Toyota’s Most Expensive Corolla Has No Back Seat

The 2026 GRMN Corolla, the most extreme version of Toyota’s hot hatchback, starts at $64,360 before destination, and only 730 will be built worldwide, every one of them with the rear seat taken out.

The two-seater keeps the regular GR Corolla’s 300-hp turbocharged 1.6-liter three-cylinder, but torque rises by 7 lb-ft to 302 lb-ft, and the engine is tuned to pull harder between 4,000 and 4,600 rpm. It comes only with a close-ratio six-speed manual, and the GR-Four all-wheel-drive system gets tuning exclusive to this model. GRMN-specific monotube shocks, retuned suspension and 18-inch forged wheels in matte bronze wearing 245/40ZR18 Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires round out the chassis changes.

According to AutoGuide, the hood, front fenders and manually adjustable rear wing are all carbon fiber, with an extra duct in the hood, extra vents in the fenders to pull air out of the wheel wells, and front side spoilers. Inside, the GRMN gets semi-bucket seats, a flocked instrument panel and pillar trim to cut down on reflections, carbon trim signed by "Morizo," the racing name of Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda, and a numbered serial plate. Buyers also get a one-year membership in a driving program with on-track instruction. Toyota hasn’t given a weight figure, only saying the car is lighter than a standard GR Corolla.

The cars are built by hand at Toyota’s Motomachi plant in Japan, the same factory that built the Lexus LFA, and deliveries were scheduled to begin in late summer. Toyota is sending them mainly to North America, Japan and Australia but hasn’t said how many of the 730 are coming to the US. Motor1 reported that Toyota expects demand to outstrip supply, so dealers will likely receive cars through an allocation process. With destination, the price comes to $65,655 in the standard Gravel paint, MotorWeek reported, and the darker Zero Gravity color adds $1,645.

That price puts the GRMN far above the regular car, which runs from $41,115 for a base manual to $49,160 for a Premium Plus automatic, according to The Drive. It also lands close to Toyota’s other limited-run send-off, the GR Supra MkV Final Edition, which Kelley Blue Book lists at $69,085 with delivery.

The Toyota Report Take

Taking the back seat out of a four-door hatchback looks odd on paper, but it tells you exactly who this car is for, and that buyer was never going to carry passengers to a track day anyway. The bigger problem is that the GRMN’s improvements are mostly about grip and stiffness, while the engine gets only 7 more lb-ft, so it will be hard to feel $20,000 worth of difference on the street. With only 730 built for the whole world, though, Toyota doesn’t need to convince many people, and the real fight will be with dealer markups rather than with the price on the window sticker.