Yes, you read the headline right. Japanese motoring publication Best Car has it on good authority that the relaunch of the Toyota Celica is just a few years away. While it’s a bit of an open secret that the Celica has a good chance of coming back, the same report has left us scratching our heads for a little bit.
Should the report be accurate, we might see the reborn Celica by 2028. That’s great news and all, but as a mid-engined coupe? Even we’re a little bit baffled.
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Putting the engine in the middle is more in line with a different Toyota sports car, namely the MR2. Traditionally, the Celica has been a front-engined coupe, starting out as rear-wheel drive before shifting to front-wheel drive in 1985. All-wheel drive was added in 1986 in the GT-Four, and a rally icon was born.
Before we get caught up on nostalgia, let’s move on to what could be the next Celica. The unorthodox engine placement aside, the coupe might get the classic ingredients that made it a formidable rally car. It’s said that that it will use Toyota’s new combustion engine and get all-wheel drive.
The engine? Dubbed the G20E, it’s a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine that’s set to power a good chunk of Toyota’s range. The second part is, it’s also destined for performance models as it is said to be highly tunable. Best Car claims it will make 395hp and 550Nm.
It’s said that the mid-engined GR Yaris concept is actually the test mule for the new Celica and not the MR2. That car will be entered in competition soon, likely to gain development input for the new sports car. Admittedly, we’re still a little skeptical about the report as it’s nothing like past Toyota Celica models. That said, we’ll have more answer soon, as Toyota will present a similar concept model soon.
