lb-ft of additional torque. It is also lighter and sport unique features. Only 200 Morizo units will be made.
LP underlines the particularly dynamic character of the GR Corolla and the fact that the GT Four system makes everything more fun by changing the all-wheel drive system’s calibration on the go.
He concludes by saying that the 3-cylinder’s reliability could be a problem. But we’ll have to see in the years to come.
As for Gab, he drove what could be qualified as one of the last V10-powered vehicles in the industry, the 2023 Audi R8 GT. Only 333 examples will be built for the global market.
Gab was particularly fond of the “Torque Rear” feature, which modulates the traction control and electronic stability control systems to allow drifts and slides according to seven levels of intervention.
Listen to LP and Gab’s full impressions on The Car Guide Podcast EP5
Listen to the full episode here:
Keyword: The Car Guide Podcast: 2023 Toyota GR Corolla and 2023 Audi R8 GT Test Drives