Toyota Corolla vs GR Yaris: From Cult Compact to Rally Legend

Bad Bunny swapped his $3 million Bugatti Chiron for a $10,000 2003 Toyota Corolla. Meanwhile, Akio Toyoda admits if it were up to him, Toyota would only sell GR Yaris and GR Corolla models. Two anecdotes that sum up why the Corolla remains one of the most versatile cars on the planet.

"If we only built what I love, it would be nothing but GR Corollas and GR Yarises." — Akio Toyoda, President of Toyota, during a visit to Fuji Speedway

Bad Bunny, Bugatti, and the Corolla Lesson

The Puerto Rican rapper owned a Bugatti Chiron Sport — with its 8.0-liter W16 engine, 1,479 hp, limited to just 500 units worldwide. A machine worth more than an apartment building in most neighborhoods of Puerto Rico. Except in Puerto Rico, it was the island's only Bugatti. Result: impossible to make a trip to the supermarket without blocking traffic and getting swarmed by 50 smartphones.

According to Automobile Magazine, Bad Bunny bought his 2003 Corolla long before the fame — before the Grammy Awards, before the Super Bowl, before the streaming records. 1.8-liter 4-cylinder engine with 130 hp, market value between $5,000 and $10,000. A sedan that nobody looks twice at on the street. And that's exactly why he kept it.

The Chiron is gone. The Corolla stayed. That might be the best marketing argument Toyota never paid for — and it cost them zero euros.

What Toyota's President Really Wants to Build

Akio Toyoda doesn't just drive from behind a desk. Under the pseudonym "Morizo," he's been racing at the 24 Hours of Nürburgring since 2007 with the Gazoo Racing team. At 69, he's still behind the wheel in competition. When an engineer asked him what Toyota considers a "good car," the answer was blunt: only GR Corollas and GR Yarises.

Gazoo Racing has just been spun off into a sub-brand dedicated to performance models. And rumors are swirling about a new Celica in the works — American dealers have even reportedly seen it behind the scenes, according to Motor1 France. The same exchange at Fuji Speedway saw Toyoda encourage a young engineer dreaming of creating a V10 hypercar in the spirit of the LFA.

The GR Yaris: The Most Serious Compact on the Market

The GR Yaris deserves a close look. 1.6-liter turbocharged three-cylinder with 261 hp, all-wheel drive inherited from rallying. Compared to the Mini JCW GP and its 306 hp sent entirely to the front wheels, the Toyota chooses efficiency over spectacle. The chassis stays glued to the road, the steering communicates, and the all-wheel drive lets physics guide you rather than fighting it.

According to Automag.fr, the two were pitted against each other in the Pyrenees and at the Pau Arnos circuit. The Mini JCW GP has the heart of a BMW 2.0-liter engine and more raw power. But the GR Yaris is a car built to win in the WRC — not to impress on paper.

The GR Yaris Rally1 is currently tearing up the WRC with Sébastien Ogier at the wheel. The former world champion, number 1 on the car, returned to his seat at the Safari Rally Kenya after a break in Sweden. Facing him: Hyundai with Esapekka Lappi and M-Sport with its young drivers. The Safari is rocks, mud, and unpredictability — the environment where the GR Yaris Rally1 was designed to thrive.

What's the Real Fuel Economy of the Corolla Hybrid?

The Corolla Hybrid claims 4.4 L/100 km in the combined cycle according to Polish data for the 2026 model with 138 hp. In the real world, with highway driving and restless kids in the back, expect more like 5 to 6 liters. Still, it's the best-selling plug-in hybrid in Spain with 20,833 units registered in 2025 according to Motor.es — ahead of all the Chinese hybrids flooding in.