The legendary Toyota Celica, long known as a front-engine sports coupe, even back when it was rear-wheel drive, might soon be making a comeback in an entirely new form. According to rumors out of Japan, reported by the trusted Best Car, Toyota is considering a mid-engine layout for the next-generation Celica. If true, this would mark a dramatic shift in the Celica’s identity.
While it has always featured a front-mounted engine, Toyota does have experience placing the powerplant behind the driver, most notably in the beloved MR2, produced across three generations from the 1980s to the early 2000s. A comeback for the MR2 has also been widely speculated, potentially as a cheaper alternative to the Porsche Cayman. But the Celica could be positioned as the more budget-friendly mid-engine sports car, in line with its historical role as Toyota’s most affordable coupe offering.
Over the decades, the Celica has undergone a number of transformations. The original ‘70s model sold for the equivalent of $22,000 today, while the third-gen model in the early ‘80s cost about $27,000. By the fifth generation in the early ‘90s, prices had climbed to around $35,000 as performance and capabilities surged. But high prices took a toll on sales, leading to a reset with the seventh-generation T230, a lightweight, front-wheel-drive coupe that started around $30,000.
This model could even be equipped with Toyota’s high-revving 2ZZ engine, also found in the Lotus Elise, pushing the top-end pricing close to $39,000. The MR2 followed a similar trajectory but it never was cheaper than the Celica, often costing $5,000–$10,000 more.
If the upcoming Celica (or GR Celica) really does adopt a mid-engine configuration, it could mean Toyota has merged the Celica and MR2 projects, or that both cars will share a common platform. According to reports, Toyota has already previewed a version of the Celica to select dealerships, suggesting that major decisions, like layout and performance specs, might already be finalized. Of course, pricing will be key.
