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Toyota’s Next Big Sports Car Might Apparently Be a Turbocharged All-Paw Beast

Japan’s biggest automaker isn’t taking the revival of one of its most beloved sports cars lightly.

Silver Toyota Celica GTS rear with spoiler and red taillights in outdoor setting.Toyota
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By Chris Chin

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More news has surfaced about the new and upcoming Toyota Celica revival. According to Britain’s AutoCar, across the pond, the Japanese automaker’s next big sports car will undergo significant changes under the hood.

The British auto publication spoke with Toyota executive Mikio Hayashi, who shared some more details about the automaker’s progress. In the process, he also, more or less, further confirmed the Celica’s return.

Turbo power and all-wheel traction are on tap

Silver Toyota sports coupe driving on a paved road with grass and sprinklers in the background.
Toyota’s hard at work developing a next-gen Celica, and it’s sounds like it’s going to be nothing like the previous one.
Toyota

We’ve already known for some time that Toyota’s working on a Celica revival. Back in 2024, at the annual Rally Japan event, former vice president, Yuki Nakajima, officially confirmed the Celica’s return.

Now, according to AutoCar, who spoke with Hayashi, Gazoo Racing’s marketing manager, more developments surfaced regarding the model’s nitty gritty details.

In the latest, the engineering team is working with a new 2.0-liter four-cylinder for the sports car. Originally, some thought Toyota might use the same 1.6-liter turbo-four powering the GR Yaris.

White Toyota GR Yaris hatchback with illuminated taillights driving on a curved racetrack at night.
Rumors originally suggested the new Celica would use the outgoing GR Yaris’ 1.6-liter turbo-four. That is apparently not going to happen.
Toyota

However, stricter emissions regulations eliminated the 1.6-liter’s viability. So, engineers are working with a new 2.0-liter turbo-four, which is part of the automaker’s new family of gas-powered four-cylinders.

Additionally, Hayashi even said that the team is considering gas-electric hybrid power.

“The displacement size of 1.6 liters, for example, cannot meet emission regulations. So we have to consider the possibility of a 2.0-liter,” Hayashi said during their interview.

Silver car engine with a red valve cover and turbocharger mounted on a black platform.
In 2024, Toyota announced a new family of four-cylinders for both standard and high-performance applications. The Celica might use one of the high-performance variants.
Toyota

“We are thinking about various sizes, but we are not at a stage where we can tell you exactly what size it is,” Hayashi continued. “Nothing has been decided yet about whether it will be a standard hybrid or plug-in hybrid.”

When further asked about the 2.0-liter engine, Hayashi replied: “We are continuing to develop that. We have high expectations. We cannot point to a timeline, but can say we are making steady progress.”

The new Celica won’t be like the last one

Silver Toyota Celica GT-S coupe parked on a road with mountains and trees in the background.
The previous seventh-gen Celica only came with front-wheel drive and the choice of two naturally-aspirated gasoline four-bangers.
Toyota

It’s been two decades since Toyota gave us a Celica. The new one, however, isn’t going to be at all like the one we last got.

The previous seventh-generation Celica employed a front-wheel-drive platform (which was the case for the sixth, fifth and fourth generations as well). The original three previous generations largely relied on rear-wheel-drive underpinnings.

So, while the Celica had its fair share of alternate platforms, the latest one will be the first to offer all-wheel drive from the get-go since the sixth-gen model. And even then, all-paw traction was optional.

Red two-door sports coupe with round headlights and silver alloy wheels on asphalt.
The sixth-gen Celica was the last model to offer turbo power and all-paw traction.
Toyota

Nonetheless, the latest updates showcase how serious Toyota is about making the Celica into a true, modern sports car. It’s also a big deal since the Celica was once one of the brand’s most popular sports coupes.

And it’s one that also comes with a lot of heritage, as many Celica models were seen competing in various prestigious motorsports events over the years. Including the famous World Rally Championship.

About the Author: Chris Chin is an associate editor at Gear Patrol, covering cars, trucks and anything else with four wheels. He has over a decade of experience writing news and reviews but considers himself an enthusiast first, with a passion for classics and European cars. His daily driver is a 1987 Mercedes-Benz 560SEL with nearly 250,000 miles (87,000 are his).

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