Spoiler Alert: You wanna know why car culture is dying? It’s the same reason so many other passions, pastimes, arts, and livelihoods are dying. Because technology replaced authenticity. Mystery solved. Now we could argue that in circles, and both sides could make valid points & find exceptions to the rule. But at the end of the day if you zoom-out in scope & stop lying to yourself… that’s the facts brother. In so many aspects of life, we undervalue authenticity now… because technology lets us fake it. I mean dude – AI can write this article. It won’t be as confrontational or honest. It’ll be diluted & SEO friendly; it’ll say Toyota GR Corolla in the first paragraph (lol see what I did there). And it’ll get traffic… and isn’t that what really matters in the modern world over authenticity? Attention? Tech is an invasive species. Let that really sink in. It offers you a cheat code that really only cheats yourself & all of us. And this is the world the mainstream has chosen over authenticity.
Tech killed car culture…
Yeah, it’s still wickedly popular on the social media newsfeeds. But I’m talking about the real, gritty culture… the lifestyle… the fire behind it. These days, car culture had evolved to entertainment on a screen. And fast new cars with no style or substance – driven by dweebs & wannabes. But don’t take it too personally. Car culture was just one tiny victim. Bigger picture – tech’s killing the whole human spirit. Humans don’t think like humans anymore. Rather, we think like the computers we created… confined to stats & specs over raw senses. My strongest advice: Do whatever it takes to not catch that disease. Car culture is about connection. Hell – LIFE is about connection. And car culture was our connection to a machine, to a moment, to a thrill, and to a tribe of like-minded people. And we’re losing it. No argument – tech can do a lot of things to make new cars fast. But what it can’t do… is make you legit.
But while that seems like overall depressing news…
There is a rad silver lining. And basically that silver lining is… Toyota lol. It’s funny, because I guess it took the whole automotive industry basically castrating themselves… in order for Toyota to find themselves. But somehow, somewhere in the modern climate of forced efficiency, autonomy, and virtue signaling… Toyota found their roots. And they named it Gazoo Racing (GR). For Toyota to come out with Gazoo Racing while car culture was already thriving & mainstream… would seem like a lil bit of a me-too gimmick. But to do it despite car culture dying-out… in my opinion is as legit & authentic as it gets!
The GR Corolla…
Is 1 of 3 (North American) GR punches from Toyota, across the jaws of a world nearly comatosed with crossovers & bluetooth connectivity. This car wasn’t built for the shareholders or care-less commuters. Rather, this car was built for those of us who will always care. And it was built by a company that’s still got some original lineage/bloodline on the board… and isn’t too chickenshit to put passion over profit sometimes. The GR Corolla captures the (timeless) spirit of driving… driving as an actual verb… and not just a task. Ripping hot-hatches through monotonous blob traffic, is how you break out of the matrix, and start having more fun than everyone around you. And by the way – looking through these photos, you can almost feel the energy of the late-90s import scene… can’t you? Black car, white wheels, swoopy sport-compact lines? Haha – listen closely & you can almost hear Linkin Park vibrating the picture frame.
ƒuck that’s cool…
This GR Corolla is cool. NOT because of how extensively it’s modified, or how fast it rips 0-60 compared to a Tesla or some other wack no-care comparison. Nah – it’s cool just because it freaking is! Numbers aside – some things (like the dank Honda Grom I saw yesterday) are just cool because they are. No further explanation needed.
A little backstory on David Barnhouse and his Toyota GR Corolla…
“Well, my name is David Barnhouse. I’m originally from the small Southwestern town of Durango, Colorado, but currently reside in San Antonio, TX for the last 9 years. I grew up around cars my entire life – whether it was going to the dirt track, or modifying cars with friends in high school & college. My freshman year of high school, I picked up a camera, and fell in love with the art behind photography & videography. And – it just came naturally to mix that with my love for car culture. Over the years, I’ve done everything from mag features, to car shows, to motorsports, to SEMA. I’ve had exposure to numerous styles within the automotive industry, and I love ‘em all. But I’ve always had a soft-spot for JDM cars & styling. And naturally – being from Colorado, all-wheel-drive was always neat. I wanted an STI or Evo of some kind. But when rumors started circulating about Toyota’s GR Corolla, I got excited about something new, sporty, manual, turbocharged, AWD, and hatchback! It was a breath of fresh air to see Toyota enthusiastically getting back to their golden-era roots… creating cool cars when other manufacturers were cancelling them & leaving enthusiasts high & dry. I was actually in Long Beach on media assignment at Formula Drift when Toyota debuted the GR Corolla at the Toyota Gazoo Racing booth. Once I saw the car in person, I was hooked. I didn’t care what it took… I had to have one!” -David Barnhouse
GR Corolla Modifications
TOMS replica/XSE style roof spoiler, mid hatch spoiler, and JDM TOMS style window visors. CraftC PERFORMANCE eyelids GRModShop carbon pillars, mirror caps, front bumper vents, fusebox cover, radiator shroud, and engine cover. REVEL carbon fender vents, front grille, and headrest cover. DRIVEN MEDIA smoked front & rear reflectors, carbon gas door cover, gauge dash cover, and center console. YELLOWSPEED dynamic pro coilovers. CIRCUIT PERFORMANCE csf1 wheels (18×9.5 +25). MUTEKI sr48 lugnuts in burnt blue. OVERNIGHT CREW burnt titanium spoke stickers. VELOSSA TECH intake snorkel. FORGE MOTORSPORT carbon intake, turbo inlet. GFB blow off valve. MEGAN RACING polished front strut bar. MBRP center-exit catback exhaust with burnt blue tips. TUFSKINZ carbon full interior overlays. SXTH ELEMENT center armrest. GGP rear window wiper delete & 80D pitch mount. PROJECT MOTORSPORTS custom engraved side splitters, rear spats, and window vents. PHASE2 floormats. EXTREME ONLINE STORE carbon front lip. JDC TITANIUM GR badges, dress up bolts, interior accents, and fuse box cover plate. VARIS carbon exhaust garnish. REXSPEED blue polarized side mirrors. MOTORSPORT+ yellow DRLs. AEROFLOW DYNAMICS rear bumper garnish. AXIS PARTS carbon fiber lower grille/foglight bezels.
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