- Toyota has swapped the 300 hp engine and all-wheel drive running gear from a GR Corolla into a GR86 coupe for SEMA.
- Red, white and green livery pays tribute to Toyota’s historic Celica GT-Four WRC cars.
- Automaker says the concept proves its commitment “to performance, nostalgia, and the future of rally racing.”
SEMA hasn’t even fully kicked off yet and already Toyota has come up with what could be the build of the show. A GR86 decked out in classic WRC Celica livery and fitted with the entire engine and all-wheel drive transmission setup from a GR Corolla hot hatch, it pushes more buttons than a 1940s switchboard operator.
Good as this car looks on the surface, and we’ll get to that in a moment, the heart of the project is that powertrain swap. And it can’t have been an easy one because the GR86 is designed around a longitudinally mounted boxer four that drives the rear wheels only and the GR Corolla is a transverse-engined hot hatch that sends power to all four corners.
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But Toyota’s build team managed to shoehorn in the Corolla’s 1.6-liter turbocharged triple despite it being considerably taller than the original Subaru motor. A special subframe was required along with plenty of modifications to adapt the Corolla hubs necessary to fit the front pair of driveshafts.
The engine is currently running a stock GR Corolla tune which delivers 300 hp (304 PS) and 273 lb-ft (370 Nm). But Toyota admits there’s scope to improve this with some simple tuning. And although it makes no claims of additional power, it has prepped the 86 for that eventuality by upgrading the inline three with a performance intercooler, an oil cooler and a race ECU to control the spark, fuelling and boost.
With an drivetrain setup closer to that of an old Celica GT-Four than a current GR86, the concept was crying out for a visual makeover inspired by Toyota’s 1980s and 1990s rally exploits, and that’s exactly what it got. The Halo White paint is offset by classic-looking red and green flourishes that sit nicely with the modern Toyota Gazoo Racing logos.
But it’s the details that really complete it, the red mudflaps, Celica GT-Four-style rear spoiler and bank of hood-mounted lights. Inside, the stripped interior features racing seats and six-point harnesses.
“We did this build for our GR and Toyota Rally fans,” said Toyota marketing boss Mike Tripp. “It’s a fantasy car come to life, our way of celebrating our past achievements and the possibility of the World Rally Championship making a return to the United States.”
But it also looks like yet another big hint from Toyota that the Celica is about to make a comeback.
