Can Toyota Save Internal Combustion? Racing a Hydrogen-Powered GR Corolla!!!

Watch this first-look of Keiichi Tsuchiya and friends sending it on Tsukuba Circuit in the experimental hydrogen-powered GR Corolla!

With alternative fuels just around the corner, there’s been various experiments over the years to perfect this emerging technology. And Toyota consistently pioneered many of these advances, including hydrogen-powered combustion engines. In fact, Toyota laid their Fuel Cell Vehicle (FCV) foundation way back in 1992. And now, with three decades’ experience, they again pushed the envelope with Gazoo Racing’s latest creation: a hydrogen-powered GR Corolla. Normally, hydrogen engines feature relatively low power figures due to their poor room-temperature energy content. But Gazoo Racing, in typical Toyota fashion, defied all prior expectations and made a blisteringly fast hot-hatch with more power than the gasoline engine variant.

That all said, how the heck did Toyota do it? Let’s take a look under the hood in this video (Japanese) by Japan’s Best MOTORing Magazine (Besmo), featuring no fewer than three incredible drivers. We have Super GT driver Nobuteru Taniguchi, Super Taikyu driver Masahiro Sasaki, and the Drift King himself, Keiichi Tsuchiya.

Hydrogen-Power, Slam-Shifting, Hot Hatches, and Racing Legends, Oh My!

The general trend within popular automotive culture’s been a steady move towards increasing automation and economy. Toyota themselves helmed this with the Prius effectively popularizing hybrid technology, for example. Then you have the 2014 Mirai, the first widely-available FCV on the market. Now, no one’s saying that improved efficiency and clean-burning technology’s a bad thing. But sometimes you just have an itch that only a proper hot-hatch can scratch. Well, Gazoo Racing essentially looked at the issue and said, “Why not both?” From that, we have this experimental Corolla. It utilizes the engine from a GR Yaris converted to run on hydrogen. According to the R&D team, GR selected this engine due to its light weight and overbuilt nature allowing it to accept high power loads.

Just how high, though? Well, they aimed to produce as much as the standard 272PS of the regular GR Yaris. What they ended up with, however, cranked out 304PS. That’s an eye-watering 300 horsepower. In a Yaris, powered by hydrogen. Yes, really. GR accomplished this through a combination of high boost, advanced injector technology, and straight-up Toyota black magic. And according to the drivers, it’s an absolute riot to drive. GR designed this test-bed with the enthusiast in mind. That means stiff and nimble suspension, wide tires, and of course, a 6-speed manual gearbox. All that in a package whose only exhaust is odorless water vapor. It’s no wonder that the car put an ear-to-ear smile on DK Tsuchiya’s face.

A Time Attack Between the Past and Future

Since GR lifted the engine from a Yaris, it’s only appropriate to weigh the hydrogen Corolla against one. And it weighs a lot. The Corolla tips the scales at 1700kg, about 3750 pounds. That said, the increased power makes up for it in places, but the drivers note the relatively sluggish acceleration from the weight. Still, that remains about the only complaint any of the three had about the Corolla. Granted, the car ran in a widebody Super Taikyu configuration. But given the weight disadvantage, the final time’s impressive nonetheless. Among the three, the fastest sits at 1:03.072, driven by Sasaki.

And more importantly, the overall package significantly impressed the veteran drivers’ outlook on the future. In DK Tsuchiya’s words, he candidly views EV’s as “useful but boring.” But he notes how similarly this Corolla is to the equivalent gas-powered car and what that represents to him. Regarding the Corolla’s engine, he notes that “the car must have this exhaust note,” and “this is what a car should be, yeah?” High praise from automotive royalty, indeed. In Sasaki’s words, the car proves that “(there is) a future for us car lovers.” And following his record run, Besmo commented, “(Sasaki’s) run proves that the sports car has a bright future ahead.”

Facing an uncertain future with dull econoboxes overtaking our roads, it’s a welcome comfort to know that gearheads aren’t left behind. Not only that, but we’re receiving some of the most cutting-edge technology on the horizon. After all, with a car that looks, sounds, and feels like a gasoline-powered manual hot hatch but with zero emissions, what’s not to love about that?

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M.C. Cuccio

I've been an automotive aficionado since I had baby teeth. My path was set when I first leaned on my grandfather's classic Porsche as I learned how to walk. One of my first memories was my mother sitting me behind the wheel of her Pontiac and talking me through the instrumentation and controls. Even though I was a mere three or four years old, I was instantly sold, and filled notebooks with technical drawings, sketches, and collections of manuals of all sorts of cars. I've actively tracked developments in automotive and motorsport technology for well over 20 years, and pride myself on being intimately familiar with the functions and history of a wide range of vehicles.

My primary goal as a writer and enthusiast is to equally learn and share what I've learned in a constructive and interesting way. I maintain connections with people from around the world and can read technical manuals in Italian, Japanese, and Spanish, granting me access to a wide array of resources. My primary focuses are deep-dives into historical topics, motorsport discussion, and learning about the complex mechanical elements of such vehicles. As such, my research is never perfect; as anyone into cars will attest, the more you learn about cars, the more you realize how little you actually know. Therefore, I always welcome fresh knowledge and corrections to help me better my work in the future.