Many modern cars are equipped with SOS buttons that call a special assistance line to pass on details to the emergency services if necessary. Some go a step further and automatically call if an incident is detected. Or in this case, if you’re just enjoying some laps on a circuit.
During a track showdown at Virginia International Raceway with an FL5 Honda Civic Type R and a modified Subaru WRX on the Gears and Gasoline YouTube channel, pro driver Coby Shield had to deal with an unexpected issue in a Toyota GR Corolla – the car making an unintended call to the Toyota Safety Connect service.
Confused call operators spoke to Coby, who assured them all was fine. Gears and Gasoline attributed the call to the loud Trans Am racing cars passing the Toyota, although it could have also been set off by the car going over rough rumble strips. Needless to say, the appropriate fuse was duly yanked after the car returned to the pits, ensuring it wouldn’t happen again.
Amusing side-note aside, it’s worth your while watching the whole video. It’s a particularly interesting match-up with the three cars, even if it makes us quite sad neither the Toyota GR Corolla nor the Subaru WRX are sold in the UK. Boo, and indeed hiss.
The GR Corolla shares its 1.6-litre inline-three turbo engine and all-wheel drive system with the GR Yaris, which we thankfully can get on these shores. The normally humdrum Corolla shell is duly upgraded with some beefy wheel arch extensions plus angrier front and rear bumpers.
It’s priced from $39,995, making it a smidge cheaper than the Civic Type R despite that machine having two fewer powered wheels. As for how the two work out in terms of lap times, and where the WRX sits in the mix, we won’t drop any spoilers – be sure to watch the video to find out.
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