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Toyota Registered The GR Celica Moniker As A Trademark

Published

1 year ago

February 11, 2025

Ehijie

Toyota has officially confirmed the return of the Celica, which will be sold alongside the next-generation GR 86, and it is now known that the “revived” model will actually be called the GR Celica and will become part of Toyota’s performance-focused GR lineup.

Toyota Motor Corporation submitted documentation to Brazil’s National Institute of Industrial Property and the Ministry of Economy on January 15. Unfortunately, apart from the name, there are no other details about the future eighth generation of the sports car at the moment.

The fact that Toyota has trademarked the GR Celica name in Brazil suggests that the model could be sold in South America in addition to key markets like Japan and Europe. However, availability will depend on Toyota’s broader strategy and whether the powertrain meets regional emissions regulations.

GR Celica Loading

The Celica’s return has been rumored for years, despite the fact that the seventh-generation model went down in history in 2006 without a direct successor. Toyota finally put the speculation to rest in 2024, when president Yuki Nakajima confirmed that the company was developing the Celica.

Toyota is currently developing a new 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that could power the GR Celica. This engine develops up to 406 horsepower in road-legal form and can be paired with all-wheel drive. It could also be fitted with the GR-Four “rally” system from the GR Yaris and GR Corolla.

Historically, all seven generations of the Celica sold between 1970 and 2006 had a front-engine layout, and it stands to reason that the eighth generation would follow suit. However, recent reports from Japan suggest that the GR Celica could adopt a mid-engine layout. These rumors gained momentum after Toyota unveiled a mid-engine GR Yaris prototype at the Tokyo Motor Show. The concept was initially believed to be a preview of the MR2.

Japanese magazine Best Car has suggested that the Celica and MR2 successors are actually the same car. While that might make sense in terms of R&D and costs, it contradicts earlier comments from a Gazoo Racing driver who hinted at an “MR something.”