Toyota Govt Confirms Celica Comeback: Report

Toyota has been dropping hints a couple of new Celica for over a yr. Chairman Akio Toyoda admitted in an interview printed by Finest Automobile journal in October 2023 that he had requested the higher-ups to revive the sports activities automobile. Final yr, president Tsuneji Sato publicly introduced his need for the beloved moniker to return. As if that wasn’t sufficient, “Celica Mk8” briefly appeared on a whiteboard in a current episode of Toyota’s Grip anime collection.

Now, the exact same Finest Automobile claims to have realized instantly from Toyota {that a} new Celica is within the works. The respected Japanese journal straight up requested Akio Toyoda if the long-rumored sports activities automobile is making a comeback. He refused to reply however redirected the query to the agency’s Chief Know-how Officer. Hiroki Nakajima is quoted saying: “We’ll make the Celica.”

Seemingly realizing it might not have been the proper time or place to make the announcement, the CTO added: “So I ponder if it is okay for me to say this.” The juicy disclosure was allegedly remodeled the weekend on the Toyota Stadium within the Aichi Prefecture as a part of the 2024 Rally Japan festivities. That is the closest we’ve gotten but to an official affirmation from Toyota that it’s dusting off the Celica identify.

Throughout the identical occasion, attendees have been allowed to ask questions. The viewers inquired Toyota about its plans for the next-generation GR86, particularly whether or not it will proceed to be rear-wheel drive and whether or not it will be turbocharged or not. Finest Automobile stories Gazoo Racing driver Kazuya Oshima took the microphone and stated the event group is “at the moment engaged on numerous issues.”

Toyota has gone on file to say it’s engaged on a brand new household of small four-cylinder engines with 1.5- and a couple of.0-liter displacements. One of many beefier powertrains has already been examined in a stripped-down Lexus IS, which didn’t sound half dangerous. The two.0 unit shall be turbocharged whereas the 1.5 is predicted to come back with and with out pressured induction.

Toyota’s Grip anime collection we talked about to start with additionally included a “GR86 Mk3,” a “Supra Mk6,” and even an “MR2 Mk4.” The checklist ended with a “GR GT3,” which is predicted to be a Toyota race automobile with a street-legal Lexus equal, purportedly known as “LFR.”