Toyota has been rumored to bring back the Celica for a while now. It’s just one of those things we fantasize about while driving to work, surrounded by RAV4s, CR-Vs, and F-150s.
The United States is having a sedan comeback. Automakers have finally realized that American families do care about size, but they want their vehicles small. Oh, and cheap, please. As a result, we’re finally getting a few good vehicles back in the American market, meaning we don’t have to just longingly watch countries in Europe get cheap Chinese EVs.
But there may be another reason to be jealous. The Toyota Celica is returning. But, as you may have guessed, it’s not coming back to the United States. Well, for now.
Of course.
Toyota Celica’s return to rally
Toyota has revealed its 2027 World Rally Championship plans, including adding a GR Celica rally car to the lineup. It’s an iconic moment for rally fans, since the Celica was quite prolific in the 1970s, 80s, and 90s. It even won the championship in 1993 and 1994.
Now, world champion Elfyn Evans and Sami Pajari will pilot the Celica, going against the GR Yaris driven by Ott Tanak, Kalle Rovanpera, and Takamoto Katsuta. This means there will be two teams.
“It’s awesome. I think it’s a cool angle. It’s a different way of doing it, which I think is unique for any sport,” Solberg told Motorsport.com.
View this post on Instagram
Okay, but what about those of us who don’t drive rally? Will we get to drive a Celica?
Right now, Toyota is expected to bring back a production car, although it hasn’t been announced yet. The WRC changed its rules, allowing teams to race with cars that don’t have a road-going version.
We have no details on the new Celica, including when it will be released or what drivetrain or performance it will have. Rumors suggest it will use a new mid-engine platform Toyota is developing, which would also underpin the equally mysterious MR2 return. It’s said to have a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine which could have over 400 horsepower. The Celica may also get this engine, codenamed G20E.
Will the Celica come back to the United States?
For now, the Celica GR won’t be in the United States. It won’t be anywhere except on a rally course.
Will it ever be in the U.S.? I think so.
The Celica was discontinued in America in 2005. At that time, it was selling for $18,000. The 2005 Corolla was selling for $13,000, to give you a comparison. I’d say it was a pretty affordable sports car.
Despite its fair pricing, the Celica saw a dramatic sales decline in the U.S. leading up to 2005. Five years prior, Toyota sold 52,406 units. By that point, however, only 3,113 were sold.
The Celica’s target demographic, younger buyers, were more interested in other sports car brands. These were seen as trendier. Think Miata, Scion tC, and RSX.
But as we all know, the car industry as a whole was shifting away from sports cars at that time. As demand declined for smaller sports coupes, automakers phased out these kinds of vehicles. Even the more popular ones like the Honda Prelude.
And as we all know now, Americans have been yearning to go back in time. Back to a time when sports cars were actually on the road. When fun cars were trending. When the highway wasn’t all SUVs.
Unfortunately, the Celica will likely not be released as a road car until the end of the decade. If that.
