The Toyota Celica is the longest-produced performance car Toyota ever made, with seven generations spanning 1970 to 2006. Offering an affordable combination of reliability and performance, it was beloved among gearheads all over the world. The final example rolled off the line exactly 20 years ago in April 2006. Now, after two decades of silence, Toyota is finally bringing back the icon.In February 2026, new photos emerged of what seems to be an early prototype for Toyota’s new sports coupe tearing up the WRC track in Portugal. Toyota has been known to test their performance cars on the track shortly before the production models make their debut, such as in the case of the LFA, Supra, and the latest GR GT3 so far, so this feels like the real deal. Building on the Celica GT-Four's rally connection, the brand also confirmed that the upcoming sports car will send its power to all four wheels, just like the GR Corolla and Yaris. A 2027 debut feels plausible given the WRC timeline, but Toyota hasn't locked in an exact date yet. While we wait for official reveals, HotCars render artists studied the prototype shots and crafted a stunning vision of what the upcoming production Celica could become: a front-engined AWD coupe that not only Toyota fans will love, but that many past Subaru STI owners will be drawn to as well. HotCars Delivers The Celica We’ve Been Dreaming Of Toyota GR Celica HotCars RenderThis exclusive digital render perfectly channels the spirit of the legendary Celica GT-Four rally car for the modern era. It’s a front-engined AWD coupe that looks like a GR86 that was put on a healthy diet of protein and steroids.The chunky honeycomb grille is a carryover from the new GR Corolla and Yaris, but with a massive new motorsports-grade carbon fiber splitter sitting underneath. New LED headlights instantly separate the Celica’s nose from other Toyota performance cars. A wide carbon fiber intake sits on the hood and proves that this Celica means business.Toyota GR Celica HotCars Render This Celica looks bigger and more muscular than the GR86 and taller than a Supra; it sits with a planted, purposeful stance that seems closer to a BMW M2 than anything in Toyota’s current lineup. From the side, the black side skirts look like they came straight from the Supra, though, with functional side vents channeling air into the rear brakes.Toyota GR Celica HotCars Render Discerning Toyota fans will recognize the GR86’s famous double-bubble roof, which provides the necessary helmet clearance in the cabin. That sleek roofline flows into a fastback tail with a massive, high-mounted carbon-fiber rear wing.Toyota GR Celica HotCars Render A full-width LED taillight bar serves as a nod to the 5th-gen Celica rear end and proudly highlights the Celica nameplate in the middle. The short rear overhang, muscular haunches, and large rear splitter with dual exhaust tips make the whole rear three-quarter look absolutely menacing and scarier than perhaps any Toyota ever made short of an LFA. And yet it’s still not too over-the-top for mass production.265-section Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2s fill the arches perfectly and hint at serious power under the hood, which brings us to the next point. How Much Power Will The New Celica Make? Toyota GR Celica HotCars Render While Toyota hasn’t released any official horsepower estimates yet, Gazoo Racing marketing manager Mikio Hayashi told Autocar that a new engine is being developed for the car, and it may end up being a hybrid 2.0-liter four-cylinder. Toyota is currently developing a new line of turbocharged inline-4s for motorsports, too, which are based on the existing G16E turbo three-cylinders in the GR Corolla and Yaris hot hatches.Dubbed the G20E, the new four-cylinder is allegedly capable of over 400 hp. This kind of power would put the new AWD Celica Sport in the GR Supra territory, and even give it an edge in acceleration. Keep in mind, the most powerful 7th-gen Celicas only made 180 hp. And even if a detuned version of the same engine makes it into the new Celica, it would still ostensibly rival or exceed the 300-hp output of the three-cylinder GR Corolla, giving Subaru WRX STI fans a solid incentive to switch teams (if the Corolla already hasn't).The Portugal prototype has already been kicking up dust on WRC stages, so more concrete details and images could drop any day now. In the meantime, Toyota fans have every reason to get hyped. If the real car looks even half this good, it’s going to be an absolute riot.