Yahoo Autos The 2025 Toyota GR Corolla DAT in Words, Pictures and Emotions
What I *really* need is a fun little sports car to dream about. The world is filled with fun cars, cars that make you giggle, cars that make you feel great, cars that keep you comfortable and safe, cars that delight every sense. Do you really need another one? Do you really need the 2025 Toyota GR Corolla DAT?
But when a car allows you to boil it all down to you, the wheel and the road, well, it’ll turn your head. That’s the Toyota GR Corolla, a familiar, comfy 4-door hatchback that feels comfortable on the street but will raise your heartbeat on the right roads.
Breaking Down the Name: Toyota GR Corolla DAT
It’s a bit complicated. Not long ago, Toyota retooled the Corolla, updating it with a more sculpted front end, flared fenders and the option of an elegant sedan or a hatchback version.
Enthusiasts loved the hatchback for its easy, agile drive and for its unboring design with a hatchback that pops a bit from the car’s frame. So, Toyota sent it over to Gazoo Racing to add even more to love: more flare to the fenders, sport tuning, sport wheels, air vents, a unique front grille, a front bumper with more engine cooling components and a rear diffuser.
Read: 2023 Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid Reveiw: Cute, Fun and Affordable
The GR Corolla, a Manual-Only Hatchback
This became known as the GR Corolla, and it endeared itself to sport hatchback fans who love its size, the balanced feel and the low center of gravity that puts you front and center with the road. And, for having a manual transmission, standard. Or really, only.
Read: Can A Performance Car Be Practical, Too? The 2024 Honda Civic Type R
Adding to the Appeal: An Automatic Transmission
That the Toyota GR Corolla only came in a manual was sort of counter intuitive: most cars come with an automatic, so a manual-only model was a surprise.
But as we all know, as much fun and as satisfying as a manual can be, it isn’t for everyone. And honestly, automatics can be faster and more fun than a manual.
A Better Automatic For Sport Driving
So Toyota added an automatic: The Toyota GR Corolla DAT, priced from $38,850 to $45,515. The DAT transmission (a $2,000 upgrade) isn’t just any transmission; it’s designed and engineered for track and sport driving. Generating 300 HP and 295 lb.-ft. of torque, it has standard all wheel drive, noted by the GR Four designation on the lower rocker panels.The transmission is optimized for efficiency of speed and shifting more than fuel efficiency (though, you can choose that in the drive mode selector if you’d like).
How Does The DAT Feel? A Misty-eyed First Drive
We took the Toyota GR Corolla DAT out on the track at the Charlotte Motor Speedway, and being there on this world-class NASCAR track flooded me with nostalgia. I grew up in Charlotte where NASCAR is a home-grown passion. Just being there is special; being at this track is magical.
But taking the GR Corolla DAT around the track welled up more than just emotions. It made my stomach a little queasy.
Driving Across a Concrete Wall Is Unnerving
We got behind the wheel of the GR Corolla DATs on the track and proceeded out for a parade lap, the first lap any driver takes on a track. We headed out along the stands and, at a slow speed behind other drivers, my queasiness eased.
Until the bank came into view. I could see the cars ahead of me climb to the middle of the track, banked at 24 degrees, a slope that would take all your might to climb on foot. Our lead driver, talking to us on radios, advised we stay in the middle of the track and not go too high toward the wall. I didn’t need to be told that; the higher, the scarier.
Getting Out of My Comfort Zone… On a Track?
We were driving about 35 MPH, a speed that amplifies the feeling of being on the bank. I was grateful to come out of the arc and back down to flat track, through a couple of quick turns and then…. we again rounded another bank, this one on the track’s back turn.
And then, the lap was over. I’d done it. I knew next time around, a higher speed would make the experience feel less frightening. Our pro driver advised we keep our speed under 85 MPH. No problem there, I thought.
Launch Control Gives You a Head Start
Finally… Conquering the Track, and the Bank
Launch Control propelled the GR Corolla DAT out onto the track and I was quickly into the first few turns and then, coming into the bank. The queasiness returned. I knew I needed to get my speed up, even if just to get this over with quickly. With steady pressure on the accelerator, I pointed the Corolla toward the center of the cones on the track and flew through perfectly. Phew.
A few quick turns through the mid-track cones and I quickly approached the banked back turn on the track, again crossing the middle of the track quickly.
Tracking the GR Corolla in Manual Transmission
After a few laps in the DAT, it was time to try the manual version on the track — I was surprised Toyota brought manuals, but glad, because I really like driving a stick shift.
But also, worried: a manual adds a layer of complication, especially on the track. Until you’ve gained some experience, it can be hard to know which gear is ideal; second can be too limiting, 3rd can be underpowered.
Ultimately, though, it’s fun; once in the swing of hitting the right gear for each curve and corner I could lean in a little more and just drive. The easy clutch and natural shift positions made shifting gears easy and hitting fourth gear on the banked turns felt really good.
How the DAT Measures Up to Manual
After a few laps in the manual, I returned to the DAT again to see which one allowed me to go faster. I’m a skilled manual driver but not a professional, so my time and speed in the DAT were faster than the manual. As much as I enjoy the manual, if speed and efficiency are the goal, the DAT is the way to go. It knows what it’s doing without hesitation the way I might when trying to decide, second gear or third?
Hitting 85 MPH…Finally!
The grand irony on a track like the Charlotte Motor Speedway is the scariest part of the roadway, the bank, is also where you’ll go the fastest, which is also the scariest part of a lap.
There’s a lot to pay attention to: the road, in our case, the cones, and of course, the engine’s speed. In the DAT you don’t have a lot of control over engine speed the way you do in the manual. I noticed when flooring the accelerator on the bank the tachometer redlined, or really, hit its limit; the engine’s speed wouldn’t increase until the transmission changed gears.
Clearly, it didn’t slow me down. A quick glance at the driver display showed my speed topping 85, maybe 87 (oops), as I flew through the cones that outlined my lane through the center of the track. And it felt great.
Winding Down With the Manual GR Corolla
We ended the day driving back to our hotel; I was assigned a Toyota GR Corolla manual to make the mostly highway trek, and this made me happy. The leatherette interior is comfortable and feels sophisticated; head up display on our fully-loaded Premium Plus model let me keep my eyes on the road. There was traffic, but it didn’t bother me. There were traffic lights, and those didn’t bother me, either.
It’s nice to be in a car that makes you feel completely in charge, close to the road, to really experience the drive. Even if don’t really need another fun little sports car to dream about.
More must-reads:
