Toyota Recently Leaked The Biggest GR Celica Teaser, And There Is One Thing That Worries Me is the engine

Toyota WRC27 rally car hints at a 1990s-inspired GR Celica

Toyota GR Celica looks the business, but with so many performance models, the company needs to be careful about slotting the revived sports car.

Posted: March 5, 2026 - 11:58AM
Author: Dimitar Angelov

Earlier today, I wrote about the leaked footage of Toyota’s 2027 WRC car, and how it is our first glimpse of the upcoming GR Celica. Until recently, we had no idea how the next-generation of the Japanese sports car would look like, but this gives us a pretty good idea. Toyota is, currently, the only carmaker that develops a new rally car that adheres to the 2027 WRC regulations. According to those, the rally variant needs to be based on a production model. This new rally car is unlike anything we have seen before, and is said to replace the GR Yaris, which Toyota is currently racing.

The way I see it, Toyota has a chance to win big with this one, despite the sports car market being a small niche compared to more mass-produced models. In order to do so, there are a few things Toyota needs to get right, and one of them has to do with where the car will slot in the brand’s GR lineup.

What I think Toyota is doing right with the Celica

Judging by Toyota's WRC27 prototype, the 2028 Toyota GR Celica could look very similar to the 1990s Celica GT-Four

The now-deleted footage showed a two-door coupe body style with large windows, a tall rear wing, and a short front end. Even with the camouflage on, the throwback to the 1990s Celica GT-Four is clearly recognizable. This hints at a transversely-mounted engine at the front, and we already know the car will feature an all-wheel-drive system similar to the GR Corolla’s.

One thing that worries me is the engine, as I noticed something peculiar about it

So far, we have been hearing reports that the company’s new G20E, 2.0-liter turbo-four engine will power the GR Celica, and that in street trim the unit will produce up to 400 horsepower and 406 pound-feet. The same engine will also reportedly power the next-generation Toyota Supra, aided by an electric motor, where combined output is expected to be at least 450 horsepower.

That is, unless Toyota decides to rework Mazda’s existing inline-six engine, as earlier reports suggested.

Rallye Sport recently posted a video of Toyota’s 2027 WRC car, and I paid special attention to the engine sound. I can’t help but feel like this is the same engine soundtrack we get on Toyota’s current rally car, the GR Yaris Rally1 and Rally2. Both are powered by a 1.6-liter turbocharged inline-four, with the latter being a hybrid. According to the WRC27 regulations, the cars have to be powered by 1,600cc engines working with 100 percent synthetic fuel.

Toyota is one of the carmakers that has made significant efforts in synthetic fuels, with the help of partners like Exxon Mobil. The question that bothers me is, will the production car have the 2.0-liter engine or not? The current 1.6-liter Toyota is using for rallying and has the internal designation “GRE”, and is not a detuned version of the new G20E engine.

I think not getting the 2028 GR Celica with the 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four will be a mistake, so I am really hoping there is a base Celica and a GR Celica, featuring the 400-horsepower, G20E unit. Another option is that this is a modified body of the Celica, still in prototype form, and Toyota is simply using it as a test mule to dial in next-year’s chassis, suspension, and drivetrain. If so, this will be the ultimate trolling move by the Japanese carmaker.

I am curious to hear your thoughts on the upcoming Celica. Would you settle for anything less than a 2.0-liter turbo-four? Perhaps they are keeping it for the GR Supra and GR MR-2/ MR-S. Let me know what you think in the comments below.

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 work can also be seen on Topspeed.com, HotCars.com, Motorheads.com, Jalopnik.com, 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.

Experience

2012-2017 and 2025-Present: Insurance Advisor - ANG Univers and Generali Insurance Group
2016-2016: Car salesman at Toyota dealership
2014-Present: Automotive journalist, blogger, vlogger, test driver

Education