Toyota Dealers Got a Sneak Peek at the New Celica

Although we haven’t seen any spy shots yet, Toyota has been discussing the potential return of the Celica for a little over two years. The company even dropped a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it pseudo teaser during season two of its Grip anime series. An eighth generation of the affordable sports car is still in the works and is currently in “pretty advanced development,” according to the senior VP of product planning for North America.

Cooper Ericksen told MotorTrend that Toyota has running mules of the reborn Celica out and about. Not only that, but behind closed doors, dealers have been allowed to take an early look at prototypes and design sketches. The car’s styling remains a mystery, but Ericksen noted that all the renderings flooding social media are wrong. As for what will power it, he didn’t rule out a pure internal combustion engine, but he also didn’t dismiss the possibility of electrification.

Photo by: Toyota

If it goes the hybrid route, the new Celica could compete with another resurrected nameplate beloved by enthusiasts: the Honda Prelude. A fully electric version seems unlikely, especially since Toyota chairman Akio Toyoda recently expressed a preference for sports cars that have “the smell of gasoline and a noisy engine.”

Although a new Celica hasn’t been officially greenlit for North America, the fact that it’s in an advanced development phase makes us believe it’s on the way. If, somehow, it doesn’t reach the United States, it wouldn’t be the first Gazoo Racing product denied a US visa. America doesn’t get the GR Yaris, a diminutive hot hatch that would undercut the GR Corolla here. There’s also another forbidden fruit powered by the same turbocharged three-cylinder engine: Japan’s Lexus LBX Morizo RR.

The lack of photographic evidence likely means we’re in for a long wait to see the next-gen Celica. In the best-case scenario, we can’t imagine the car going on sale any earlier than 2027. But the Celica isn’t the only fun car Toyota has in the pipeline. The company has already announced that the Supra will return, and something will surely emerge from the wicked mid-engine concept we saw earlier this year. Perhaps a new MR2? The car’s name also appeared in the teaser.

Photo by: Toyota

Let’s not forget that Toyota has also teased a purely electric sports car. The last update on the FT-Se concept indicated it’s still in development. Hideaki Iida, project manager for the Gazoo Racing Design Group, told sister site InsideEVs the spicy EV is due after 2026. Chief engineer Fumihiko Hazama mentioned a dual-motor all-wheel-drive setup, a next-generation battery pack, and a 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) time of just three seconds.

However, the most intriguing performance car from Toyota may carry a different badge. The GR GT3 concept is expected to evolve into a street-legal Lexus supercar, potentially named the “LFR.” It’s rumored to feature a newly developed twin-turbo V-8, although nothing has been confirmed. Expect this flagship performance machine to break cover sooner rather than later.

While sports cars remain a niche market, Toyota gives us hope for a more thrilling future. Still, it raises the question of where a new Celica would fit in the lineup, considering the GR86 is here to stay and the Supra won’t be gone for long. With the GR-branded Yaris, Corolla, 86, Celica, Supra, MR2, and the LFR all potentially coexisting, things could get crowded in a few years. Not that we’re complaining, but the bean counters might.