Beat the Heat – Performance Aluminum Radiator for the 2023+ Toyota GR Corolla
Following the immense success of the rally-inspired GR Yaris overseas, Toyota’s Gazoo Racing division needed an offering for the North American market. After years of work—including delays brought on by Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda, who wasn’t initially satisfied with the prototype—their result was the Toyota 2023 GR Corolla. Sharing the unique 1.6 liter three-cylinder G16E-GTS engine with the GR Yaris, the GR Corolla puts out an impressive 300 horsepower and 273lb-ft of torque.
So, what does having one of the most powerful three-cylinder engines in history mean? Well, it means you’re in for a lot of fun. But it also means when you’re driving hard, you’ve got to keep that straight-three engine cool. That’s why we’ve been hard at work developing the aluminum Performance Radiator for the 2023+ Toyota GR Corolla.
Our engineer, Mitch, started off by ditching the stock radiator’s plastic end tanks for a more reliable aluminum construction. Next, he measured the stock radiator and available space in the engine bay. With those dimensions, he designed our radiator to be as large as possible without interfering with stock components. This allowed for a 40mm thick core for a 51% increase in core volume over stock and significant improvements in cooling efficiency.
After the sizing was complete, Mitch designed the radiator to incorporate a 4.5mm fin height with a louvered structure and 2.0mm pitch to make the most use of the available air passing through the grille and ensure optimal heat dissipation. For peak airflow, he used foam strips to help seal the radiator to the fan shroud. Mitch also designed the core with strutted tubes. These strutted tubes serve two purposes. First, they help protect the radiator against damage due to chassis flex or impacts. The second, and arguably more important, reason to use strutted tubes is that it allowed Mitch to use a single-row core, with that single row spanning the entire thickness of the core. This provides more cooling surface area over a multi-row core of the same thickness, where the gap between rows is effectively dead space. Finally, Mitch included reinforced intercooler mounts that offer huge reliability benefits for GR Corolla owners who are planning to upgrade their intercooler and drive hard at the track or a Touge race.
Using the measurements from the engine bay, Mitch ensured a direct-fit installation process for our radiator while taking extra care to retain the stock shrouding around the A/C condenser. He also included an extended drain with a slotted magnetic drain plug to make coolant flushes as easy as possible.
With significant improvements in both performance and reliability, the Mishimoto Performance Aluminum Radiator for the 2023+ Toyota GR Corolla is a must-have for owners who want to keep their G16E-GTS running cool. Enjoy every last horsepower Gazoo Racing stuffed into the GR Corolla with peace of mind and order your radiator today.
