Toyota Celica to be reborn as electrified halo car: Low emissions and epic power for Honda Prelude beater
Toyota Gazoo Racing is putting the final finishing touches to an all-new fast hybrid coupe that will resurrect the Toyota Celica nameplate.
Built for both road use and to compete in the World Rally Championship, the new Toyota Celica Sport will serve as a replacement for the performance division’s GR Yaris and GR Corolla that will both be dropped from the range over emissions.
In the past Toyota had confirmed the return of the Celica, which is tipped to be called the Celica Sport as part of its revival, but Gazoo Racing’s marketing boss, Mikio Hayashi, has now provided fresh details on how the fast hybrid coupe is taking shape.
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“The displacement size of 1.6 litres, for example, cannot meet emission regulations.” Hayashi said, “so we have to consider the possibility of a 2.0-litre.”
As well as a larger engine, the new Celica will employ at least one turbocharger and emissions-slashing electrification to ensure it will remain emission-compliant well into the next decade.
Thanks to the hybrid component, the fast Toyota, is set to produce around 300kW in its most conservative tune and can pump out as much as 440kW with a larger turbocharger.
Ensuring not a single kilowatt is wasted, the all-new Celica Sport will also come with an advanced traction-boosting all-wheel drive.
Rumours suggest that the same hybrid powertrain which could come with a plug-in capability and a pure-electric range will be shared with the reborn MR2 roadster.
Some are even suggesting that the Celica is secretly being developed to mount its engine in the same mid-ship position as the MR2 in a bid to help differentiate it from the next Supra.
Such an arrangement could also give the Celica Sport the edge in motorsport over its traditional front-engine rivals.
Sadly, no timeframe has been provided for when the Celica will be launched but a new concept for the Toyota coupe could be rolled out as soon as later this year.
