Toyota looks increasingly likely to bring the Celica back for an eighth generation, more than 20 years after production of the previous model ended. This time around, the famous coupe could return as a more accessible member of the growing Gazoo Racing family.
The project forms part of Toyota chairman Akio Toyoda’s desire to reunite what he has referred to as the brand’s three sports car brothers: the Supra, MR2 and Celica. The Supra has already made its comeback, while development work surrounding a new mid-engined sports car continues to fuel expectations of an MR2 revival.
That leaves the Celica, and the signs surrounding its return are becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.
Toyota’s New Rally Car Could Preview The Celica
Toyota has yet to announce when a new Celica will reach showrooms, but its preparations for the 2027 World Rally Championship have provided an intriguing clue.
A heavily disguised Toyota rally prototype has been spotted testing with a compact two-door coupe body, a significant departure from the GR Yaris currently used by the manufacturer in WRC competition.
The new WRC regulations do not require manufacturers to base the exterior of their competition cars on an existing production model. Toyota could therefore create almost any suitable body shape it wants, but giving its next rally weapon Celica-inspired styling would make plenty of marketing sense.
It would also reconnect the name with one of the most important chapters in Toyota’s motorsport history.
Celica rally cars were hugely successful during the 1990s, including helping Toyota claim the World Rally Championship manufacturers’ crown in both 1993 and 1994.
Next-Generation Corolla Could Provide The Foundations
Despite its sporting image, previous Celica generations typically shared significant hardware with Toyota’s more conventional passenger cars.
The same formula is expected to continue with the eighth-generation model.
One possibility is that the new Celica will borrow heavily from Toyota’s next Corolla architecture. The future Corolla was previewed by a dramatic concept at the Tokyo motor show, signalling a major design and engineering shift for one of Toyota’s most important global models.
Using those foundations for a lower, two-door sports coupe could help keep the Celica relatively attainable while still allowing Toyota Gazoo Racing to give it a distinct character.
It would also place the Celica in a similar position to the reborn Honda Prelude, which uses Civic-derived hardware underneath its coupe body.
Within Toyota’s performance range, that could make the Celica a more approachable entry into GR ownership, sitting well below the far more serious V8-powered GR GT.
2.0-Litre Turbo Hybrid Power Expected
Internally, the upcoming model is reportedly being referred to as the Celica Sport.
Its powertrain could be one of its most interesting features.
Reports suggest Toyota is considering its new 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine, related to the unit being developed through the mid-engined GR Yaris M concept programme.
Unlike the expected MR2 successor, the Celica would retain a traditional front-engine layout, maintaining a configuration used by all seven previous generations.
The combustion engine is expected to work alongside some form of electrification. Toyota has yet to decide publicly whether that means a conventional hybrid system or a plug-in hybrid setup.
Gazoo Racing marketing manager Mikio Hayashi has previously indicated that the 1.6-litre three-cylinder engine currently associated with the GR Yaris presents challenges when it comes to future emissions requirements. That makes Toyota’s new 2.0-litre four-cylinder unit an increasingly logical candidate for future GR road cars.
Reports elsewhere have suggested this new engine family could be capable of producing around 400 hp (298 kW) and 500 Nm, although Toyota has not confirmed output figures for the Celica.
Road And Rally Celicas Could Use Different Engines
While the road-going Celica could adopt the larger 2.0-litre engine, its potential WRC relative will have to follow a different recipe.
Regulations for the 2027 World Rally Championship specify a 1.6-litre turbocharged engine, meaning Toyota’s competition car is expected to use a development of the engine architecture found in the current GR Yaris.
This means the road and competition cars could look closely related without sharing identical powertrains.
That’s hardly unusual in modern motorsport, and the bigger benefit for Toyota would be having the Celica name back on the world rally stage.
Four-Wheel Drive Looks Likely
One particularly interesting detail is the expected use of four-wheel drive for the new Celica.
Toyota has indicated that the next model will feature four-wheel drive, giving the upcoming coupe a much closer connection to the legendary rally-inspired versions of its past.
Whether Toyota will go one step further and revive the Celica GT-Four badge remains unknown.
For enthusiasts who remember machines such as the ST165, ST185 and ST205, a turbocharged, electrified and four-wheel-drive Celica would certainly have the right ingredients to carry that name.
Toyota still has plenty to reveal, including the final powertrain, performance figures, styling and launch date. But after more than two decades without a Celica in its range, the eighth generation is beginning to look increasingly real.