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Bean · (This post was last modified: 04-08-2022 09:39 PM by Bean.)

What's everyone's thoughts?

It's seems similarly fun as the GR Yaris but a bit more practical with the 4 doors and slightly longer size.

There's no price tag just yet from what I could find but I guess it'll be slightly more expensive than the Yaris.

Personally I'm very intrigued by both models as well as the new Z for that matter but either will remain a dream considering I have too many cars half way around the globe as it is already and I can't really justify buying a car here as I live downtown and traffic is amongst the worst in the world.

Anyway I do like the direction Mr. Toyoda is going for even if I think it very well might be kind of a farewell present to all the petrol enthusiasts before leaving it all behind.

Power_uP · 04-08-2022, 10:32 PM

It's a good direction for the company, but it's not something I would ever want to buy. It's the type of car that would be fun to experience for one weekend and then hand it back and return to the reality of owning a mundane old 1.3 Corolla. Sadly with the current fuel prices, its unlikely that many people could afford to run a GR Toyota anyway. But I agree that Akio is doing the right thing.

Bean · 04-09-2022, 12:53 PM

Well, just because it carries the Corolla name that doesn't mean it's your everyday commuter. I'm comparing it more to that fun toy (like an Elise). Those who can afford something like that will also be able to cope with the current fuel price (which won't last forever either).

At the end of the day I do think that combustion engines won't be around for too much longer (not talking about few years though either) anyway.

It'll be interesting to see what comes next now that Toyota is heavily invested in solid state batteries. I hope they will continue the current trend and keep making fun cars even if they are electric.

**banpei** · 04-09-2022, 03:38 PM

I love the concept and that Toyota actually is following the "fun to drive" motto again. However I think they are 7 years too late: the Focus and Fiesta RS did the exact same thing 7 years ago. Also with the current fuel prices the timing might be similar like the big announcement of the second generation Skyline GT-R. Nobody was waiting for a heavy fuel consuming car, which made it incredibly rare.

(04-09-2022 12:53 PM)Bean Wrote: At the end of the day I do think that combustion engines won't be around for too much longer (not talking about few years though either) anyway.

Here in the Netherlands starting from 2023 the whole VW group stops selling diesel powered cars. The usual buyers for these cars used to be people who raked up many many kilometers per year and for them (even non-lease drivers) it doesn't make sense anymore. So there is now a big shift going on to abandon diesel. I think the same might happen with petrol once either hydrogen cars or solid-state batteries become mainstream. Then for the people who do less driving it will be worth switching.

Bean · 04-10-2022, 10:12 AM

I just realized that the GR Corolla isn't coming to Europe anyway.

Banning Diesel so soon, wow - didn't know that. I was aware that the EU wants to ban new combustion engine sales in the mid 30s. With that said I wonder how long fuel in general will be available for those of us with old cars.

I don't disagree with the goal of going electric, unfortunately I haven't seen a fun to drive electric car yet at an affordable price. Same goes for people who need to cover big distances on a regular basis.
So far in my opinion the electric market only covers the commuter and supercars.

**banpei** · 04-10-2022, 12:51 PM

(04-10-2022 10:12 AM)Bean Wrote: Banning Diesel so soon, wow - didn't know that. I was aware that the EU wants to ban new combustion engine sales in the mid 30s. With that said I wonder how long fuel in general will be available for those of us with old cars.

It's not like we're banning diesels, it's more that diesels fail to attract any substantial demand. So VW decides not to sell them anymore.
Another reason for diesels to disappear is that older diesels aren't allowed in environmental zones. My dad's 2004 diesel isn't allowed to drive into Amsterdam anymore, so he had to buy a new car.

Quote:I don't disagree with the goal of going electric, unfortunately I haven't seen a fun to drive electric car yet at an affordable price. Same goes for people who need to cover big distances on a regular basis.
So far in my opinion the electric market only covers the commuter and supercars.

I agree with that. The "fun" electric cars are all priced ridiculously high. Even the new Kia EV6 GT is in Tesla price range. Maybe time for Toyota to bring out the new MR2 in electric form?

Power_uP · (This post was last modified: 04-10-2022 05:30 PM by Power_uP.)

EU laws are a mystery to me. but the UK is banning diesel and petrol sales entirely in 2030 (I always hear that and think "oh, that's half past 8"). That's probably going to affect any decisions to develop internal combustion engines any further.

I know this is off topic, but I'm going to make a further prediction about "fun" cars. I suspect that in a few years, there will be proposals to ban cars that aren't autonomous too. So what the hell are all the software devs going to buy when the Nissan GT-R is banned for not being autonomous?