- Toyota Motor Corporation recently filed a trademark for the GR Celica nameplate in Brazil.
- Company officials have confirmed the Celica’s return to the lineup in the near future.
- The model will likely feature a new turbocharged 2.0-liter engine, producing up to 400 hp.
Toyota has confirmed the Celica nameplate is making a comeback, set to be sold alongside the next-generation GR 86. Now, a newly uncovered trademark filing suggests the revived model will be called the GR Celica, bringing it in line with Toyota’s performance-focused GR lineup.
The trademark was filed by Toyota Motor Corporation with Brazil’s National Institute of Industrial Property and Ministry of Economy, with an application date of January 15 and a publishing date of February 4. Unfortunately, beyond the name, the filing doesn’t offer any new details about the upcoming eighth-generation sports car.
A Global Launch? Maybe
Toyota securing the trademark in Brazil suggests the GR Celica could be sold in South America alongside key markets like Japan and Europe. However, its availability will ultimately depend on Toyota’s broader strategy and whether the car’s powertrain meets regional emissions regulations—both of which remain unclear at this stage.
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The return of the Celica has been heavily rumored for years, despite the fact that the seventh-generation model was discontinued all the way back in 2006 without a direct successor. Toyota finally put speculation to rest in November 2024 when Vice President Yuki Nakajima confirmed at a public event in Japan:
“We’re doing the Celica.”
A 400-HP AWD Turbo Coupe?
Toyota’s new turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, currently in development, seems like a strong candidate for the GR Celica. Reports suggest it could produce up to 400 hp (298 kW / 406 PS) in road-going form. If so, the powertrain would likely be paired with AWD, possibly incorporating the rally-bred GR-Four system from the GR Yaris and GR Corolla hot hatches.
Mid-Engined or Traditional Front-Engined Layout?
Historically, all seven generations of the Celica sold between 1970 and 2006, featured a front-mounted engine. Logic suggests the new model will follow suit, but recent reports from Japan claim the GR Celica could instead adopt a mid-engine layout. This speculation gained traction after Toyota showcased a mid-engined GR Yaris prototype at the Tokyo Auto Salon, initially believed to preview the next MR2.
Japanese publication Best Car recently suggested the Celica and MR2 successors are actually the same car. While that would make sense from an R&D and cost-sharing perspective, it contradicts an earlier comment from a Gazoo Racing driver teasing an “MR-something.”
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Furthermore, an earlier teaser from the Toyota GRIP anime series included both the eighth-gen Celica and the fourth-gen MR2 as part of the brand’s future GR lineup. However, Toyota officials have yet to confirm the new Celica’s powertrain layout, leaving open the possibility that it could share development with the MR2.
With no official launch date for Toyota’s latest GR lineup addition, we’ll have to wait for more details later this year. In the meantime, the GR Yaris M Concept is set to make its racing debut at the Super Taikyu Series in July 2025, as Toyota continues developing its mid-engine platform.
