SEGA Rally enthusiasts have reason to celebrate—Toyota has officially announced plans to revive the legendary Celica GT-Four.
This exciting revelation came during a fan event at Rally Japan, where a Q&A session with Toyota’s leadership revealed the news.
A daring audience member posed a bold question to Akio Toyoda, Toyota’s Chairman of the Board of Directors, asking if a new Celica was in the works.
Toyota’s response was teasing but intriguing: “I can’t answer that – but there’s an executive here, so I’ll ask him.”
The executive in question was Yuki Nakajimi, Toyota’s Executive Vice President of Product. His straightforward reply left little room for doubt: “We’re doing the Celica.”
It doesn’t get more definitive than that, does it? If only all carmakers were this transparent about their future projects.
What will power the new Toyota Celica?
While Toyota hasn’t officially disclosed specifics about the new Celica’s powertrain, the direction seems clear—it’s unlikely to be fully electric.
In mid-2024, Toyota, Mazda, and Subaru issued a joint statement declaring their commitment to developing a new generation of cleaner combustion engines.
Toyota is currently working on two next-generation engines: a 1.5-liter and a 2.0-liter four-cylinder petrol unit (the latter is shown in images from the event).
These engines are designed to be smaller, lighter, and more efficient than Toyota’s existing models, with optional hybrid compatibility. Crucially for the Celica project, neither engine is exclusive to hybrid powertrains.
The 2.0-liter engine is particularly noteworthy, as it was designed to accommodate a wide range of high-performance applications, from heavy-duty trucks to sports cars.
Toyota has hinted that this engine will deliver significantly more power than the current 2.4-liter four-cylinder.
Paired with a turbocharger, it could generate up to 400bhp, making it an ideal candidate for the revived Celica.
In terms of the drivetrain, Toyota already has a top-tier four-wheel-drive system in the GR Corolla.
Integrating this system with the new engine and fitting it into a sleek coupe body—reminiscent of the Celica GT-Four—should be a straightforward process.
A look into the future
Toyota has already showcased its capabilities with a concept car. At SEMA 2024, the company revealed a four-wheel-drive version of the GR86.
This prototype bore a striking resemblance to the 1990s Celica GT-Four rally car, complete with its iconic racing livery.
Although the GR86 concept utilized the GR Corolla’s 1.6-liter three-cylinder engine, it incorporated the same four-wheel-drive system, despite the GR86’s platform not being initially designed for such a configuration.
If Toyota can successfully adapt four-wheel drive to an unsuitable platform, doing so for a model specifically designed for it should be a far simpler task. The prospect of a new Celica GT-Four feels more tangible than ever.