Rumor: Next Celica to be made by Subaru

16375 Views 90 Replies 28 Participants Last post by blacken, Feb 25, 2008

Tideland Prius

Discussion Starter · Feb 4, 2008

Back in November Toyota’s German Chief Markus Schrick confirmed Toyota was working on several new sports cars including a replacement for the Celica, and now Japanese magazines are claiming the new model will arrive as early as next year. The new car is said to be the joint-effort of a collaboration between Toyota and Subaru and it will reportedly be offered in two different variants, a cheaper GT model and a high-performance AWD GT-Four.

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GT-Four AWD (symmetrical AWD I guess, not the All-Trac or V-Flex) + 300hp!

1 - 20 of 91 Posts

TRD-MX83

· #2 · Feb 4, 2008

yes... finally... something good out of the subaru/toyota deal.. =)

EchoHoLiK

· #3 · Feb 4, 2008

So it's basically a Toyota Impreza.......I'm liking the idea, but I doubt they'll call it a "Celica" though.

Let's hope this is not just a rumor.

EvoFire

· #4 · Feb 4, 2008

Interesting. The fact that they are bringing back the Celica isn't the most interesting part, but the fact that they said they have A FEW in the works.

RningOnFumes

· #5 · Feb 4, 2008

Out of curiosity, will toyota use boxer engines for them (as options at least)? Love those things.

ECHOKnight2000

· #6 · Feb 4, 2008 (Edited)

That would be awesome if this was true. I remember reading after Toyota bought part of Fuji Industries which owns Subie in that they plan to make something out of this joint effort soon. I just hope they differenciate the car enough (design wise) to at least make it Toyota even if it has a Subie engine and drivetrain. NOt just a rebadge. Can't wait. I believe it when I see it but since this is a joint effort and Toyota is using an engine and drivetrain that is already in production that cuts not only costs but also time to produce such a car. I wonder for the base GT they will put the new 2.7ltr engine??? Hummm.

I also wonder if they purposely didn't put a more powerful engine in the Rolla XRS so it doesn't step on the heels of a possible more powerful car, I know you have to consider demographics but still. Of course you have the next gen tC, which will be interesting in what they do with that.

TRD-MX83

· #7 · Feb 4, 2008

For engine choices, I'd like to see the Subaru Boxer Diesel as an option... 148hp, 258lb ft of torque, and 60+ mpg. =)

http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/showthread.php?t=231509

Sulu

· #8 · Feb 4, 2008

ECHOKnight2000 said:
That would be awesome if this was true. I remember reading after Toyota bought part of Fuji Industries which owns Subie in that they plan to make something out of this joint effort soon. I just hope they differenciate the car enough (design wise) to at least make it Toyota even if it has a Subie engine and drivetrain. NOt just a rebadge. Can't wait. I believe it when I see it but since this is a joint effort and Toyota is using an engine and drivetrain that is already in production that cuts not only costs but also time to produce such a car. I wonder for the base GT they will put the new 2.7ltr engine??? Hummm.

I also wonder if they purposely didn't put a more powerful engine in the Rolla XRS so it doesn't step on the heels of a possible more powerful car, I know you have to consider demographics but still. Of course you have the next gen tC, which will be interesting in what they do with that.

So Toyota is not so proud that they are willing to sell a re-badged Subaru as a Toyota?

The more expensive GT-Four, meanwhile, will come with AWD as standard and get the same 300hp turbo four as the Japanese spec Subaru Impreza STI. According to the source, the engine in this car will be positioned closer to the firewall to help improve handling and it could also feature in-wheel electric motors to help traction.

(from the article quoted above)

I am not sure if this trick of positioning the engine and transmission closer to the firewall will help much, unless Toyota/Subaru is able to do what Audi did with the A5 and new A4, and pull the front-drive differential forward. Currently, the front differential on the Subaru's Symmetrical AWD, like the front differential on the older Audis, is quite far back, closer to the back end of the transmission, leaving the engine and the transmission ahead of the front axle, not helping with weight distribution. With the new Audi A5, the engine is ahead of the front axle and the transmission is behind, helping a lot with weight distribution, and making the new Audis less nose-heavy.

I am waiting anxiously to see what is done.

majortom1981

· #9 · Feb 4, 2008

autoblog

Autoblog states that the base gt version would use a 2.0 boxer engine.

PhatRoyale

· #10 · Feb 4, 2008

I would love to see a revival of the all-trac celica.

360glitch

· #11 · Feb 4, 2008

Very interesting... We can only hope...

TravisAe86

· #12 · Feb 4, 2008

Toyota Finally bringing back the..CELICA!! =D with help from Subaru

The rumor mill is up and running again this week, churning out reports of a new Toyota Celica. While the Toyota line-up once included a variety of sports-coupes, since the cancellation of the Supra, MR2 and Celica, it's had nothing but sedans, hatchbacks, vans and trucks to offer. Rumor has it that a new Celica is on the way, to be built by Subaru, in whose parent company Fuji Heavy Industries Toyota acquired significant stake back in 2005.

If reports out of Japan's BestCar are to be believed, the new Celica will come in two versions: the base GT, with a naturally-aspirated 2-liter Subaru boxer four driving the rear wheels, and a hopped-up GT-Four version with the 300-hp turbo engine from the JDM Impreza STi and all-wheel-drive. The GT-Four could also be a sort of performance hybrid, gaining small electric motors in each of the four wheels. Both the GT and GT-Four are tipped to be available in either two-door or three-door bodystyles, since the Impreza is offered only as a sedan and five-door for this current generation. The new Celica, the styling of which could draw on the FT-HS concept car from last year's Detroit show, is reportedly being readied for a launch in Japan next year.

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Tideland Prius

Discussion Starter · #13 · Feb 4, 2008

I wonder how this ties in with the cheap rwd coupe and whether they're two separate cars. That would mean the revival of the mid 90s Toyota sports car offering.

Tideland Prius

Discussion Starter · #14 · Feb 4, 2008

http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/showthread.php?t=232295

blacken

· #15 · Feb 4, 2008

WHOOO HOOO
=D Tideland Prius i wuv you long time ^.^b
I knew if necro bumped that old thread people would start to get excited about this again =D

Omg omg omg
whooohooo
me save mah pennies \^.^/
GT-Four here we go
succesor to the AE-86 whoohoo

go go toyota

TravisAe86

· #16 · Feb 4, 2008

^^ mines is better with more detail =P

Tideland Prius

Discussion Starter · #17 · Feb 4, 2008

blacken said:
WHOOO HOOO
=D Tideland Prius i wuv you long time ^.^b
I knew if necro bumped that old thread people would start to get excited about this again =D

Omg omg omg
whooohooo
me save mah pennies \^.^/
GT-Four here we go
succesor to the AE-86 whoohoo

go go toyota

god.. reading that second line reminded me of the Family Guy Movie and Trisha Nakatawa or whatever her name was.

Tideland Prius

Discussion Starter · #18 · Feb 4, 2008

fine lol.

Did you wanna post it in the other thread though? I dunno how the logistics here work and whether the mods merge the threads or not.

360glitch

· #19 · Feb 4, 2008 (Edited)

TravisAe86 said:
^^ mines is better with more detail =P

Good article, but do be sure to give Autoblog their credit.

http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/04/rumormill-subaru-to-build-new-toyota-celica/

TravisAe86

· #20 · Feb 4, 2008 (Edited)

fine..lol

Yes i got it from Autoblog...but it is for the Toyota ppl.

Back to the topic at hand...i believe that this will interfere with STI sales...also lighter...smaller..300hp...awd....can this Take on the 3 series coupe(300hp version)

1 - 20 of 91 Posts

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