Toyota’s revived GR Celica will be mid-engined, confusing fans

It’s pretty much assumed by now that Toyota will bring back the Celica, it’s just a matter of when. But a new report out of Japan comes with an extra dose of “what?” as well. Apparently, this new Celica will have a mid-engine configuration. Hmmm, it’s too bad Toyota didn’t have another mid-engined sports car nameplate lying around.

Since December 2023 rumors have been swirling about a mid-engined Toyota sports car. A prototype GR Yaris with the engine in the trunk was shown at various car shows and is slated to compete in Japan’s Super Taikyu enduro series later this month. Ultimately, Toyota insiders said they decided the car would have a bigger impact if the styling was more dramatically different than the GR Yaris’, opting for a traditional sports car wedge.

But now, Best Car reports that this wedge will not be a resurrected MR2, but a Celica instead. They seem to have gathered a good bit of intel from sources as well, including the project’s internal code, which is 710D. It was well known that the Toyota 86/Scion FR-S internal project code was 086A, and engineers reportedly waited until that number came up in the sequence to submit an application, but there seems to be no meaning behind 710D.

Best Car says the engine has been upgraded as well. Originally, the rumored MR2 was supposed to use the same turbocharged 1.6-liter inline-three from the GR Yaris/Corolla, but now the magazine says that a 2.0-liter  inline-four capable of 400ps and 406 lb-ft of torque. That’s a 79-horsepower increase from the rumored output of the three-cylinder, but the engine rumored to be under the Celica’s hood since last year. There will be no hybrid variant, and power will be sent to all four wheels.

Previously, it was being debated whether the “MR2” would have a single- or double-decklid design. The double-deck has won, providing extra structural rigidity. The report further states that the roof and hood will be of carbon fiber construction.  It had been reported that the car would come with a 6MT only, but now the GR Yaris/Corolla’s 8-speed direct automatic transmission will also be available.

The part of the article that got us most excited, however, describes how Toyota is prioritizing visibility in the A-pillar design. It says the windshield will curve on the left and right sides so the A-pillars can be positioned further back, providing more forward visibility, especially in corners. This is welcome news in an age where view of the road and track are often blocked by thick pillars.

As is the case with previous Toyota sports cars like the 86, a stripped-down track-ready RC trim will be available, likely with steel wheels and unpainted bumpers covers. The fully furnished will be called the RZ. Finally, Best Car says that the release date has been pushed back to April 2028, with a prototype to be unveiled at the 2027 Tokyo Auto Salon.

It’s a confusing shakeup, because while the AWD drivetrain can be linked with the Celica GT-Four and Toyota’s significant rally heritage, the mid-engine layout will have everyone immediately thinking about the MR2.

How did we get here? If we had to wager, we’d guess that Toyota wanted to revive the Celica and build a mid-engined performance car of some sort, likely the GR Yaris. But execs like chairman Akio Toyoda and president Koji Sato jumped the gun by talking about it publicly. So when the decision was made to change the mid-engined GR Yaris to a sports car body style, it was the perfect (or closest) fit for the Celica that was already promised.

Or, they realized they were building too many sports cars. If you’re keeping count, there’s the GR Yaris, GR Corolla, GR86, GR Supra, this new Celi2, and a rumored inline-six collab with Mazda, which may or may not be a GT3-level supercar. That’s a lot, more than any other mainstream carmaker right now, and it’s a good problem to have.