Toyota is moving closer to reviving one of its most beloved sports car nameplates. According to reporting from Autocar published in late August 2026, the Celica — absent from showrooms for more than two decades — is set to return as an entry-level model for Toyota’s GR performance brand. The comeback fits directly into a project Toyota chairman Akio Toyoda has spoken about affectionately: resurrecting what he calls the “three brothers,” referring to the Supra, MR2, and Celica.
Two of the three are already in motion. The Supra returned years ago through a partnership with BMW, and Toyota has been actively developing a revived mid-engine MR2. The Celica is reportedly next in line, positioned as a more accessible entry point into Toyota’s expanding Gazoo Racing performance range — a lineup that’s simultaneously growing at the opposite extreme with the V8-powered GR GT flagship, the spiritual successor to the Lexus LFA.
What’s Actually Confirmed So Far
Toyota has not officially announced the Celica’s return, and the company hasn’t committed to a public timeline, so key details remain unconfirmed. But several facts have been verified through on-record statements rather than anonymous leaks. Gazoo Racing marketing manager Mikio Hayashi confirmed to Autocar that Toyota is developing a new engine for the project, likely a hybrid, and explained why the GR Yaris and GR Corolla’s current 1.6-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine won’t carry over: “The displacement size of 1.6 litres, for example, cannot meet emission regulations. So we have to consider the possibility of a 2.0-litre.” That new engine, internally designated the G20E, is a turbocharged four-cylinder Toyota has previously confirmed is in development for performance applications, though the company hasn’t disclosed a final displacement or output figure.
Separately, Toyota EVP Yuki Nakajima confirmed to Japanese outlet Best Car back at Rally Japan in 2024 that the Celica revival was happening, well before this latest wave of reporting. What remains genuinely speculative is horsepower — figures around 400 hp have circulated across multiple outlets, but Toyota has not published an official number, and readers should treat those figures as informed estimates rather than confirmed specifications.
A Different Personality Than the Honda Prelude
Autocar’s reporting indicates the new Celica, likely to be called the Celica Sport, will use all-wheel drive in both road and competition forms — a deliberate design choice that separates it from the front-wheel-drive Honda Prelude, which returned as a hybrid sports coupe earlier this year. That AWD layout would also echo the Celica’s rally-bred GT-Four models from the 1980s and ’90s, though there’s no current indication Toyota plans to revive the GT-Four name specifically. Toyota previously confirmed the new Celica will share its underlying architecture with the next-generation Corolla, following the same cost-conscious platform-sharing approach used for previous Celica generations rather than a bespoke chassis.
A Motorsport Connection in the Background
Adding weight to the timing of this reporting, Toyota has recently been testing its 2027 World Rally Championship contender wearing a distinctly different two-door body shape, a departure from the GR Yaris it currently campaigns in competition. Next year’s WRC regulations no longer require a team’s rally car to match a current production model’s bodywork, but using the new Celica to promote the road car would follow a pattern Toyota has leaned on before — the Celica won the WRC manufacturers’ title in 1993 and 1994 during its rally heyday, before a disqualification for a technical infringement in 1995.
What This Means for Toyota Fans
For enthusiasts who’ve been waiting for Toyota to complete its “three brothers” revival, the Celica’s return appears increasingly likely based on multiple corroborating, on-record sources, even though Toyota hasn’t made an official announcement or committed to firm specifications. The AWD hybrid direction, distinct from both the rear-wheel-drive GR 86 and the front-wheel-drive Honda Prelude, suggests Toyota is carving out a genuinely different niche for the nameplate rather than simply reviving a badge on an existing platform. Given how much remains unofficial at this stage, interested buyers should treat specific power figures and launch timing as informed speculation until Toyota confirms details directly.
