Toyota’s Celica Comeback Could Be Far More Serious Than Expected

It has been about 20 years since the Toyota Celica disappeared. Now it looks like it is coming back, and not in a quiet way.

Toyota has been hinting at it for a while. The clearest signal came from Gazoo Racing and its plans for the 2027 World Rally Championship. They did not say the name, but it is hard to see it being anything else. One detail already stands out. It will use all-wheel drive, which points straight to a modern GT Four setup.

The engine is where things get interesting. Toyota is working on a new 2.0-liter turbo called the G20E, based on the larger 2.4-liter T24A. That engine already sits in a few models, so the foundation is solid. The G20E is meant for performance cars, stepping in where the old V6 used to be.

Power numbers are not confirmed yet, but early talk suggests around 450 hp. That lines up with what Toyota is testing in a GR Yaris prototype. That car is pushing similar numbers, and it comes with a twist. The engine sits in the middle, not up front.

That opens up a question. If Toyota goes that route, the new Celica could end up mid-engined. It is not confirmed, but it is not off the table either.

Toyota is also building the engine to handle more than it needs to. Reports suggest it could take up to 600 hp, even if the production version will sit lower. That says a lot about how serious they are with this project. Hybrid tech is still being considered, but nothing is locked in.

There is no launch date yet, but the direction feels clear. Toyota looks like it wants the Celica to matter again.