GR Corolla vs GR Yaris. Where did the extra 43 horsepower come from?

Only three cylinders?

However, this aggressive group comes with an unusual engine: G16E-GTS. Three-cylinder in-line turbocharged engine with a height of more than 1,600 cm³ Probably will not be the first choice to equip a hot hatch Of this caliber – potential competitors like Volkswagen Golf R.resorts to larger blocks of four cylinders with a capacity of 2.0 liters.

But despite the lack of cylinders and displacement, we’ve already seen the potential of these angry triple cylinders in the GR Yaris – which you can remember in the video below – and so we know that despite their small size, the “firepower” is all there and even recommends.

But the Corolla GR is larger and heavier – 1474 kg against 1355 kg (US), practically 120 kg more – which is why the engineers at Toyota Gazoo Racing Focus on extracting more power from the G16E-GTS to compensate for the extra ballast.

Results? A significant increase in power of 43 hp, rising from 261 hp in the GR Yaris to 304 hp in the GR Corolla.

The Corolla’s advertised 304 hp engine is still the most powerful three-cylinder in the world, ‘stealing’ the title from the GR Yaris – this while Giant little friend from Koenigsegg Gemerawith 600 horsepower extracted from a small 2.0-liter engine.

The added power also gives the GR Corolla a slightly more favorable power-to-weight ratio than the GR Yaris: 4.84 kg/hp versus 5.19 kg/hp.

Other numbers to highlight? Not only is the very high output of 188 hp/litre, but the fact that each cylinder of the G16E-GTS in the GR Corolla delivers more than 100 hp puts it on par with… Bugatti Chiron W16 Quad Turbo!

The truth is that there aren’t many engines that exceed these numbers and when they are, they are more likely to power exotic machines than “simple” ones. hot hatch An exceptional exception as well AMG M 139 – , which shows how unique the G16E-GTS is.

How did they add 43 hp?

Well … “cutting it up” will not be enough. Modifications to the G16E-GTS went further, not only to continue to comply with anti-pollution and anti-noise standards, but also to ensure the durability and mechanical reliability that Toyota is known for. And more in a machine that was made to be “misused.”

These modifications are not visible as we can see in the table below. Everything seems to remain the same between the two versions of the three cylinders, except for the power and torque values.

Toyota also didn’t “help” much with the “identify differences” exercise, but promised to provide more detailed information as the GR Corolla nears for sale in North America. However, we already know a few things.

The main “suspect” of increased power must always pass through a turbocharger. The GR Corolla appears to come with the same ball-bearing turbo built into the GR Yaris exhaust manifolds, but according to Toyota Gazoo Racing for Top Gear, the boost pressure is 10% higher. Now knowing that the GR Yaris has a pressure of 1.4 bar, the GR Corolla should be around 1.54 bar.

It didn’t stop there. The G16E-GTS GR Corolla gains new, stronger pistons thanks to a premium alloy (unmarked). The exhaust valves have also grown, reinforced and supplemented with stiffer springs. The oil cooler has also been upgraded to better handle the new numbers.

to finish this cocktail We have the three-pipe exhaust system, which is a topic we’ve already covered in Cause of Cars – follow the link below. This allows a lower back pressure of the exhaust gases, which improves the “breathing” of the three cylinders and contributes to increased power.

What remains the same?

Like the GR Yaris, the three-cylinder GR Corolla has oil-cooled pistons, hollow camshafts, partially automated intake ports and dual fuel injection systems (direct and indirect injection).

The truth is that the starting point for the GR Corolla engine was, in and of itself, quite high and if Toyota decided to keep it as is, I don’t think anyone would criticize it.

But they didn’t miss the opportunity to continue exploring the potential of this great little engine which, although still very recent, promises to be one of the biggest – Finally? – Contract combustion engines.