After years of ongoing rumors and speculation, Toyota has finally announced to the world that the classic model, Celica, will return.
This news was personally confirmed by Toyota's Executive Vice President, Yuki Nakajima. Although when directly asked whether a new Celica would be produced, Toyota President Akio Toyoda's response was somewhat evasive as he shifted the question to Nakajima.
Nakajima stated, 'To be honest, there is currently no specific plan. However, there are many people within the company eagerly awaiting the Celica's return.' While he made this comment in a public forum, he also indicated, 'I'm not sure if it's appropriate to say this, but we are indeed working on the Celica.'
Although Nakajima's statement seemed promising, Akio Toyoda added a cautionary note: 'Is everything okay? There are many challenges we face.' He continued, 'The specialists in the company have not mentioned when the car will be released, so it could be next year.'
Celica had a continuous presence in Toyota's lineup from 1970 to 2006, spanning seven generations. According to unconfirmed rumors from Japan, the eighth-generation model could make its debut at the 2025 Tokyo Motor Show.
However, it's likely that this first appearance will be in the form of a concept car rather than a final production model. Interestingly, Toyota may have dropped hints about the return of Celica weeks before this announcement.
As part of a series called GRIP, a background panel appeared that seemed to outline Toyota's future sports car lineup, including intriguing updates: Supra MK6, Celica MK8, MR2 MK4, GR 86 MK3, and GR GT3. With the return of Celica, hints of MR2's revival, and upcoming updates for GR86, Toyota seems eager to reignite its glorious days in the sports car arena.
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