Toyota Corolla WRC

Lore & Background

The Toyota Corolla WRC was launched in July 1997 and made its competitive debut at the 1997 Rally Finland with drivers Didier Auriol and Marcus Grönholm. For the 1998 WRC season, double World Rally Champions Carlos Sainz and Luis Moya joined Toyota Team Europe, and the Corolla WRC secured its first victory at the 1998 Monte Carlo Rally. Didier Auriol later won the 1999 China Rally, contributing to Toyota's 1999 manufacturer's title. The car's powertrain consisted of a modified 3S-GTE engine with a water-cooled turbo system producing 299 hp, paired with a four-wheel-drive system sourced from the Toyota Celica GT-Four ST205.

Reader's Guide

The Toyota Corolla WRC holds significance as the car that delivered Toyota its 1999 World Manufacturers' title, marking the company's last rally championship before it stopped participating in rallying to prepare for a switch to Formula One. With four rally victories over its competition life, the Corolla WRC succeeded the Celica Turbo ST205 and represented a shift to a smaller, hatchback-based platform. Its debut at the 1997 Rally Finland with drivers Didier Auriol and Marcus Grönholm set the stage for a competitive run, and the addition of Carlos Sainz and Luis Moya in 1998 brought immediate success with a win at the Monte Carlo Rally. The car's engineering, including its 299 hp turbocharged engine and GT-Four-derived all-wheel-drive system, reflected the peak of World Rally Car regulations in the late 1990s.

Did You Know?

• The Toyota Corolla WRC is based on the E110 version of the Toyota Corolla road car.
• The car won the 1999 World Manufacturers' title.
• Its 4WD system was sourced from the Toyota Celica GT-Four ST205.