Possible return of an AWD Celica

[___Scott___]

This is a rumor being spread in YouTube but if you happen to be wanting a new Celica with AWD drive, there is a chance it could happen:

 

[Roreri]

These rumors pop up now and again. I don’t give them any credence. I still keep trolling Toyota dealerships with my Alltrac just to show them what would induce me to buy a new Toyota. The GR86 is nice but not quite there. An all wheel drive front engined coupe powered by say a 2GR-FE in the 300hp range with a turbo option in the GR trim to 400 to 450hp would be outstanding with a chassis weight around 3250 lbs.

 

[Roreri]

The coolest thing would be if the new motor could be swapped into a vintage alltrac.

 

[scandinavian link]

The only thing that gives me much hope about it is that Toyota Times actually did an article back in December, and it was because of comments made by Akio Toyoda. https://toyotatimes.jp/en/report/rally_japan2023/001.html

Also earlier in 2023 new Toyota president Koji Sato had called a Celica revival his "life's dream"
https://japanesenostalgiccar.com/toyota-celica-revival-president-koji-sato/

Still, I remain pretty skeptical, and even if it is revived, I am not necessarily optimistic that it will remain true to the Celica's history, but instead will be a Celica in nameplate only, stuck onto some hideous crossover with a CVT. On a more optimistic note, it does seem both Sato & Toyoda appreciate the Celica and its rally history. So maybe there is hope.

I suppose time will tell.

 

[Roreri]

My skepticism stems from how Toyota has approached its cool car lineup so far.

In the 90s, at the height of Toyota’s powers, they had the three brothers. Right now, Toyota has revived the 86, the GR Corolla, and the Supra. But the 86 is a Subaru, and the Supra is a BMW. How is Toyota going to support FIVE different cool cars? Then stylistically the 86 is more like an evolution of the Celica than the AE86.

It bespeaks a lot of confusion at Toyota.

 

[underscore]

These rumors and crappy renders have been coming out ever since the Celica was discontinued. The manual AWD sports car market is already tiny and they already have the GR Yaris and GR Corolla. They're not going to put out a new car primarily to compete with themselves.

 

[scandinavian link]

https://japanesenostalgiccar.com/toyota-celica-confirmed-by-top-exec-at-rally-japan/https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a63009418/new-toyota-celica-report/
Neither of these specify anything about drivetrain.

However, last year Akio Toyoda said “I’m not just saying this because we’re at a rally event, but Kankkunen is ‘Mr. Celica,'” Toyoda said in the interview. “Now you can all have a think about why I’m using Kankkunen so much. See if you can guess!”

My *hope* is that Kankkunen was being namedropped and used as a resource because they want to recapture the Celica rally pedigree.

Edit: I'd imagine by the time it releases, it may replace the GR86 and/or GR Yaris/Corolla. Especially if they do a 2WD & AWD version like in the past.

Edit #2: in the intro video of Jari-Matti Latvala's st185 GR rally car for the European Historic Rally Championship, he says “To be able to build ever better cars, you need to know the past. You need to understand the heritage that you can invent the future.” It's possible he's just generalizing. But with the apparent confirmation of a new Celica, perhaps it is actually in reference to that - and Toyota themselves want JML's feedback from racing the st185.

 

[scandinavian link]

Toyota Times video coverage of the Tokyo Auto Salon. Contains references to the Celica & MR2 when talking about the GR Yaris mid-engine concept. I think maybe the engine is the 4 cylinder turbo they have been working on...maybe for use in both Celica & MR2.

Also a clip towards the end with Juha Kankkunen driving Jari-Matti Latvala's GR liveried st185. Really just a bunch of donuts, but...still, it's Juha Kankunnen in an st185 so

 

[Roreri]

Buddy of mine sent this to me a couple of weeks ago. It’s tantalizing. A 400hp inline-4? Yes, please. Especially if it can bolt up to the e153.

https://www.motor1.com/news/747076/toyota-new-four-cylinder-turbo-engine/

 

[Tippo]

Toyota just officially trademarked the GR Celica name.

https://www.motor1.com/news/750374/toyota-gr-celica-trademark/

https://www.carexpert.com.au/car-ne...looking-more-likely-with-new-trademark-filing

The only problem now... is influencers and people purchasing them who can't afford them driving the price up. Hopefully the GR craze dropped with the GRC. Even though I own one I had to wait a year and a half to get it because I refused to pay above MSRP.

 

[simple]

Toyota just officially trademarked the GR Celica name.

https://www.motor1.com/news/750374/toyota-gr-celica-trademark/

https://www.carexpert.com.au/car-ne...looking-more-likely-with-new-trademark-filing

The only problem now... is influencers and people purchasing them who can't afford them driving the price up. Hopefully the GR craze dropped with the GRC. Even though I own one I had to wait a year and a half to get it because I refused to pay above MSRP.

People who pay over MSRP for a Toyota need their head checked. It pays to be patient. Plus buying a first year model is often a bad idea.

 

[Roreri]

I was down at the local Toyota dealership picking up/ordering some push pins for the under hood apron front of the radiator. To secure that plastic sheet depicted. Whatever they’re called.

As always happens the conversation turned to the rumors of a new Celica. We came to the agreement that Toyota is both loose lipped and tight lipped on the subject but the Toyota guy offered that the internal rumor is that the MR2 and Celica might be merged into a Celica-sized mid engine coupe. To which I gave my standard reply “I’ll believe it when it shows up on dealer lots.”