I have a hyundai I20N but before I got that car, I really wanted a TS Corolla, which happens to share the same engine with a 7th gen celica! I think the only difference is the gearbox. And I love the design, I'm just sad it's fwd, they should've went with RWD like all other celicas before.
Dad had one. It was a 2000 EU model with the 1zz engine and the five speed manual. It wasn't fast by any means, but it was something unique, something you didn't see every day.
Edit: What fascinated me was the car stereo which was this JVC Exad KD-AVX1 that, to me, looked very unique.
Here's a little video of how it worked: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WOBCMe043w