Toyota officially confirmed the Celica nameplate will return, with a GR Celica Rally1 car competing in the 2027 World Rally Championship starting in late January at Rally Monte Carlo. This marks the first time Toyota has used the official Celica name in connection with the revival, which has been rumored for years.
The GR Celica will join Toyota Racing's WRC effort alongside the existing GR Yaris Rally1. Welsh driver Elfyn Evans, the 2026 WRC title winner, will lead the team alongside former Gazoo Racing driver Oliver Solberg, who finished runner-up in the 2026 season. Finnish driver Sami Pajari also joins the lineup.
A regulation change now permits Rally1 manufacturers to run variant models from the same manufacturer, provided main mechanical components remain identical. Tom Fowler, technical director of Toyota Gazoo Racing, explained to DirtFish: "We had this opportunity to use this as a marketing tool and as a tool to increase the participation and to make things more interesting."
The GR Celica and GR Yaris Rally1 will share the same mechanical platform, using a spaceframe chassis, turbocharged 1.6-liter inline-four engines, and homologated suspension, running gear, and brakes from the Rally2 category.
WRC homologation regulations require Toyota to produce at least 10 units within 24 months of homologation and supply at least 10 race-ready WRC27 cars annually to customers. These requirements apply only to rally-specific models, not road cars. Toyota has not announced whether or when a production Celica will arrive, though executives previously confirmed it would likely use an internal combustion engine. Details on shape, power, drivetrain, and seating remain unconfirmed.
The Celica competed in WRC from 1972 through the 1990s, with drivers Carlos Sainz Sr., Juha Kankkunen, and Didier Auriol winning titles in 1990, 1992, 1993, and 1994.