Latest news with #hotHatch
Auto Express
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Auto Express
Toyota GR Corolla to be built in the UK, but British buyers still can't have one
In an effort to keep on top of increasing demand for the hot GR Corolla, Toyota has announced the car will be built at its Burnaston plant in Derbyshire. There had been hopes the GR Corolla would become the fourth fully-fledged GR product to go on sale in the UK, after the GR Supra, GR86 and the GR Yaris, but Toyota has given no indication that it'll be added to the line-up. Advertisement - Article continues below The decision to bring GR Corolla production to the UK makes more sense when you factor in the car's long waiting lists in the US, plus increasing dealer mark-ups as a result of strong demand. The GR Yaris and GR86 both experienced high demand during their initial launches in 2022, with spots on waiting lists being sold for sums that reached four figures. Taking the slack off Toyota's Motomachi plant in Japan where the GR Corolla, GR Yaris and GR86 are manufactured, the Burnaston factory already exports 85 per cent of its production overseas and recently celebrated its five millionth car – a Corolla GR Sport Hatchback hybrid. The GR Corolla has had hot hatch enthusiasts excited since it was revealed in 2022. It uses the same three-cylinder 1.6-litre turbocharged engine as the 276bhp GR Yaris, but tuned to 295bhp. Like the GR Yaris, power goes to all four wheels through a torque vectoring system, and there's even been a choice of automatic or six-speed manual transmissions. Toyota says that preparations for the hot hatch's production line have been in place since 2024, although we expect the GR Corolla will be made on the same line as the standard car with new tooling added for the changes in bodywork and powertrain. Toyota says the first UK-built GR Corolla will roll off the factory floor in 2026. Commenting on the GR Corolla's production move, Yoshihiro Nakata, CEO of Toyota Motor Europe said: 'We are proud that TMUK, our first plant in Europe, has also been selected as the first overseas Toyota plant to produce GR vehicles in securing this expansion project for TGR worldwide. 'We really appreciate the historical support and recognition of the United Kingdom and would like to continue to contribute to UK society as a 'Best In Town' company.' Latest Toyota Corolla deals Now take a look at the best hot hatchbacks you can buy in the UK...
Top Gear
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Top Gear
VW boss: electric ID.2 GTI is "a monster", e-Golf GTI here by 2030
Hot Hatch "I think we're going to surprise you with this car," said boss Thomas Schaeffer Skip 12 photos in the image carousel and continue reading The hotly anticipated electric GTI is the car VW boss has dubbed 'a monster". Speaking to Schaeffer confirmed the ID.2 GTI will kick off the next GTI generation with proper fizz. 'I think we're going to surprise you with this car. [It'll be a] journey. We'll start the whole group of GTI that we bring through with ID.2 GTI.' The GTI isn't planned until next year and details are sparse, though we know a Golf will follow at the end of the decade. Advertisement - Page continues below We also already knew the boss and a few other execs had driven prototypes, and the thing pretty much exists - at least, virtually. 'Oh yeah, we have the designs already ready [virtually]. We know what the vehicle looks like, the dimensions of the platform and the vehicle are clear.' Along with a shiny new platform, Schaefer confirmed LFP batteries will replace the lithium-ion NMC batteries currently in use. While LFP chemistry isn't as energy-dense, it is considered safer. You might like The fact they're locally produced batteries - manufactured at VW's gigafactories in Salzgitter, Austria and St Thomas, Canada – helps the brand avoid additional taxes imposed by rules-of-origin regulations. Elsewhere, Schaefer is also positive about the new 'software-derived' setups of the future. 'The next-generation [software], and the speed you can update the cars is totally different to the old architectures," he said. Advertisement - Page continues below 'The traditional way of how we used to set up a car with hundreds of individual control units developed by [many] individual companies, that connected a little bit like European Union – everybody speaks different languages, so to change anything, or connect every aspect was literally impossible. The effort to keep it error-free in the classic setup was unbelievably greater than the new way, which is so much simpler, and so much easier to programme.' Dodgy digital interfaces and electronic architecture aside, Schaefer didn't sugar-coat the business challenges VW's faced over the last couple of years. Before Christmas last year, thousands of German workers went on strike against planned factory closures and massive layoffs – a first in its 87-year-history, but the boss proudly cited a figure of 13 per cent cost reduction made since the start of the year he attributes to hard work and working together. GTI or no GTI, the fight isn't done yet, mind. 'Super tough targets for this year and next year in the factory…are we where we want to be yet? Not yet, but I'm quite hopeful that with what we set up, we'll get there.' Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Look out for your regular round-up of news, reviews and offers in your inbox. Get all the latest news, reviews and exclusives, direct to your inbox.
The Drive
09-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Drive
This '98 Renault Spider Is About as Raw as Sports Cars Come, and It's For Sale
When you think of Renault, odds are you picture a small, dinky hatchback with a sub-100-horsepower engine. The first-generation Twingo, perhaps, or the Renault 4 that was sold for over 30 years. Performance is a big part of the French company's DNA, however, and the Renault Sport Spider illustrates that point well. It sounds like a Lotus on paper, it looks like a concept car, and there's one currently listed on Cars & Bids. Let's set our time machine to the early 1990s. Williams was absolutely killing it in Formula 1; the team won the constructors' championship in 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, and 1997. Benetton won the title in 1995, but Renault's image got a boost regardless because the company provided engines to both crews. Renault released the Clio Williams to test if 'win on Sunday, sell on Monday' applied to the French market, and the hot hatch generated such a positive response that executives began sketching the outline of a standalone, Renault Sport-branded model. Cars & Bids The enthusiast community went wild when Renault unveiled the Spider at the 1995 Geneva Motor Show, and the excitement grew when the specifications were announced. The roadster tipped the scale at approximately 2,050 pounds thanks to the widespread use of aluminum, and it was powered by a mid-mounted, 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine rated at 150 horsepower. This was the same basic 16-valve engine that powered the aforementioned Clio Williams and the Mégane Coupé 16V (which, by the way, is one hell of a bargain if you want an obscure hot hatch). The original Spider wasn't offered with a windshield, but Renault made one available shortly after the launch due to high demand. In hindsight, adding a windshield to the list of options was Renault's only concession in the name of comfort. The Spider wasn't fitted with ABS brakes, and it wasn't equipped with a heater—not in the conventional sense of the term. Renault positioned the radiator directly behind the seats, so it provided a little bit of warmth as the coolant temperature increased. The problem, or quirk, is that there was no way to turn it on or off. Having a hot radiator right behind your ass was a real boon in the winter, and a real hassle in the middle of July. Cars & Bids Renault built the Spider in the Dieppe, France, factory that had historically built Alpine models. This choice was both a lifeline and a punch in the face for Alpine. On one hand, the factory had been idle since it made the last A610 in 1995; Building the Spider saved quite a few jobs. On the other hand, the new roadster confirmed that the Alpine brand was dead. From that point on, sporty Renault models would land under the Renault Sport banner. Renault unexpectedly resurrected Alpine over 20 years later when it launched the second-gen A110, of course. Precisely 1,726 units of the Spider were built between 1995 and 1999, including 80 Spider Trophy models built for a Europe-wide one-make series. The model was never sold in the United States, but the entire production run is now old enough to import. That doesn't mean that the Spider is common: Cars & Bids has only listed one other example, which sold for $62,500 in October 2024. Bring a Trailer has listed three in the past nine years, including two that didn't meet reserve and a Trophy-spec model that sold for $20,000 in September 2022. Cars & Bids Located and titled in Florida, the 1998 Spider that Cars & Bids is selling was reportedly imported from Japan, though it's left-hand drive. It hasn't been modified, and its odometer shows a little over 28,000 miles. It looks like it's in excellent shape for a 27-year-old sports car. As of writing, bidding stands at $15,805 with about three days left in the auction. There's plenty of time for that number to increase, and nothing suggests that it won't. Even in France, where most were sold, the Spider has become sought-after and correspondingly expensive. Got tips? Send 'em to tips@
