Development work on a new sports car which may revive the lauded Toyota Celica name is well advanced, according to a senior Toyota executive – and it may pass on electrification and instead offer only internal combustion engine (ICE) power.
The long-rumoured return of the Celica, a two-door sports coupe dropped from the global Toyota lineup after seven generations in 2006, was confirmed by a Toyota executive in Japan in late 2024.
The comment by Toyota executive vice president Yuki Nakajima was perhaps premature given there’s been no official word on a born-again Celica since then – neither from Japan nor Australia or the US, which would be a key market for a new sports coupe wearing the well-regarded Celica nameplate.
Of course, it may also have been a pre-emptive strike in response to news that a former Celica showroom rival – the Honda Prelude – would be making a comeback in 2026.
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“To be honest, there is no sign of it right now,” Nakajima-san said in translated comments reported by by Best Car Web in November.
“However, there are many people within the company who are eagerly awaiting the Celica. So – I’m not sure if it’s okay to say this in a public forum – but we’re doing the Celica!”
Release timing for the new Celica is yet to be confirmed, but dealers in the US have reportedly seen development versions of the vehicle, suggesting it is not far from showrooms and may be publicly revealed later this year – or early 2026.
Speaking to US title Motor Trend recently, Toyota Motor North America’s product lead Cooper Ericksen said test mules for a suitable Celica replacement are at “pretty advanced” stages of development.
“People are talking about it,” Mr Ericksen told Motor Trend.
“Bottom line is we are working on a product that could theoretically go by the Celica name if we can figure out how to pull it off and it gets approved.”
Mr Ericksen suggested the development vehicles shown to dealers and trundling around test tracks include non-hybrid versions, which would be in line with other Toyota GR-branded performance models like the GR Yaris, GR Corolla, GR 86 and GR Supra.
“Akio [Toyoda, Toyota Motor Corporation chairman] has said when it comes to specialised GR performance products, it is very difficult to replicate that emotional driving feel out on track with something other than traditional ICE,” he said.
While not ruling out hybrid or battery-electric versions of the would-be Celica, the Toyota US product boss hinted at a return to pure petrol power in an effort to make it affordable and entertaining to drive.
“I’m not closing the door to a vehicle that is ultra lightweight, that has a super-advanced system but is still a traditional ICE. It could be something that does not have an electric drive,” said Mr Ericksen.
An ICE powertrain could also pave the way for a new Celica equipped with a manual gearbox – something Toyota offers with all four of its existing GR models.
The Celica name has not been confirmed for the test cars Ericksen spoke about (there’s also speculation around Toyota reviving the MR2 name), and it’s not clear where the new model would fit into Toyota’s GR range, which currently comprises the GR 86 ($43,940-$49,600 before on-road costs), GR Yaris ($55,490-$62,990), GR Corolla ($67,990-$70,490) and GR Supra ($86,295-$96,295).
Previous versions of the Celica have typically been based on mid-size sedans – which in Australia included the Corona and, later, the Camry – and the most affordable versions weren’t fast enough to be considered serious performance cars.
The flagship Celica GT-Four – which was campaigned in the World Rally Championship – was arguably overshadowed in the 1990s by cult cars such as the Subaru Impreza WRX and Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution.
A variant of the Celica called the Supra was introduced in the US in 1977, which became a model in its own right in 1986.
