Photo: Toyota
How much time has it been since the final example of the seventh-generation Celica rolled off the assembly line? Codenamed T230, the front-driven liftback coupe with front-wheel drive ended production in April 2006. In these past 15 years or thereabouts, Toyota has filed trademarks over and over again without anything to back them up.
The latest filing with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office is dated January 15th, and it’s classified under “automobiles and structural parts thereof.” The question is, are there any chances of a revival for the long-departed Celica?
In my honest opinion, the answer is no. Sports cars aren’t doing well anywhere in this day and age, and the GR Supra leaves much to be desired in terms of sales. The BMW-based sports car moved 5,887 units in the United States last year, which is more than double the volume of the 86 yet not plenty enough to justify the addition of another slow-selling sports car.
Even the Mustang, Challenger, and Camaro are struggling in this exact order, and I’m not surprised by the current state of affairs. Everyone is mad about crossovers and body-on-frame SUVs, and lest we forget, pickup trucks are primarily used as family cars instead of, well, actual work.
Despite my skepticism, there are two leads that could prove me wrong. September 2017 is when the head of Gazoo Racing confirmed “a designated sports car platform” that will allow Toyota “to introduce a genuine sports car that can compete against top-class world competitors."
As for the second glimmer of hope, GR Supra assistant chief engineer Masayuki Kai said an interesting thing in September 2018. More to the point, “the Toyota Celica could return as an AWD compact performance coupe.”
On an ending note, a lot has happened in the years that followed these quotes, especially in 2020. Automakers are very busy with electric vehicles and autonomous technology, including Toyota, leaving few resources for a niche segment that keeps shrinking with each month that passes.
In my honest opinion, the answer is no. Sports cars aren’t doing well anywhere in this day and age, and the GR Supra leaves much to be desired in terms of sales. The BMW-based sports car moved 5,887 units in the United States last year, which is more than double the volume of the 86 yet not plenty enough to justify the addition of another slow-selling sports car.
Even the Mustang, Challenger, and Camaro are struggling in this exact order, and I’m not surprised by the current state of affairs. Everyone is mad about crossovers and body-on-frame SUVs, and lest we forget, pickup trucks are primarily used as family cars instead of, well, actual work.
Despite my skepticism, there are two leads that could prove me wrong. September 2017 is when the head of Gazoo Racing confirmed “a designated sports car platform” that will allow Toyota “to introduce a genuine sports car that can compete against top-class world competitors."
As for the second glimmer of hope, GR Supra assistant chief engineer Masayuki Kai said an interesting thing in September 2018. More to the point, “the Toyota Celica could return as an AWD compact performance coupe.”
On an ending note, a lot has happened in the years that followed these quotes, especially in 2020. Automakers are very busy with electric vehicles and autonomous technology, including Toyota, leaving few resources for a niche segment that keeps shrinking with each month that passes.
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