A new Toyota Celica has been rumoured for so long that it had started to seem like it would never happen. But if there’s one OEM to be relied on to follow through on exciting projects (and dropped hints), it’s Toyota. So the Gazoo Racing family will expand in 2027, with confirmation of a new Celica.
Well, sort of. It’s a WRC version that’s going to come first, and though there is plenty of online evidence of its new car testing, Toyota has declined to confirm what it will look like. That said, the manufacturer is well aware that even the mention of the nameplate in relation to world rallying is a pretty big deal, with that incredible heritage from the '80s and '90s to draw on.
The new GR Celica Rally1 will be part of a two-team WRC effort for the Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team in 2027, running separate cars; the new coupe (let’s assume it’s a coupe) will compete under the Toyota Racing banner. Then Gazoo Racing Toyota will field the GR Yaris; itself also a new car because of the Rally1 regs for next season, if more recognisable.
Toyota will want to continue its recent dominance, of course, hence such a big effort. This year it equalled the record for consecutive manufacturers’ titles with its sixth, and three of its stars - Elfyn Evans, Oliver Solberg and Sami Pajari - finished in the drivers’ championship podium places. All three will be retained for the new era, alongside Takamoto Katsudea, Ott Tanak and Kalle Rovenpera - that’s a heck of a lot of rally experience in a combined line-up.
Evans, Solberg and Pajari will be in the Celica, with Tanak, Katsuta and Rovanpera in the Yaris. Kalle will compete in selected events; opening up the door, reckons Toyota ‘to welcome other drivers into their line-up during the season.’ There’ll be no escaping Toyota’s presence in the opening season of the Rally1-spec World Rally Championship, basically: six factory cars on every single event, ‘entering two distinct squads with their own identities as equal challengers for victory, enhancing competition and creating new stories for fans to follow and enjoy.’
Currently TGR-WRT is developing both Rally1 cars in parallel, with a ‘2027 prototype car’ finishing up six days of testing in Finland. While Toyota has nothing more to say about the Celica for the moment, we won’t have to wait long: homologation should be completed next month, where we can expect ‘further details regarding the two cars and their liveries.’ Exciting news indeed - bring on that GT-Four…
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