Toyota’s Next Big Sports Car Might Apparently Be a Turbocharged All-Paw Beast
Japan’s largest automaker isn’t taking the rebirth of one of its most beloved sports cars lightly.
More news has surfaced regarding the new and upcoming revival of the Toyota Celica. According to Great Britain AutoCaron the other side of the Atlantic, the next big sports car from the Japanese manufacturer will undergo significant changes under the hood.
But more than that, the British automotive publication spoke with Toyota executive Mikio Hayashi, who shared a few more details about the automaker’s progress. And, in doing so, he also, more or less, confirmed the return of Celica.
Turbo power and all-wheel drive are there
Toyota is hard at work developing a next-generation Celica, and it looks like it won’t look anything like the last one. – Credit: Toyota
We’ve known for some time that Toyota was working on a Celica revival. In 2024, during the annual Rally Japan event, former vice president Yuki Nakajima officially confirmed the return of the Celica.
Now, according to Coach, who spoke with Hayashi, Marketing Director of Gazoo Racing, further developments have surfaced regarding the finer details of the model.
Lately, the engineering team is working on a new 2.0-liter four-cylinder for the sports car. Originally, some thought Toyota might use the same 1.6-liter turbo-four powering the GR Yaris.
Rumors originally suggested that the new Celica would use the 1.6-liter turbo-four from the outgoing GR Yaris. This apparently won’t happen. – Credit: Toyota
However, stricter emissions regulations eliminated the viability of the 1.6 liter. So, engineers are working with a new 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder, which is part of the automaker’s new four-cylinder gasoline family.
Additionally, Hayashi even said that the team is considering gas-electric hybrid power.
“The 1.6 liter displacement, for example, cannot meet emissions regulations, so we have to consider the possibility of a 2.0 liter,” Hayashi said during their interview.
In 2024, Toyota announced a new family of four-cylinders aimed at standard and high-performance applications. The Celica could use one of the high-performance variants. – Credit: Toyota
“We’re thinking about different sizes, but we’re not at a stage where we can tell you exactly what size it is,” Hayashi continued. “Nothing has been decided yet as to whether it will be a standard hybrid or a plug-in hybrid.”
Asked further about the 2.0-liter engine, Hayashi replied: “We continue to develop it. We have high expectations. We cannot give a timetable, but can say that we are making steady progress.”
The new Celica will not be like the previous one
The previous seventh-generation Celica only came with front-wheel drive and the choice of two naturally aspirated gasoline four-bangers. – Credit: Toyota
It’s been two decades since Toyota gave us a Celica. However, the new one won’t look at all like the one we received last.
The previous seventh generation Celica used a front-wheel drive platform, which was the case for the sixth, fifth and fourth. The original three previous generations relied heavily on rear-wheel drive foundations.
So while the Celica had its share of alternative platforms, the latest will be the first to offer all-wheel drive out of the box since the sixth-generation model. And even then, traction on all legs was optional.
The sixth-generation Celica was the last model to offer turbocharged power and all-wheel traction. – Credit: Toyota
Nevertheless, the latest updates show how much Toyota wants to make the Celica a true modern sports car. It’s also a big deal since the Celica was once one of the brand’s most popular sports coupes.
And it’s also a car that has a lot of heritage, as many Celica models have been seen competing in various prestigious motorsport events over the years. Including the famous World Rally Championship.
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