Toyota just keeps improving the GR (Gazoo Racing) Corolla. It introduced the all-wheel-drive hot hatch in 2023 and, two years later, incorporated engine, transmission, and suspension improvements, which we experienced in the 2025 Premium Plus model we reviewed this past July. Now comes news that the 2026 Toyota GR Corolla is getting its own set of upgrades.

Last year’s Core and Premium trim levels have been dropped, leaving the base GR Corolla and the Premium Plus as the only two choices. The entry-level model features gloss black hood vents, roof spoiler, gloss black 15-spoke alloy wheels, and Brin Naub suede sport seats with gray stitching.

Like last year, the GR Corolla Premium Plus comes standard with a forged carbon fiber roof, a gloss black rear spoiler, matte black wheels, Brin Naub upholstery with red stitching, and a head-up display.

Both versions of the GR Corolla are powered by a G16E-GTS 1.6-liter turbocharged I3 that cranks out 300 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque, and available with a six-speed manual or an eight-speed Gazoo Racing Direct Automatic Transmission.

Toyota followed up 2025’s Fuji International Speedway-honed suspension changes by making the GR Corolla more rigid. According to the automaker, “With 45.6 feet of additional structural adhesive in the front and rear sections of the body, the GR Corolla boasts improved body rigidity and rear grip for better suspension movement and direct feeling, helping to ensure consistent steering and stable cornering.” It also topped its previous cooling enhancements with a new secondary air intake duct that helps keep temperatures at the right level.

Inside the GR Corolla Premium Plus, the JBL Premium Sound System’s speaker count is up by one to nine, which includes a subwoofer in the cargo area. Even when the stereo is off, Active Sound Control plays “sporty sounds” tuned to acceleration, deceleration, and throttle and shifter usage through the speakers (let’s hope there’s a button to turn it off—the GR Corolla doesn’t need sonic trickery to feel like a performance vehicle).

If you want the best GR Corolla yet (until—we’re guessing—Toyota comes out with an even better ’27 model), you can find it at your local Toyota dealer this fall. The starting price is up by more than $1,000 to $39,920. Check the table below for the 2026 Toyota GR Corolla lineup’s full pricing list—just be sure to add on $1,195 for the Dealer Processing and Handling fee.

This quartet of quality automobiles currently listed on AutoHunter is hankering for your bids. I’ve called them special because that’s what they are: desirable online auction cars. Once you figure what they are, will you agree?

List the model year, make, and model in the Comments section below. If you need a hint, just click on an image.

Click on a photo to reveal each car

You’ll find an automotive puzzle at The ClassicCars.com Journal every Tuesday. Once you finish this one, there are previous games to play.

Currently listed on AutoHunter is this 1972 Dodge Charger SE. The initials stood for Special Edition, Dodge’s way of suggesting this Charger was more than just a sporty coupe—it was a personal luxury coupe. Note the formal roofline with wide C-pillars, standard vinyl top, accented taillights, bright belt moldings, lower-body pinstripes, concealed headlights, Rallye instrument panel cluster, and available Brougham Package. Standard motivation was a 318ci V8, but this one is powered by the powerful 400 four-barrel, which is paired with a TorqueFlite automatic. Features include an AM/FM stereo, bucket seats, a console, dual chrome racing mirrors with a driver-side remote, chrome exhaust tips, and more. Painted Eggshell White with a black vinyl top over a black vinyl interior, this Mopar B-body comes from the selling dealer in Lafayette, Indiana with a clear title.

The Eggshell White paint is claimed to be original to the car; it is complemented by a black vinyl top. Other exterior features include longitudinal lower-body striping, concealed headlamps, accented taillights, a “Rallye” trunk lid stripe, chrome exhaust extensions with a special rear valence, dual chrome racing mirrors, and Special Edition medallions and badging. A set of 15-inch Rallye wheels are wrapped in staggered-width Cooper Cobra Radial G/T radials—245/60 front, 255/60 rear.

The black vinyl interior features the Brougham Package, which included extra sound insulation, bright pedal dress-up, special door panels, and a cloth and vinyl split-back bench seat with a fold-down armrest; the original buyer opted to substitute bucket seats for the bench. Other features include a center console, air conditioning, simulated woodgrain trim, a three-spoke steering wheel with power steering, and an AM/FM stereo.

All Charger SEs received the Rallye instrument cluster, which included a 150-mph speedometer, clock, and gauges for the oil pressure, temperature, alternator, and fuel.

The odometer shows 75,271 miles, though the title reads mileage-exempt.

The 400ci V8 was rated at 255 (net) horsepower with a four-barrel carburetor and 8.2:1 compression. Electronic ignition was standard with this engine. A three-speed TorqueFlite automatic transmission is paired with the 400.

The undercarriage features front disc brakes and a dual exhaust system featuring nifty chrome tips.

The 1972 Dodge Charger SE was the stepping stone in Charger’s evolution towards a dedicated personal luxury coupe. In the case of this specific AutoHunter Spotlight vehicle, it features both luxury and performance thanks to the powerplant sitting underneath the hood, making it one of 6,669 built for the U.S. market. A combination of luxury and performance is not often found in vehicles of this era, so be poised to place a bid on this Charger because the auction ends on Thursday, October 2, 2025, at 11:45 a.m. (PDT).

Visit the AutoHunter listing for more information and a photo gallery

Today’s Pick of the Day is a 1976 AMC Gremlin. If you have spent a lot of time around the classic car concours and show circuit, you have probably heard of the infamous Concours d’Lemons. This event is the brainchild of my friend Alan Galbraith, and he describes it as “the concours of misfit cars.” Basically, if you have nowhere else to go to show your car because it is thought of as a lemon, a car that is derided by just about everyone, or is a horrible example of an otherwise good car, then Concours d’Lemons is for you. This is one of the most fun events I have ever attended; both spectators and participants have a great time. There are numerous Lemons Concours events in North America, with the largest being held in conjunction with the Amelia Island Concours and during Monterey Car Week, which happens the day before the Pebble Beach Concours.

With that in mind, my Pick of the Day is a car that not only would be automatically accepted at any Lemons event, but one that also would also be in contention for the coveted Worst of Show award. It is listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a dealer in Cleveland.

The AMC Gremlin was a subcompact car designed to compete with the new small cars coming from Europe and Japan. Rumor had it that both Ford and GM were developing new small cars for the segment, and AMC needed something to compete. According to legend, AMC designer Dick Teague sketched his concept—which involved shortening the rear end of a Javelin—on an air sickness bag. A young designer named Bob Nixon joined AMC and created the first official sketches of the Gremlin.

The Gremlin seen here is described by the seller as a 1976 model that shows 58,000 original miles. It has been repainted in its original correct Sunshine Yellow, and features stock Rally wheels and black stripes. The seller goes on to state that the bodywork is really nice, with laser-straight sheet metal and good gaps all around—even the plastic nose and gills in the sail panel are still in excellent condition with no signs of age-related deterioration. What little chrome and stainless trim there is on the car is also in great shape, as is the original glass, which shows no chips, delamination, or other issues.

The listing says the tan vinyl interior is almost entirely original and still in excellent shape, with no splits or tears in any of the usual spots. The original door panels, steering wheel, and even the carpets are in outstanding original condition.

Under the hood everything looks as good as the body and interior, with a clean engine and an incredibly tidy engine compartment. Finding a Gremlin in this condition—one that still has its original engine and not received a V8 swap—is next to impossible. This has to be one of the best Gremlins on the planet.

If your collector car taste runs more toward unique, forgotten, or underappreciated cars, and if you want to take a class win or even the Worst of Show event at the Concours d’ Lemons, you should consider this 1976 AMC Gremlin. At a price of only $24,900, it is about the same cost as booking a room at the Lodge at Pebble Beach during car week—and I am willing to bet you won’t see another one at any local show.

Click here to view this Pick of the Day on ClassicCars.com

There’s plenty of folklore surrounding NASCAR’s earliest drivers, as some were moonshine runners before turning pro. In the case of Middle Georgia Raceway, this worked in an inverse manner, as the track was a façade for a moonshine operation.

The half-mile paved track opened in May 1966 at a cost of $500,000. With a contemporary Pontiac Catalina convertible handling pace car duties, track activities kicked off with the Speedy Morelock 200, where Richard Petty drove his Hemi Plymouth 100 miles for the win. Through 1971, Middle Georgia Raceway hosted nine NASCAR Grand National races, with names like Bobby Allison, David Pearson, and Bobby Isaac congregating in the winner’s circle.

But sometime between those races—specifically September 23, 1967—federal agents converged on the racetrack and arrested Lamar Brown, Jr., the owner of Middle Georgia Raceway. It seems a hunter had picked up a strange scent and notified authorities, who proceeded to search for several hours before discovering a four-by-four trap door concealed by a dummy ticket booth. From there, a dirt passageway led 17 feet down to an underground chamber about 50 feet long and six feet wide. On the floor was a distillery consisting of two fermentation tanks, a gas-operated cooker, and electrical lighting, exhausts, and even insect-repelling devices. With a total capacity of 3,700 gallons of mash, the still was capable of producing an estimated 80 gallons of whiskey per day. The state and federal tax for that amount would have amounted to approximately $1,000 (about $9,700 today).

Brown denied knowledge of the still despite evidence showing he had purchased 24 pounds of yeast 10 days prior to the still’s discovery. He claimed the yeast was to make food for the concession stand. After deliberation, the jury returned with a not guilty verdict.

After 1971, the track hosted amateur races, special events, concerts, and seasonal Halloween attractions. It also served as a shooting location for TV shows and films, including the racing scenes in the Richard Pryor movie Greased Lightning. The Old Style Beer 200, an ARCA SuperCar Series race held at the track in 1984, was the final automotive event at Middle Georgia Raceway. The track permanently closed in 1986.

At the Barrett-Jackson 2025 Palm Beach Auction, ClassicCars TV encountered a 1996 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport, a special model which paid homage to the Grand Sport race cars of the early 1960s. Along with the Sebring Silver Collector Edition, the ’96 Grand Sport marked the end of the fourth generation of America’s Sports Car. It was a distinctive commemorative model finished in Admiral Blue with a white center stripe, red fender hash marks, and black 17-inch wheels. The Grand Sport was only available with a 6-speed manual and came standard with the one-year-only LT4 5.7-liter V8, which featured revised internals and new injectors that helped it pump out 330 horsepower and 340 lb-ft of torque. One enthusiast made the winning bid of $38,500 to take this instantly recognizable piece of Corvette history home with them.