Toyota Gazoo Racing has officially confirmed the return of the Celica nameplate to the World Rally Championship, ending months of speculation surrounding a mysterious coupe-style rally prototype spotted during testing earlier this year. The announcement marks the first time the Celica name will appear in WRC competition in more than two decades and comes as the championship prepares to enter a new technical era in 2027.
The new GR Celica Rally1 will compete alongside the GR Yaris Rally1 as part of an expanded Toyota Racing effort featuring two teams and six factory drivers. While rumors of a production Celica have circulated for months, Toyota’s Nov. 3, 2026, announcement focused solely on the rally program, confirming the return of the historic badge to top-level competition.
Toyota Gazoo Racing Expands Its WRC Program
Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team announced it will field two separate entries when the FIA World Rally Championship transitions to new Rally1 regulations in 2027. The newly formed TOYOTA RACING team will campaign the GR Celica Rally1, while GAZOO Racing TOYOTA will continue with the GR Yaris Rally1. Both teams will operate from Toyota’s headquarters in Jyväskylä, Finland.
The GR Celica Rally1 lineup will feature reigning world champion Elfyn Evans alongside Oliver Solberg and Sami Pajari. The GR Yaris Rally1 squad will consist of Ott Tänak, Takamoto Katsuta and returning two-time world champion Kalle Rovanperä, giving Toyota one of the deepest driver rosters in the championship.
Toyota said the two rally cars are being developed in parallel and will compete under the same 2027 WRC regulations. The automaker stated that the GR Celica Rally1 and GR Yaris Rally1 will be built to deliver equal power and performance as part of rules intended to increase competition and make the top Rally1 category more accessible to manufacturers. Toyota expects both cars to complete the FIA’s approval process, known in motorsport as homologation, before the end of 2026, certifying them for competition.
The Celica Name Returns To A Familiar Rally Stage
The return of the Celica carries significant historical weight for Toyota. The model became one of the most recognizable rally cars of the 1990s, helping establish Toyota as a championship-winning force in international rally competition. Bringing the name back under the new regulations reconnects the company’s future rally efforts with one of its most successful motorsport eras.
Toyota’s announcement places the revived Celica at the center of its future WRC plans rather than treating it as a one-off heritage project. The company is preparing to field up to six factory-backed cars under the new regulations, with the GR Celica Rally1 and GR Yaris Rally1 operating as equal contenders for rally victories and championship points.
Toyota said both programs are being developed simultaneously in Finland and have already undergone testing ahead of the 2027 season. The company is currently conducting development work on both rally cars before they complete the FIA approval process required for competition. While Toyota has not yet released detailed technical specifications for either 2027 rally car, both programs are being developed simultaneously and have already undergone testing in Finland ahead of completing the certified approval process.
Reveal Confirms Rumors That Began Earlier This Year
While Toyota’s announcement delivered the official confirmation, speculation surrounding a Celica revival had been building throughout 2026. Automotive publications and rally observers began discussing the possibility after photographs of an unusual Toyota coupe prototype surfaced during testing in February. The vehicle was commonly referred to as the WRC27 prototype and appeared noticeably different from the GR Yaris currently competing in the championship.
According to Paultan, those early images sparked discussions that Toyota was preparing to revive the Celica name for the next generation of WRC competition. At the time, however, the company had not publicly confirmed the vehicle’s identity, leaving observers to speculate about its purpose and whether it was connected to a future Celica project.
While some reports continue to speculate about a future road-going Celica, Toyota has not announced a production model. Rumors about a road-going Celica will likely continue, but Toyota’s Nov. 3, 2026, announcement settles one question. The Celica name is returning to the World Rally Championship in 2027, giving one of the manufacturer’s most successful rally badges a place in the series’ next generation.
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