2025 Toyota GR Celica Revival Feels Like a Natural Extension of Imagination Land

This year felt like a tidal wave of novelties, refreshes, and special editions reached every major region. This month alone, Toyota unwrapped the 2025 Camry mid-size sedan and 2025 Crown Signia crossover SUV at the Los Angeles Auto Show, then jumped to Europe to update the Yaris Cross subcompact CUV, traveled to Thailand to reveal the $13k-equivalent Hilux Champ modular pickup truck, and also went home to start sales of the promised return of the 2024 Land Cruiser Series 70.

On top of all that, we are preparing for the arrival of the $31,500 N400 Tacoma across nationwide dealerships in December with the i-Force engine and up to 278 horsepower. But that's not all, as the rumor mill also thinks that Toyota will soon unleash a compact Land Cruiser FJ off-road SUV as the proud successor of the defunct FJ Cruiser along with the 2025 all-new 4Runner. Wait, wait, as there is more.

The imaginative realm of digital car content creators wants to be included in the equation, and some even got tired of continuously portraying the Land Cruiser FJ and 4Runner over and over again. For example, the good folks from the Next-Gen Car channel on YouTube have imagined the potential revival of the household Celica nameplate. That's easy to understand why – Toyota has shown a sporty FT-Se concept at the inaugural edition of the Japan Mobility Show (formerly known as the Tokyo Motor Show for almost seven decades), revealing its availability for more two-door sports cars alongside the current Gazoo Racing offerings.

Many believe the prime suspect for an upcoming revival is the affordable MR2 sports car, but that may not be true since Toyota has the basics covered with the GR Yaris, GR86, and also the GR Corolla. Instead, maybe the well-known Celica (originally produced between 1970 and 2006 and with a glorious rally motorsport career) is next in line for a rebirth – since the classic Scout already has a spiritual successor in the guise of the cool, modular, and affordable Hilux Champ model.

Well known for its classic rally feats, quirky styling (especially the sixth generation), and adaptability – it was made in convertible, liftback, coupe, and notchback form factors – the Celica is a beloved old-school nameplate. Interestingly, this virtual depiction by the channel's pixel master feels a bit larger than the real-world model's norm – maybe they envisioned this return as a potential GR flagship tucked above the current GR Supra king. Of course, this is all wishful thinking, and do take all these renderings with a touch of salt – as nothing is official from Toyota just yet.