(Motorsport-Total.com/Motor1) – Toyota currently has some exciting vehicles in the pipeline. Particularly interesting is an allegedly planned mid-engine, all-wheel-drive sports car – and a new video could now show it in action for the first time.
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The clip was published on X (formerly Twitter) by user @You_SuiKoyoAZ. It shows a prototype that we haven’t seen before during test drives on the Fuji Speedway. The video is only a few seconds long, but the gurgling sound of the exhaust system is clearly audible as the car accelerates through the corner. The shifting pattern also suggests that it could be a manual transmission. Here is the clip:
Prototype appears much closer to production
Compared to the mysterious prototype spotted during tests on rally tracks a few months ago, this example appears much closer to the production version. Clearly recognizable is a two-door coupé with narrow, downward-sloping headlights, a large opening in the hood, and taillights that strongly resemble Toyota’s current design language.
Based on the footage, however, it is not yet clearly discernible where exactly the engine is located. If we had to speculate, it could be the long-rumored mid-engine sports car that is supposed to bring back the Celica name. Or, as some reports suggest, the MR2.
According to rumors, the car is expected to use Toyota’s new 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbo petrol engine and drive all four wheels under the GR label. The model might not even bear a Toyota logo, as the manufacturer apparently wants to establish Gazoo Racing as an independent performance brand.
Up to 600 hp are rumored
Around 400 hp are expected for the road version. An even sharper variant with a larger turbocharger could, according to rumors, increase this output to almost 600 hp. A certain degree of electrification is also being considered.
If this is the same prototype that was already spotted on rally stages, a WRC version could debut even before the production vehicle. If all goes according to plan, this could happen as early as 2027.
Should this indeed be the long-awaited return of the Toyota Celica, we are definitely curious. Visually and acoustically, the small sports car already makes a promising impression.
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