New Toyota Corolla powers up

The 12th generation Toyota Corolla is arguably one of the best-looking hatchbacks ever made by the Japanese car giant. But until the Golf GTI-rivalling Toyota Corolla GR hot hatch rocks along, it won't have the go to match its show.

That hasn't stopped Toyota from commissioning five car tuners to have a fiddle with the new Corolla, including a striking scarlet design from Super Street, a retro design from Ken Block's Hoonigan race team and even a 2.7-litre Corolla with more than 600kW of power. Gravy!

Toyota Corolla by Super Street

Sporting a bold, ground-hugging body kit with chunky side skirts plus front and rear bumpers with contrasting black accents, the Super Street Corolla almost looks ready for series production.

Neat and tidy, the design feature integrates a pair of APEXi dual exhaust outlets at the rear, while a tweaked intake system by HPS is expected to liberate a few extra herbs from the Corolla's 2.0-litre direct-injected petrol engine (125kW/200Nm).

Other upgrades include lowered RS-R coilover suspension, upgraded brake rotors and calipers along with Volk Racing TE37 alloy wheels and Falken tyres.

The interior has been tizzied up with Corbeau Sportline RRS bucket seats and there's plenty of audio equipment going on too, thanks to Pioneer. It wouldn’t be complete without 10-inch subwoofer in the boot.

Toyota Corolla by Hoonigan

While the Super Street 'Rolla has a JDM look and feel, the Hoonigan Toyota Corolla has a distinct 1990s vibe. Although it is the least showy of the Corolla quintet, the Hoonigan creation features a matte-black wrap juxtaposed with a pair of Hella spotlights at the front.

White Fifteen52 Integrale alloy wheels, new coilover suspension and revised intake and exhaust systems are designed to improve dynamics but the Hoonigan Corolla's real calling is as an AV car, with camera and boom fittings designed to make it the ultimate chase car. Who knows, maybe this bad boy filmed the new Hoonitruck in Gymkhana 10?

Toyota Corolla by Papadakis Racing

The Driftolla, as one wag in the office put it, is built by Papadakis Racing and this Corolla features a wide body kit and engine swap just for good measure.

Powered by a 2.7-litre four-pot screamer (2AR-FE) with just over 630kW of power thanks to turbocharging and nitrous injection, this Corolla is too legit to quit.

It's also rear-wheel drive now. Skids anyone?

The interior has been stripped out to save weight and improve crash safety and with a bit of input from Toyota Racing Development, or TRD, the car has already competed – and won a round – of the Formula Drift Pro series.

Toyota Corolla by Muscle Tuner Automotive

If you're looking for a little more sizzle in your saucepan, this Corolla will grill your bacon. Visually it tips its hat to the classic Toyota AE86 and features loads of aggressive body work, from the side skirts and front aluminium splitter to a beefy rear diffuser.

But this Corolla has big cojones, thanks to a nitrous injection system. Lump in an aggressive exhaust system and reworked intake and you're looking at a car that will blow the doors off many bigger sports cars. Rays wheels and Bridgestone rubber will be tortured.

"With this build we wanted to pay homage to the AE86 Corolla GT-S," said Alex Molina, founder of Muscle Tuner Automotive. "We wanted to keep the look clean, but also serious and race-inspired, and we wanted to bring its handling and acceleration in line with that of a true sports car."

Toyota Corolla by SoCal Kustomz

Now, some of our more bookish readers may notice that SoCal Kustomz has used a bit of artistic license with the spelling of its name, and it appears to be using that same creativity in this Corolla.

Fitted with a new exhaust system and nitrous injection, SoCal Kustomz usually works on classic 4x4 and muscle cars, but this Corolla looks the goods.

Vin Diesel fans will note this super hot hatch's exterior vinyl wrap was inspired by the 1995 Toyota Supra that starred in the original The Fast and the Furious film.