--- title: "Did Toyota Just Soft-Launch the New Celica as Its Next Rally Car?" date: "2026-02-26" modified: "2026-02-26" authors: - name: "Adam Ismail" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/adam-ismail" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/did-toyota-just-soft-launch-the-new-celica-as-its-next-rally-car" categories: - "News" - "News by Brand" - "Toyota News" tags: - "celica" - "Coupe" - "sports car" - "Toyota" --- # Did Toyota Just Soft-Launch the New Celica as Its Next Rally Car? ![Didier Auriol and Bernard Occelli of France in action in their Toyota Celica during the Monte Carlo Rally in Monaco.]() *A new Celica rally car needs to have this livery. It's non-negotiable. \Pascal Rondeau/Allsport via Getty Images\* How many different sports cars is [Toyota]() actually prepared to make over the next few years? Assuming the GR Yaris and Corolla return, we already know there's a new turbo four-cylinder that's due to land in [the third-gen 86](). The Supra is also poised for [a non-BMW continuation](), and executives have confirmed on separate occasions that we can expect both the [Celica]() and [MR2]() to make long-awaited comebacks. That makes the question of what this mystery Toyota WRC car seen testing in Portugal could actually be. [Images]() and [videos]() showing an unidentified coupe, embedded below, hit social media on Thursday morning. We can see the car pass by from multiple perspectives, though with the low resolution, compression, and all that dust, it's hard to make out specific details. From certain angles, it almost shares more in common with a high-riding "coupe" crossover, like the new electric C-HR. It doesn't seem like Toyota is about to pull a Ford, though, who replaced the Fiesta with the Puma SUV years back, to the disappointment of rally fans everywhere. It's certainly not a Yaris, with that roofline. It more closely matches the proportions of a modern Subaru WRX, but stubbier, and obviously with fewer doors. The hood is heavily vented, too. A future 86 wouldn't be all-wheel drive, like a top-flight rally car ought to. Could this be our first glimpse at the new Celica? https://twitter.com/RallyeSport/status/2027010742164103294?s=20 So far, Toyota and the Project Rally One squad out of Belgium are the only constructors who have publicly committed to developing new cars for 2027's WRC regs, which have been designed to be more affordable to attract manufacturer and team engagement. The Rally1 class's expensive and complicated hybrid system was already thrown out after 2024, but next year's cars will also share more components with lower-category Rally2 machines to further the cost-cutting agenda. https://twitter.com/eWRCresults/status/2027015598501249148?s=20 If this camouflaged machine indeed lines up for the start of the 2027 Rally Monte Carlo in a year's time, all should be revealed before 2026 is through. Who's taking bets on what we're looking at here? *Do you know what this two-door Toyota rally car is? Let us know at tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Adam is a Senior Editor at The Drive, concentrating on curating and developing the site's slate of daily journalism, from initial pitch to final copy edit. When he's not at his desk researching leads and working with writers, he's testing vehicles or reviewing racing games, new and old. He joined The Drive in 2023, following seven years of covering consumer technology and cars. A car lover and gamer since his earliest memories, Adam came to know the automotive world through video games. First it was Daytona USA, Sega Rally, and Ridge Racer; then came Need For Speed, which inspired an encyclopedic knowledge of '90s supercars, and, of course, Gran Turismo. If not for them, he'd assuredly be doing something else right now. Adam is based in the suburbs outside Philly, where there are ample roads for his hot hatch to stretch its legs. In his car, he's probably listening to indie rock, drum and bass, or Yankees baseball. ### Author social links [Bluesky]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()