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Do these rally car shots show the new Toyota Celica?

Phill Tromans
Mon, 02 Mar 2026
  • Toyota's 2027 World Rally Championship car spotted testing in Portugal
  • Coupe bodystyle hints at the look of the new Celica
  • Toyota Celica won the WRC in 1993 and 1994
  • Toyota has already confirmed that the Celica will return

Coud this camouflaged rally prototype give us our first glimpse of the forthcoming new Toyota Celica?

Toyota confirmed in 2024 that it would reintroduce the classic badge, and now photos published by French website Rallye-Sport.fr have shown a new coupe rally car testing in Portugal.

The all-new car is set to debut in the World Rally Championship next year, and it doesn't take a huge leap of faith to link the development of a new rallying coupe with the history of the Celica, which won the WRC in 1993 and 1994.

The photos, taken by Marcio Pereira, show the car in Toyota's testing livery, which disguises the bodywork somewhat with the usual rally arches, diffuser and big wing, but gives us a general idea of what a future production coupe could look like.

Nothing has been confirmed by Toyota yet, so this is pure (informed) speculation. But wouldn't it be nice to have a new Celica with bona-fide rally credentials back in showrooms?

We'll update this article with more information about the new Toyota Celica when it becomes available.

Ask HJ

Why aren't Japanese boxy vans and pickups sold in the UK?

Is there a reason why Japanese auto makers don't export these vehicles to the UK. I am amazed with the versatility of these vehicles and how they seem to cope with even the very heavy snow in the north of Japan.
Kei cars are a vehicle type created to satisfy certain regulations in Japan, giving people the option to own a vehicle with low insurance and tax as well as generally being exempt from parking regulations which demand the owner has somewhere to park it before being allowed to own a car. There is a very diverse range of kei cars which includes vans, pickups, sports cars and even convertibles, but the main issue with them being exported is the cost. Small cars cost almost as much as larger cars to produce and ship, but the profit margin is much smaller. While they have something of a cult following in Europe the reality is that the market for them would be so small as to make them financially unviable. There is also the fact that their strict exterior dimensions - 3.4 metres in length and 1.48 metres wide - could make driving them among towering SUVs a less than enjoyable experience.
Answered by David Ross
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