When you look at the front of the GR Corolla, notice how elaborate the front of the car is. With many trim pieces and openings for a multitude of heat exchangers, it is a hard front end to protect. AeroWerkz managed to get STEK Dynoshield PPF on nearly every surface, including the black areas around the grills!
You all know how modern headlights look after a few years, even on expensive cars. This looks like crap and greatly reduces the amount of like transmitted at night from the bulbs. New lights get sandblasted at the track and can get broken by debris. On late model cars the lights are expensive so it is worth protecting them.
AeroWerkz used Dynoshield to protect our front lights, keeping them clear for 10 years. If you have restored your messed-up lights with the various kits on the market, you know they will start getting cloudy again in just a few months. Dynoshield will keep them clear for much longer!
For our rear lights, AeroWerkz used STEK Forcetwilight tinted light film. This gave our taillights a cool smoked look as well as protected them for 10 years.
Track usage really tears up your windshield glass, and AeroWerkz applied STEK Dynotop windshield protective film. This is a thick protective film designed to protect your windshield from track pitting and cracking from sand and small rock impacts. This film saved our GT3’s very expensive windshield from a pretty big rock impact in the past. Dynotop is not meant to last forever and will eventually get scratched by the windshield wipers, especially if you use your windshield washer and wipers all the time. We have had the same film on our GTR and GT3 for many years but try to avoid rain driving with them and are careful to hand clean the windshield so how long this lasts on your car can vary quite a bit. Dynotop is warranted for 30 days due to uncertainty over wiper use.
16 comments
I wondered who would want a GR Corolla with an Auto but when you really dissect what the car is, it leans more to a fun road car than a track beast. I like the idea of a build showcasing creature comforts and occasional track day fun as opposed to an all-out transformative build on what is a brand-new platform, just to get YT views. Did Toyota add a OEM arm rest for the auto atleast?
I kinda disagree with the logic… I think a manual is more import to a fun street car than a fun track car. unless we’re talking a slow 4 spd slushbox that never does what you want it to, a 2 pedal track car can still be tons of fun… but going 2 pedals over 3 on a street car, you gotta make up A LOT to get near the same fun factor. then again a crappy shifter and super long ratios can ruin a 3 pedal car too. (talking cars in general, not GR Corolla specific)
ever drive a manual in our traffic? gets old quick.
sure, but I said fun street driving, not traffic street driving. if I had to drive in heavy traffic regularly I’d rather have 2 cars that add up to 40k than one 40k car. one for traffic and one for fun. but hey, if the GR Corolla is the traffic car… thats not bad…
I agree. Done my fair share of excruciating manual driving in CA Bay Area and LA traffic, but I feel the benefits of enjoyments out on an open or twisting mountain road more than make up for it.
The auto is what comes on the TRC race cars and turns faster lap times than the manual. That seals the deal.
It is a motorsports derived transmission and it is used in the TRC cars. It does faster lap times than the manual. good enough for her
I applaud the courage to get the auto. Having driven the manual GR Yaris in everyday traffic, it does get old quick.
But on twisty backroads, I wouldn´t want anything else.
The GR Yaris has the same kind of forged carbon roof, but is covered by a carbon-look vinyl from the factory, so the Corolla roof even without the PPF looks better.
The auto is faster on the track and in fast driving. After that, I don’t care.. With the PDK in my Porsche and GT-R, I am not going back.
In my locale, a FULL STEK PPF wrap “Starts at,” $10k. Just the front end alone is “Starts at,” $4k. Insane. I can leave the city and save maybe 10%. But still, that’s a lot.
I understand if you have like a 100k+ car, but 10k of ppf on a 30-40k car? my brain doesn’t bend that way…
I have a friend who drove a BMW 3-series for years that was manual in LA traffic. So, you know, about 25-30 miles, an hour and a half each way. She eventually had to give up driving stick because of knee pain. Lots of Porsche PDK owners for this reason.
I get it, little car, lots of power, decent handling out of the box, and a stick. “hot hatch,” they call it.
At the same time, given the pedigree and experience of the owner, it’s not out of bounds to say, I have a track car, now I want a quiet easy car with all the creature comforts.
I share the same I5 as you guys, we have a 405 that is equally as awful. I at times wish to have an auto as my daily. Funny thing, my project car is an auto! I enjoy driving my wife’s car, also an auto. I have dreams of converting my project car to a T56 or TR6060; but as an auto in traffic it’s rather nice.
I have heard of windshield protection films before, but have never heard of their short warranty or propensity towards scratching or hazing or whatever. Kinda bums me out, unless it’s a super inexpensive and easily replaceable type of product.
I think this is such a cool hatch! Hoping you and Krista like it and give us more follow up on driving impressions, real world results, etc. Thanks!
Wow I’m amazed how long the PPF last, that’s definitely a worth doing on your nice car.