SONOMA, Calif., Sept. 25, 2025 — Toyota Motor North America today put a price on the 2026 GR Corolla and kept a clutch in the book. The company declared the GR Corolla with the six-speed Intelligent Manual Transmission starts at $39,920, excluding a Dealer Processing and Handling fee of $1,195. The eight-speed automatic on the same grade is listed at $41,920. The cars are expected to arrive at Toyota dealerships this fall. The official notice is here.
Two Grades. Two Pedal Counts.
The factory printed two grades: GR Corolla and GR Corolla Premium Plus. Each grade is sold with either an eight-speed GAZOO Racing Direct Automatic Transmission, which the company calls DAT, or a six-speed Intelligent Manual Transmission, which the company calls iMT. The iMT, Toyota said, incorporates rev-matching technology that automatically adjusts engine speed on downshifts.
This correspondent read the official price table. The clutch is the cheaper ticket on both grades. GR Corolla Base AT, model 6280, is $41,920. GR Corolla Base MT, model 6281, is $39,920. GR Corolla Premium Plus AT, model 6286, is $47,965. GR Corolla Premium Plus MT, model 6287, is $45,965. All four figures exclude the $1,195 Dealer Processing and Handling fee. All prices are subject to change, the company said.
The Clutch the Regular Hatch Does Not Print
The 2027 Corolla Hatchback official kit lists one transmission: a Dynamic Shift continuously variable unit. This machine is the sport hatch that still prints three pedals. Toyota printed both a three-pedal iMT and an eight-speed DAT for the 2026 GR Corolla. The manual is cheaper on the base grade and cheaper on Premium Plus, as the table shows.
Three Cylinders and Rally Drive
The 2026 GR Corolla is powered by a turbocharged G16E-GTS 1.6 liter 3-cylinder turbo engine. The company listed 300 horsepower at 6,500 rpm and 295 pound-feet of torque. A new secondary air intake duct, Toyota said, helps optimize temperatures. The body receives 45.6 feet of additional structural adhesive in the front and rear sections.
At the heart of the car is the GR-FOUR All-Wheel-Drive system. With a dial the driver selects Normal, Gravel or Track. Normal adjusts front/rear torque distribution to 60:40. Gravel adjusts it to 50:50. Track varies distribution from 60:40 front-focused to 30:70 rear-focused. Front and rear Torsen limited-slip differentials are standard. DAT models also carry launch control, intended for track driving, the company said.
What Premium Plus Adds
The GR Corolla is listed with a bulge hood and functional gloss-black air vents, a color-keyed spoiler, gloss black 15-spoke cast alloy wheels, and Brin Naub suede-trimmed sport seats with grey stitching. Premium Plus, the company said, adds a forged carbon fiber roof, a gloss black rear spoiler, matte black 15-spoke cast alloy wheels, Brin Naub suede-trimmed sport seats with red stitching, and a Head-up Display. A sub-radiator is standard on Premium Plus. An automatic transmission fluid cooler is standard on DAT models.
Premium Plus now carries a nine-speaker JBL Premium Sound System, including a subwoofer in the luggage compartment, with Active Sound Control. Behind the wheel sits a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster. The center screen is an eight-inch Toyota Audio Multimedia system. Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 is standard.
The Clutch-Only Sibling
A later official kit, dated July 29, 2026, from Plano, Texas, priced the 2026 GRMN Corolla at $64,360. That machine prints a six-speed iMT only. The company listed 300 horsepower at 6,500 rpm, 302 pound-feet of torque, two seats, and a curb weight of 3,218.7 pounds. Production is limited to 730 units globally. This dispatch concerns the priced GR Corolla that still offers a choice of clutch or DAT.
The Ticket and the Guarantee
- GR Corolla Base AT (model 6280): $41,920 MSRP
- GR Corolla Base MT (model 6281): $39,920 MSRP
- GR Corolla Premium Plus AT (model 6286): $47,965 MSRP
- GR Corolla Premium Plus MT (model 6287): $45,965 MSRP
- Dealer Processing and Handling: $1,195, excluded from those figures
- Engine as printed: turbocharged G16E-GTS 1.6 liter 3-cylinder; 300 hp at 6,500 rpm; 295 lb-ft
- Transmissions as printed: eight-speed GAZOO Racing DAT or six-speed iMT with rev-matching
- Warranty as printed: 36 months/36,000 miles basic; 60 months/60,000 miles powertrain; 60 months corrosion, no mileage limit
- ToyotaCare: scheduled maintenance and 24-hour roadside assistance for two years or 25,000 miles, whichever comes first
Sources: Toyota USA Newsroom, “Conquer Every Corner in the 2026 Toyota GR Corolla,” Sept. 25, 2025, pressroom.toyota.com; Toyota USA Newsroom, “2026 Toyota GRMN Corolla: Built for Drivers, Inspired by Motorsports,” July 29, 2026, updated Aug. 5, 2026.
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