There’s growing evidence that a new Toyota Celica is indeed on the horizon. Even more intriguing, it appears a performance-focused variant could be part of its revival.
A trademark filing from Toyota in Brazil prominently features the Celica name, but with two crucial letters preceding it: GR.
The GR Celica trademark is a recent development, dated January 15, 2025, and made public in early February.
While the filing categorizes it under “automobiles and their structural parts,” no additional details are provided. A thorough search across the internet for other GR Celica trademarks turned up nothing.
However, that doesn’t necessarily mean the name hasn’t been registered elsewhere any such filings, if they exist, have yet to be made public.
That being said, Toyota has actively trademarked the Celica name worldwide in recent years. This includes the United States, where a 2021 filing was officially published in November 2024.
This aligns with long-running speculation about a Celica revival, which has circulated for years. The rumors gained significant traction in October 2023 when Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda plainly stated that he had instructed top executives to develop one.
A few months earlier, Toyota CEO Koji Sato had expressed interest in seeing a new Celica but didn’t elaborate further.
Adding to the speculation, Toyota’s Grip animated series briefly displayed a list of vehicles, and among them was a Celica Mk8. The last Celica, the Mk7, ended production in 2006.
Additionally, a report from Best Car claims that Toyota Chief Technology Officer Hiroki Nakajima explicitly stated, “We will make the Celica.”
To be clear, Toyota has yet to make an official announcement confirming a Celica revival. Furthermore, the company has refrained from commenting on rumors or trademark filings.
Automakers frequently renew and register trademarks to protect their brand names, often without any immediate plans to utilize them.
However, the existence of a GR Celica trademark strongly suggests that there is more at play than just intellectual property protection.
Combined with Toyoda and Sato’s public support for a new Celica, the car’s return feels inevitable. It’s not a matter of if but when.
The Toyota Celica has been out of production for nearly two decades, but increasingly credible rumors suggest a revival is on the horizon. Adding to the speculation, a Toyota executive has outright confirmed that it’s happening.
A trademark filing in February 2025 has further solidified these claims, seemingly confirming what many have suspected—that the Celica will be part of Toyota’s Gazoo Racing (GR) performance lineup.
Speculation about a Celica comeback has been circulating for years, but things started to gain real traction last year when Toyota chairman and automotive enthusiast Akio Toyoda openly stated, “I want to revive the Celica.” Since then, Best Car, a well-respected Japanese automotive publication, has repeatedly shared alleged details about the model’s return.
Toyota itself has dropped some intriguing hints. One unexpected clue surfaced in Grip, an anime series produced by Toyota for its U.S. YouTube channel.
In the first episode of the second season, a fleeting scene reveals a whiteboard inside a Toyota Gazoo Racing workshop, listing various sports car projects that Toyota is rumored to be developing—including a ‘Celica Mk8’.
However, its arrival is still some time away. Nakajima added: “To be honest, there is no sign of it right now. However, many people in the company are eagerly awaiting the Celica. So… I wonder if it’s okay to say this in a public forum, but we’re doing the Celica.”
Fueling the speculation further, Toyota trademarked the Celica name with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in October 2024 under the category “automobiles and structural parts thereof.” A similar filing was made in Australia. While automakers often renew trademarks as a form of futureproofing, the timing suggests this might be more than just a routine move.
Then, in February 2025, another trademark appeared—this time in Brazil, with the addition of ‘GR’ in front of ‘Celica.’ This strongly implies that the car will be part of Toyota’s high-performance GR lineup, alongside models like the GR Yaris, GR Corolla, and GR86.
Will Toyota have a partner in developing the new Celica?
Toyota’s recent sports cars have all been developed in collaboration with other manufacturers—the Supra was co-developed with the BMW Z4, while the GT86 and GR86 were joint efforts with Subaru.
However, it appears that Toyota is handling the new Celica’s development internally, much like the rumored new MR2. This decision comes despite earlier comments made in 2024 by Tomoya Takahashi, president of Toyota’s GR performance division, who suggested that brand collaborations would become more frequent for future performance models.
What engine will power the new Toyota Celica?
According to Best Car—one of the main sources behind the Celica rumors—the car is expected to feature Toyota’s new turbocharged inline-four engine, currently in development.
This powertrain, announced earlier this year, has been designed with hybrid applications in mind. However, there’s no indication that the Celica will feature any electrified components. Instead, rumors suggest it will use the most powerful road-going variant of the engine—a 2.0-liter unit producing approximately 395 bhp.
In the Celica, this engine could be paired with a four-wheel-drive system and either a six-speed manual or an eight-speed automatic transmission.
The four-wheel-drive system is likely to be the GR-Four torque-splitting setup, similar to what’s found in the GR Yaris and GR Corolla.
How much will the new Toyota Celica cost?
Based on the many reports from Best Car, Toyota is positioning the new Celica as a more upmarket and premium sports car. The Audi Quattro has even been cited as an inspiration—though, of course, with modern 2020s technology instead of a retro 1980s approach.
It’s far too early to predict an exact price, especially since pricing varies greatly depending on the market. However, if Toyota is indeed taking a more high-end approach with the new Celica, it likely won’t be positioned as a budget-friendly performance option.
Will the new Toyota Celica be available in the UK?
This is where things become uncertain—selling new sports cars in Europe has become increasingly difficult. Toyota has already discontinued the GR86 and Supra in the UK, leaving the GR Yaris as its sole performance model, and even that is available in limited numbers.
So far, no leaks or reports have confirmed where the new Celica will be sold. However, there’s a real possibility that it may not make it to Europe.
Some reports have even suggested that the rumored MR2 revival could be exclusive to the Japanese market. If the Celica follows the same path, right-hand-drive models would still exist for those looking to import them.
That being said, the trademark filings indicate that the new Celica could be destined for markets like the U.S. and Australia, making its global availability a topic to watch closely.
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