Toyota is officially bringing back the Celica, confirming that a new GR Celica will compete in the World Rally Championship beginning in 2027. While the rally car is nearing its competition debut, a road-going version is also under development, though its arrival could still be several years away.
The announcement marks a major step in the return of the iconic sports car nameplate, with Toyota preparing a new rally machine for the championship’s revised regulations while continuing development of a separate production model.
2027 Toyota GR Celica Rally Car: What to Expect
The GR Celica rally car is being developed for the 2027 World Rally Championship season, when new regulations are scheduled to take effect to make top-level rallying more accessible to teams and manufacturers.
Camouflaged prototypes have been testing in public for months, but the competition car and the eventual road model will be significantly different.
The rally version uses a new control chassis that will be shared by all teams competing in the revised Rally1 premier category. That common platform has helped accelerate its development.
Rally1 teams will also use engines derived from the current Rally2 category, specifically turbocharged 1.6-liter inline-four units. Toyota plans to field two teams in Rally1 next year: Toyota Racing, with the new GR Celica, and Gazoo Racing, which will continue campaigning the current GR Yaris.
Although the rally car offers a glimpse of the new Celica’s general shape and styling, it provides few clues about the road car’s mechanical setup.
The rally model will have a front-mounted engine, while the production Celica has been rumored to use a new mid-engine platform currently under development.
When Will the New Toyota Celica Road Car Arrive?
The production version of the Toyota Celica remains in the early stages of development, with a showroom launch potentially not happening until closer to the end of the decade.
Gazoo Racing boss Tomoya Takahashi said earlier this year that the new mid-engine platform was only at the first of four development stages.
Toyota has encountered development challenges while working on the platform, using modified GR Yaris body shells for testing. That work recently progressed into a full race-spec car competing in Japan’s Super Taikyu racing series.
The Super Taikyu prototype has a significantly sleeker profile than the GR Celica rally car, offering a possible indication of the design direction for a future production sports car.
Toyota’s New 2.0-Liter Engine Could Power the Celica
Toyota is also developing a new turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four engine for the mid-engine platform. Code-named G20E, the engine is claimed to produce around 450 horsepower in standard form.
A milder naturally aspirated version could also be used in a future GR 86, while a hybrid version may be offered in the Celica.
The new platform could have applications beyond the Celica, potentially supporting the return of another Toyota sports car nameplate.
A modern MR2 is among the possibilities, meaning Toyota could be preparing to revive both the Celica and MR2. However, the Celica has not been officially confirmed as a mid-engine car.
Historically, the Celica was exclusively front-engined, and other rumors suggest the new model could be related to the next-generation Corolla.
Toyota Celica’s Rally History
The Celica has a long motorsports history, particularly in the World Rally Championship, where previous generations became some of Toyota’s most successful competition cars.
The Celica GT-Four, sold in North America as the All-Trac Turbo, was especially successful. It combined a turbocharged four-cylinder engine with full-time all-wheel drive and helped Toyota secure multiple WRC manufacturers’ and drivers’ titles during the 1990s.
That competition record cemented the Celica’s place in rally history, and Toyota’s decision to bring the nameplate back to the World Rally Championship signals the start of a new chapter.
For now, the 2027 GR Celica rally car is the confirmed project, while the production model’s platform, powertrain and launch timing remain under development.
