Another piece of the puzzle has fallen into place for the return of the Toyota Celica. It has been rumoured for years and has been officially (and unofficially) teased by the company as it expands its Gazoo Racing performance sub-brand.
Now comes reports that Toyota has filed a trademark application for the ‘Celica’ name in Brazil, which doesn’t sound like a big deal but it suggests the corporate giant is putting its ducks in a row for a global launch.
READ MORE: Who is… Gazoo Racing
This follows Toyota’s subtle hit about a ‘Celica Mk8’ in its animated YouTube series, Grip, and a not-so-subtle comment from the company’s vice president, Yuki Nakajima, who was quoted by Japanese media in November last year all-but-confirming it.
“To be honest, there is no sign of it right now,” Nakajima said, sitting next to chairman Akio Toyoda. “However, there are many people within the company who are eagerly awaiting the Celica. So… I’m not sure if it’s okay to say this in a public forum, but we’re doing the Celica!”
The re-born model will likely be part of an expanded range of Gazoo Racing models, which already includes the GR 86, GR Yaris and GR Corolla, with a replacement for the Supra and a revived MR2 also on the cards.
READ MORE: Toyota’s plans for a new Supra
While there are no technical details to confirm, under Toyoda’s leadership the Japanese giant has been an advocate for the future of the internal combustion engine. Toyota is reportedly working on two new engines – a 1.5-litre and 2.0-litre – in partnership with Subaru and Mazda, which will be capable of supporting electrification or carbon-neutral fuels.
Bringing back the Celica at the same time Toyota needs to develop a new platform for the sixth-generation Supra, could mean a new rear-wheel drive architecture is being developed to underpin both models and share development costs across multiple models. It could also help Mazda revive the RX-7 (or a successor to it) if sports car fans get really lucky.
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