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The GR Corolla packs more than just a different powertrain relative to its standard-issue hatchback sibling.

The 2023 Toyota GR Corolla not only packs the most powerful punch of any variant of the Japanese automaker's compact car, but it also features the most aggressive design cues of any Corolla sold today. Wide fenders, a menacing front fascia, and GR Corolla–specific wheels are only the tip of the iceberg that separates Toyota's hottest hatch from its more plebeian Corolla sibling. Check out the major design features that will set the 2023 GR Corolla apart.

All the Details on the GR Corolla

The GR Corolla isn't just notably more powerful than your run-of-the-mill Corolla, it's also a good deal wider. Like 2.4 inches wider than the Corolla hatchback it's based on. The car's swollen fenders make room for a set of 15-spoke 18-inch wheels wrapped in 235-millimeter-wide Michelin Pilot Sport 4 rubber.

Toyota fits the GR Corolla with a mean-looking mug that includes a large lower grille opening to feed air to the turbo triple.

The GR Corolla's fat front fenders incorporate functional vents that, along with the car's other exterior upgrades, help "support steering stability," Toyota says.

The GR Corolla comes in Core and Circuit Edition versions. If you opt for the Circuit Edition, Toyota fits its hot hatch with a bulging hood that includes a pair of vents. Core models do without this bit of kit.

Another feature limited to the GR Corolla Circuit Edition is a forged carbon-fiber roof. Along with lessening the car's mass, the carbon-fiber roof panel also helps lower the GR Corolla's center of gravity. Regardless, both Core and Circuit Edition models benefit from a number of weight-saving measures, including the use of aluminum for the hood and front door panels.

As any social media influencer will tell you, life is all about promoting your personal brand. As such, every GR Corolla includes rocker panels stamped with the term "GR-Four." The former is a reference to Gazoo Racing (the GR in GR Corolla, as well as GR86 and GR Supra), while the latter lets passersby know this little Corolla sends its 300 horses to all four wheels.

It's not quite as enormous as the one fitted to the previous-gen Honda Civic Type R, but the rear wing on the GR Corolla Circuit Edition is still plenty big.

Core models, meanwhile, make do with a subtler lip spoiler.

Poking out of the GR Corolla's bespoke rear fascia is a model-specific triple-pipe exhaust system. Toyota claims the setup is designed to reduce backpressure and improve exhaust efficiency. More important, it looks totally rad.

Things are more subtle inside of the GR Corolla. Still, the car's interior separates itself from the rest of the Corolla pack by way of its distinct steering wheel, front bucket seats, and 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster, among other things.

While four-cylinder Toyota Corolla sedan and hatchback models employ a compact electronically operated parking brake, the racy GR Corolla features a chunky mechanical lever. In other words, it ought to be a breeze to do your best impression of a World Rally Championship driver and Scandinavian flick this high-horsepower Corolla through turns.