The popular Toyota Celica sports car is all set to make a return. This development has been confirmed by the brand’s vice president, Yuki Nakajima, at an event in Japan.
- New Celica could be part of Toyota’s larger sports car plan
- The last unit of Celica was produced 18 years ago
Toyota seems to be readying the next Celica 18 years after production of the previous-gen car ended. The talks and discussions of the model being revived have been going on for a few years. Our sister publication, Autocar UK, was informed last year that a reborn Celica was being considered, but no executive would go on record to confirm that.
However, speaking at this weekend’s Rally Japan, Nakajima said unambiguously, “We’re making the Celica!” according to Best Car Web.
He further 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!”
This development also comes after a recent episode of the company’s self-published anime series, GRIP, briefly showed a whiteboard containing a list of new models in the sports car segment. The list comprised the Supra Mk6, Celica Mk8, MR2 Mk4, GR86 Mk3 and GR GT3. Notably, the whiteboard features alongside a character called Master Rugu, who guides the show’s protagonists in their battle against autonomous race cars.
Toyota is yet to confirm the new sports cars, but the teaser follows months of reports that the Gazoo Racing line-up is due to be drastically expanded.
Toyota chairman Akio Toyoda, the driving force behind the creation of Gazoo Racing, has previously spoken of his ambition to revive what he calls the “three brothers”: the Celica, MR2 and Supra.
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