Work has started on next Celica, says Toyota

Toyota’s vice president has confirmed the Japanese brand is readying the next Celica, 18 years after production of the sports car ended.

Discussion on reviving the model name has been rife for years and Autocar was told last year that a reborn Celica was being considered as part of a new-era of electric Toyota sports cars – although no executives would go on record to confirm it.

However, speaking at this weekend’s Rally Japan, Yuki Nakajima said unambiguously: “We’re making the Celica!”

He added: “To be honest, there is no sign of it right now. However, there are many people within the company who 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!”

His announcement follows extra speculation during the past few weeks, with Toyota dropping hints that it was preparing to revive the MR2 and Celica nameplates, while also renewing the GR86 and GR Supra.

It also comes after a recent episode of the company’s self-published cartoon, called Grip, briefly showed a whiteboard containing a list of new models: a Supra Mk6, Celica Mk8, MR2 Mk4, GR86 Mk3 and GR GT3. 

Notably, the whiteboard features alongside character Master Rugu, who guides the show’s protagonists in their battle against autonomous race cars.

The new sports cars have yet to be officially confirmed for production by Toyota, but the teaser follows months of reports that the Gazoo Racing line-up is due to be drastically expanded.

Toyota chairman Akio Toyoda, who was the driving force behind the creation of GR, has previously spoken of his ambition to revive what he calls the “three brothers”: the Celica, MR2 and Supra.

As previously reported by Autocar, Toyota has been debating whether to press a new Celica into production on a new electric car platform that opens up “lots of different possibilities”.

Key to this architecture is a low seat height, enabling a more traditional sports cars experience. The FT-Se concept revealed at last year’s Tokyo motor show sits 75mm lower than the Porsche 718 Cayman. Its design is split into three modules, with single-piece front and rear ends.

This “allows us to be more extreme”, Shinya Ito, general manager of Lexus Electrified, told Autocar last year.

The new platform will also be used for a cab-forward two-seat sports car that channels the spirit of the MR2 and is based on the FT-Se concept. However, it won’t necessarily revive the MR2 name.

Japanese magazine Best Car reported earlier this year that the S-FR roadster concept revealed in 2015 has been given the green light for showrooms. Although its engine would be mounted up front rather than amidships, it’s possible that it will still take the MR2’s place as Toyota’s junior sports car, rivalling the Mazda MX-5.

Toyota has yet to speak openly about the next-generation Supra, but it’s likely to be due within the next three to four years, given the current car was launched in 2019.

The GR86, meanwhile, is set to be redesigned to meet new crash safety and engine emissions regulations, adopting a hybridised version of the turbocharged three-pot from the GR Yaris.

Speaking exclusively to Autocar during the 2023 Goodwood Festival of Speed, Toyota tech chief Hiroki Nakajima declined to confirm any plans for an all-new GR86 hybrid but said such a car was a “good idea”.

The GR GT3 supercar was shown in concept form in 2022.