Celica to return in 2009 Options

[BloodyStupidDave...]

Further rumours that the Celica may rise from the ashes...

Automotive News is this week reporting that Toyota are going to bring back the Celica in 2009, pretty much re-itterating rumours from the start of the year (hybrid, 4WD option).

Channel 4 News expands upon these by guessing at what such a car might look like:
http://www.channel4.com/4car/news/news-sto...p?news_id=16733

In particular, several pundits thing that if there is a new Celica, it will be available in RWD and 4WD options, no FWD.

Speculation is that there will be a grand tourer version, a coupe version and a roadster version all based on the same chassis (and probably essentially the same chassis as another Toyta/Lexus model - IS-F?).

As a reminder, there have been a few concepts recently that could end up as the basis for a Celica.

FT-HS


LF-A


LW-S


Possible MR2 (spyshot)

[Shink]

Hmmm. While I'm thrilled at serious rumours of bringing back the Celica, I worry about some of the choices getting put out there. The Celica should be a front engined, 2 door, tourer. I think there's a heritage to be protected, not to mention a strong market niche. The FT-HS seems to do this. It's pretty damn hot, too, which doesn't hurt. A RWD option would be nice, too, as that's my personal preference (and I think a lot of other people, especially over in the US/Canada) and plus allows for higher bhp mods. Going with a mid-engine design or something too 'sporty' would not be the right car. Why bring back the Supra - which is the LF-A below - or the MR2, and call it a Celica?

The other thing that worries me is the engine. Japanese cars seem a little obsessed with hybrid fuels and electric motors. I would hate to see the Celica name attached to an under-performing Celica shaped Prius. If they must go hybrid/electric for commercial reasons (CO2 emission offsetting, for example) then I hope they don't bring the Celica back in 2009, and that they wait until they can do it properly.

This post has been edited by Shink: Nov 27, 2007 - 2:03 PM

[BloodyStupidDave...]

I worry about some of the choices getting put out there.

You raise several good points. If they can pull off something like the Tesla Roadster, I'm sure it will be a success. The articles didn't necessarily say that all three models would be called 'Celica' (although they can be read that way) - it seems just as likely that they'll call them all different names but one would assume that the three cars would look like siblings (just like the 5th gen Celica and the 2rd Gen MR2 did; or the 6th Gen Celica and the Supra MK IV).

This post has been edited by BloodyStupidDavey: Nov 27, 2007 - 3:28 PM