2028 Toyota Celica Leaked And It Looks Awesome

By far, one of the most talked about Japanese sports cars of late is the revival of the Toyota Celica. A production version of the car will, allegedly, return for the 2028 model year, after a 20-plus-year hiatus. 

Much speculation has been circulating online about the new Toyota Celica, and various scoops have been coming out of Japan. For a while, we were led to believe that the GR Celica would be mid-engine and that there would not be a new MR-2. That said, Toyota has trademarked both nameplates for multiple regions, including the US, Japan, Australia, and Europe. In fact, Toyota also trademarked the “MR-S” nameplate for the Australian market.

Up until now, we had no clue what either of these two cars would look like, but a recent leak shows what is believed to be the rally-spec Toyota GR Celica. Contrary to early reports that the new Celica would be mid-engine, this one seems to draw heavily from the brand’s rally heritage. 

A Gazoo Racing homologation special

The leak comes from Yahoo Sports, which reported on Toyota testing its new 2027 World Rally Championship car. Sadly, the video that popped up on social media was taken down, but you can still see glimpses of the car in Kirk Kreiels’ video on YouTube (linked above this paragraph). 

The car seen in the video is believed to be a replacement for the GR Yaris Rally1 hybrid, which Toyota currently races at the WRC. According to the new 2027 regulations, top-tier cars will need to be based on production models, and it seems the GR Celica will serve as a homologation for the new rally car. 

Harkening back to the 1990s Celica GT-Four 

Despite the camouflage, the test prototype shows clear inspiration from the ST205 Celica GT-Four - a car remembered for its rally success, but also one of the biggest scandals in WRC history. 

This confirms that the alleged, Celica-based rally car (and in turn the new Celica) will not be mid-engine, but instead be a modern interpretation of the 1990s rally legend. This means a front-mounted engine, which, judging by the short front end, will likely be transversely-mounted. 

We already know that the GR Celica will be powered by the company’s new 2.0-liter turbo-four engine, which will develop up to 400 horsepower in street form. We also know that the sports car will feature a GR-Four all-wheel-drive system similar to that on the GR Corolla and GR Yaris. Could the GR Celica share a platform with the GR Corolla? It remains to be seen, but given the history of the two Japanese models, I wouldn’t be surprised.

How will Toyota position the GR Celica in its lineup?

Toyota currently has one of the most comprehensive performance car lineups of any Japanese brand. There’s the lightweight, FR model in the form of the GR86, which is also in for a complete redesign, the GR Corolla hot hatchback, which is expected to get the G20E engine, and the flagship GR GT sports car. You may have noticed I didn’t mention the GR Supra, but that’s because it is discontinued. 

Related story: New Reports From Japan Regarding The Toyota Supra And Mazda RX-7 Successor Might Hint At Two Very Similar Sports Cars As The Two Brands Will Collaborate A Lot More Than We Initially Believed

The nameplate will not die with the fifth generation, but reports indicate that the next-gen Supra could be a hybrid. The introduction of the GR Celica could make the brand’s performance car lineup over-saturated. And that’s before we talk about the revival of the MR-2. We know the GR Yaris is retiring from racing, and this is where the new Celica comes in. 

About The Author

Dimitar Angelov has been an automotive journalist since 2014. His passion for cars and motorcycles led him to take up classic car restoration at the Classic Car Museum in Malta. While living there, he also graduated with a Master's in Media and Communications. Aside from Torquenews, his automotive coverage can also be seen on Topspeed, HotCars, Motorheads, Jalopnik, and his own website, Ridereverie.com, where he also includes motorcycle content. Other relevant experience to the automotive scene include working at a Toyota dealership, professional driving, and automotive insurance. Dim is happy to get behind the wheel of any car and share his impressions. You can follow Dimitar on X, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook.

Image source: Rallye Sport on X