Toyota has long refused to say anything about a new Celica. But now the brand's technical director confirms that the model is on its way back.
Toyota's technical director, Hiroki Nakajima, has confirmed that the Toyota Celica will make a comeback.
After a long period of speculation and hints, it has now been established that the iconic model will return.
Nakajima has previously said that he would like to see the car make a comeback. And now it seems that the plans have really been given the green light.
The affirmative words came in conjunction with the Rally Japan 2024 held in Aichi Prefecture. Here, Hiroki Nakajima was asked directly about Celica's future.
He answered briefly but very clearly: "We will make (a new, ed.) Celica."
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However, Nakajima quickly added that he wasn't sure if it was the right time to make the news public.
This suggests that the car is still in a very early stage of development. However, the statement is the clearest sign that the Celica is on its way back.
The story of the Celica's possible return has been brewing for some time. Back in 2023, Toyota's chairman, Akio Toyoda, mentioned in an interview with the Japanese magazine Best Car that he had urged the rest of the management to revive the name.
It was followed up by a number of very subtle hints, including a brief reference to a "Celica Mk8" in the Toyota anime series Grip . The series has also mentioned potential new generations of other Toyota models such as the GR86 and MR2.
During Rally Japan 2024, questions were also asked about Toyota's future sports cars. Specifically, it was discussed whether the next generation GR86 will remain rear-wheel drive and whether it will get a turbo engine.
According to the normally well-informed Best Car, Gazoo Racing co-driver Kazuya Oshima confirmed that development is underway. However, he will not go into concrete details.
Toyota is also working on a new series of small four-cylinder engines with 1.5- and 2.0-liter displacements.
These engines are being tested and could potentially find their way into future models, including the upcoming Celica. A 2.0-liter engine with a turbo is expected to be among the options. While a 1.5-liter variant can come both with and without turbo.
Toyota's ambitions to revive their classic sports car models are closely followed here at Boosted as well.
