After years of speculation and guessing headlines, Toyota has finally confirmed that the Celica name will make a comeback. This announcement came from none other than Toyota’s executive vice president, Yuki Nakajima, at a public event at the Toyota Stadium combined with Rally Japan. This confirmation came as an impromptu reveal. When Toyota President Akio Toyoda was directly asked about the possibility of a new Celica, he skillfully dodged the question, redirecting it to Nakajima.
Toyota Officially Confirms the Return of the Iconic Celica Name After an 18-Year Hiatus
Nakajima replied, “To be honest, there are currently no signs of that happening. However, many people in the company are eagerly awaiting the Celica. So… I’m not sure if it’s okay to say this in a public forum, but we are working on the Celica.”
The Celica maintained a consistent presence in Toyota’s lineup from 1970 to 2006, spanning seven generations. According to unconfirmed rumors from Japan, the eighth-generation model could debut as early as the 2025 Tokyo Motor Show. However, this launch may be in concept form rather than the final production model.
At the Toyota Stadium event, Celica wasn’t the only topic that grabbed attention. An audience member inquired about the next generation of the GR86, specifically whether it would retain the front-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout and if it could feature a turbocharged powertrain.
Toyota GR86 racer in the Super Taikyu Series, Kazuya Oshima, replied mysteriously, “We are working on a lot of things for the future of this name. The development mainly takes place on the race track.”
Toyota has previously announced that they are developing new 1.5-liter and 2.0-liter engines designed to fit their electrified vehicle lineup. This initiative is part of a collaborative effort with Subaru and Mazda to secure the future of internal combustion engines (ICE). Among these, the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine stands out as a strong candidate for the new Celica. In its high-performance configuration, it is expected to deliver an impressive 400 horsepower.