Friday 2nd December 2016

Toyota Celica WRC: Pic Of The Week

Toyota is back in the WRC next month, so time to celebrate one of our favourites!

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Here's a question for you: has a Castrol Toyota ever looked naff? We would wager not, from Supra to Corolla and Celica to GT86. So with the 2017 WRC season just a few weeks off, and Toyota set to make its return, it seemed time to remember the glory days.

Well, kind of. The Celica GT-Four became shrouded in infamy after the 1995 air restrictor cheating scandal, rather tarnishing its earlier achievements in the WRC. Still, as cheating goes it was a very clever and well engineered device...

Fortunately this picture is from the 1993 season with Juha Kankkunen leading the 1000 Lakes rally, an event he went on to win. Indeed it was a championship he went on to win in a very successful year for Toyota; Didier Auriol finished the season in third and Toyota won the Manufacturers' Championship.

And, well, Finnish drivers going sideways on Finnish rallies always go down well with us. If the new Yaris can capture the imagination half as well it'll be doing a very good job!

Traditional (4:3)
Computer widescreen (16:10)
TV widescreen (16:9)
Portrait (smartphone etc)

[RedAndy]

that's a bit lazy... THIS is a picture of an ST185 Celica "in action"

[Mr.Jimbo]

A local (Coventry) toyota dealer often has a white GT86 sat out front with Castrol livery applied and it looks fantastic, just a classic livery imo.

Edit: I'm not sure if it's an official Toyota car - looks like the same car here (same wheels etc): http://blog.toyota.co.uk/toyota-gt86-castrol-gt-fo...

On the subject of iconic liveries, I wish Ford had used this for more than one event, looked amazing out on the stages.


Oh and Subaru - this was mega.


Sorry, got a bit nostalgic there

Edited by Mr.Jimbo on Friday 2nd December 13:50

[ilovequo]

Austin McHale ised to race one of these!
When i looked at that photo it all came flooding back!
Idling at stage end.
Smelling of molten rubber and burnt hi-octane.
Brakes steaming.
Covered in mud.

Good days!

[Iceicebaby1980]

In the process of doing a gt4 up. Needs a lot doing to get it to were I want it. Paint suspension wheels maybe a forged engine

[xRIEx]

Mr.Jimbo said:

Oh and Subaru - this was mega.


Sorry, got a bit nostalgic there

Ah, those heady days of late 2015, early 2016; we won't see their like again.

[Escy]

I think the Celica was the best looking car on the stages at the time. Seemed more sporty and exotic than the other cars. I especially liked the Safari spec ones.

[dazvr]

I remember well spectating the '94' RAC rally with Didier Auriol Driving the ST185 Celica , blooming brilliant! It sounded like a firework display approaching , banging through the exhaust and it was a good looking car too .
Nearly went to spectate on the rally GB this year but wasn't able to, seeing the latest cars on TV now though I think they all look and sound very similar ?!

[Evolved]

xRIEx said:

Ah, those heady days of late 2015, early 2016; we won't see their like again.

Haha

The good old days...

[F1GTRUeno]

Been doing a bit of reading into the air restrictor cheat and the fact that even Max Mosley said it was the best bit of cheating they've seen in 30 odd years was something.

People will always try and circumvent restrictions because we don't like being told what to do. This was so well executed I think they should've been applauded rather than banned.

As an aside I'll be truly disappointed if the Yaris doesn't feature even a nod to the Castrol colour scheme. One of the most iconic of all time IMO.

[GT6 Jonsey]

The Marlboro st165 is the first car that pops to mind any time someone mentions the Toyota Celica rally campaign. Loved that car, the old man had the road going GT twin cam and I had the Tamiya radio controlled car as a kid.

[Leins]

Castrol Toyotas always make me think of poor old Sainz stopping a few hundred metres from the finish and losing out the championship

[TotalControl]

The ST185 and 205 are one of my all time favourite cars. So much better looking than its competition at the time.

[Alex Langheck]

Castrol Toyotas, plus the K- AM reg plates, from a golden age of WRC. The ST185 was actually entered as the Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD, rather than the GT4 as the previous, and latter versions were.

Sadly, next year we get the Yaris.....and what is basically TTF, Toyota Team Finland....why TMG in Cologne aren't running the programme beggars belief.

[Willhire89]

Video of Africa Rally : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jq4IlMEk-_A

[generationx]

Alex Langheck said:

Castrol Toyotas, plus the K- AM reg plates, from a golden age of WRC. The ST185 was actually entered as the Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD, rather than the GT4 as the previous, and latter versions were.

Sadly, next year we get the Yaris.....and what is basically TTF, Toyota Team Finland....why TMG in Cologne aren't running the programme beggars belief.

TMG designed and built a car for the new regs then the goalposts were moved. They are still providing the engine which will be on the start line for Monte 2017.

[200Plus Club]

My old ST205 with nearly 350bhp, factory recaro seats, aftermarket harnesses and great brakes.
Loved that car

[Dapster]

RedAndy said:

that's a bit lazy... THIS is a picture of an ST185 Celica "in action"