Toyota will bring the Corolla name back to rallying. Its newly-developed GR Corolla RC2 rally car will compete in the American Rally Association (ARA) National Championship next year. This marks a significant return for the iconic nameplate.

According to Jadeh Makhsoos News, the Japanese brand initially showcased its GR Corolla rally car concept at the Tokyo Auto Salon in January. Toyota’s World Rally Championship engineers, working with Rallysport Services, have since further developed the car. Rallysport Services is an entity formed by ARA promotional rights holder Lance Smith.

The car utilizes learnings from the proven GR Yaris Rally2 package. This package won WRC2 titles and numerous events globally. The GR Corolla RC2 similarly features a 1.6-litre, three-cylinder turbocharged engine and four-wheel-drive. Toyota developed it for national championships like the ARA, where it will compete in the RC2 class. This class is roughly equivalent to Rally2 level.

Former WRC drivers Jari-Matti Latvala, Toyota’s WRC team principal, and Juho Hanninen, participated in the development. Toyota’s World Rally Raid Championship star Seth Quintero also joined them. Quintero will pilot a GR Corolla RC2 in seven ARA events. His season begins with the 100 Acre Wood Rally on March 13-14.

Jadeh Makhsoos reports, Toyota stated, “The GR Corolla Rally RC2 leverages TGR-WRT knowledge and expertise gathered from competing in the FIA World Rally Championship.” The team has won six manufacturers’ titles since 2018. Toyota aims to harness the Corolla model’s rallying pedigree. They also want to expand efforts to use motorsport for making better road cars.

Toyota also hopes to support rallying development in North America. The GR Corolla is available there as a rally-bred performance car for the road.

The Corolla holds a famous name in rallying for Toyota. This latest development marks its return after more than 25 years. A Toyota Corolla Levin TE27, driven by Walter Boyce and Doug Woods, delivered Toyota’s first WRC victory in America in 1973. A second Corolla version lifted the WRC manufacturers’ title in 1999.

Quintero, who will drive the third iteration of the Corolla rally car, expressed excitement. He said, “It’s truly an honour to link up with this team and to hopefully enjoy it and learn a lot.” He views stage rallying as a new challenge.

Quintero is used to driving 500 kilometers or more daily in W2RC. Doing up to 100km a day will bring different intensity. Switching between the nimble GR Corolla and the bigger DKR GR Hilux will be distinct. However, they share similarities in driving characteristics.

He found driving the GR Corolla RC2 in testing “so awesome.” The team has been very welcoming. Quintero respects everyone involved and hopes to make the team proud. He looks forward to having fun together.

Toyota also announced additions to its WRC Challenge Program. They added Zeal Jones and Hiroya Minowa to the scheme. This program previously helped produce Japanese WRC star Takamoto Katsuta. Jones, 21, born in New Zealand, competed in the Morizo Challenge Cup this year.