After many years of dormancy Toyota’s famed Castrol livery saw revivals this year, but on non-Toyota cars, oddly enough. Well, here’s the colorway once again, this time on a proper Toyota. Not only that, but the GR86 wearing the livery is as close to a modern Celica GT-Four as you can get, complete with turbo engine and all-wheel-drive.
Many JNCers have said from the beginning that the GR86 should have been called the Celica. After all, the Celica was more of a stylish coupe to the AE86’s boxy hatch and notchback. Naming it the Celica, however, would have probably put pressure on Toyota to offer a turbocharged or AWD option like the All-Trac/GT-Four, which the company seemed reluctant to do.
Well here’s a GR86 with both and, ironically, neither of them come from Subaru. Instead, the so-called GR86 Rally Legacy Concept’s powertrain comes from Toyota’s own performance parts bin, courtesy of the GR Yaris/Corolla. So in addition to an inline 3-cylinder taking the place of a boxer four, the engine orientation had to be changed from longitudinal to transverse.
The complex job was done at build partner Evasive Motorsports and required heaps of custom fabrication to make it all fit. While the G16 engine fit within the GR86 engine bay, it needed a modified subframe and steering rack, custom control arms and dampers to accommodate the hubs, spindles, and axles of the GR Corolla’s AWD system. Similarly, at the rear the GR86 needed custom work to place GR Corolla diff and axles.
According to Toyota the system still puts out the GR Corolla’s factory 300hp and 273 lb-ft, but there could be more power lurking about. Evasive added a performance intercooler, race ECU, and custom exhaust as well.
Visually its biggest cue to the Celica GT-Four, other than the warpaint, is its ST205-inspired hoop wing. There’s also an impressive quad driving light binnacle on the hood like the ones the Celica used on night stages.
“The aim is to evoke memories of the legendary rally car that enthusiasts have admired on rally stages and in popular racing video games… That idea led to a formative conversation about how cool it would be to create a modern interpretation of such an iconic car,” said Paul Doleshal, Toyota North America’s general manager of motorsports, describing the concept as, “A vision of how a contemporary version of the legendary Celica GT-Four might appear.”
“We did this build for our GR and Toyota Rally fans—it’s a fantasy car come to life,” explained Mike Tripp, group vice president for Toyota marketing. “Our way of celebrating our past achievements and the possibility of the World Rally Championship making a return to the United States.” WRC is said to be working on incorporating a US-based stage for the 2026 season. It would be the first American WRC event since the Olympus Rally, which ran from 1986-88.
Does the GR86 Rally Legacy Concept portend any other revivals? Current Toyota CEO Koji Sato said it was his life’s dream to bring back the Celica. Former CEO and current Chairman Akio Toyoda has been making lots of noise about it as well, palling around with GT-Four driver and WRC champ Juha Kankkunen, whom he affectionately calls Mr Celica. Toyoda-san has even been trying to get Subaru and Mitsubishi back into WRC.
Despite all this, we think the GR86 isn’t a teaser for anything greater. It’s a SEMA Show car built by Toyota North America, which conducts its own marketing. If Toyota — or Toyoda — really wanted to drop a hint about a Celica revival, it would likely come from the home market at a venue such as the Japan Mobility Show or Tokyo Auto Salon. Still, this is a righteous and impressive build that tugs at the right heartstrings. Combined with the 4Runner TRD Surf, Toyota is digging deep into its rich history for its show cars, and we are here for it.
Additional Images:
Images courtesy of Toyota.
*YAWN* It’s a one off custom build for the SEMA show. It has ZERO chance of being produced. Cal me if/when a real Celica is shown to the press, and not just some digital renders in the Japanese tabloid auto press.
Well I look at this differently. While it really should be built in a few units for ACTUAL ARA rally use, and not a show car, the look of this is just right.
I would want that rear spoiler into the GR parts catalog.
This is what a rally car should look like, not a box with crap hanging all over it like the Toyota, Ford and Hyundai on the WRC. Those cars have no emotional context.
Having said all of that, I lament the complete waste of time to create a roll cage and preparation to build this car when a CG version could easily and for le$$ have done the job if it really isn’t going anywhere.
Toyota, support ARA and give some competition to Subaru and VSC.
There’s also the Toyota GRIP anime where they blipped “Celica mk8” & an st165 sihouette on the whiteboard (and mk4 MR2, etc)…not that I’m holding my breath.
https://www.roadandtrack.com/news/a62785934/toyota-uses-anime-series-to-hint-at-the-return-of-the-celica-and-mr2/
I get the looks of those now! They should’ve named those “Celica” instead of GR86 and gave it a proper Yota engine and I think it would do better. I like it in that white paint, those wheels and that spoiler.