Project Car - Toyota Corolla Hatchback

Parting ways with our Toyota Corolla Hatchback project car

- Sam Du

While the Toyota Corolla name has a lot of cool motorsport heritage and Initial D vibes behind it, it hasn’t been a sexy car to talk about in ages. Last year, Toyota relaunched the Corolla with a new hatchback and, quite honestly, the enthusiast community couldn’t have been bothered. It was still a lackluster front-wheel-drive commuter car in the eyes of many, and with a 168hp, 151–lb-ft naturally aspirated 2.0L under the hood, it wasn’t going to get anyone’s adrenaline pumping. Despite all this, we saw some potential. In fact, we were one of the first media outlets to testdrive the car, and it offered a fun-to-drive six-speed manual paired with excellent handling characteristics that far outshined its powertrain. It was also quite the looker compared to Corollas of the past, with a new sleek shape and LED lights all around. So, while many shrugged it off as a disappointment, we accepted the challenge and picked this XSE model up for a one-year loan with the goal of debuting it at the 2018 SEMA Show. Let’s just say, the results surpassed all our expectations, as it became one of the most viewed, shared, and talked about Super Street feat