Toyota GR’s 2027 WRC Prototype
It looks like Gazoo Racing is still refining its rally car for next season. Caught on camera in Spain testing for the 2027 WRC season, this might be the closest look we’ve had so far at Toyota GR’s new Celica, albeit heavily altered and widened.
This is not the first time we’ve spotted the Celica testing. In a separate report, we managed to unearth some videos on X of the prototype running about a rally stage in Spain. This time, we’re seeing the prototype rip through tarmac without dust clouds, allowing for an unimpeded view. In fact, the driver was even nice enough to stop and allow the camera to hover around the prototype.
Closer and Closer to Production
While you can pick out what the GR Celica will look like based on the prototype, you first need to know that WRC regulations require race cars to use common tubular spaceframe chassis and be equipped with turbocharged 1.6-liter engines.
Listen to the videos, and you might hear a familiar three-cylinder exhaust note if you can pick through all the fantastic turbo sounds. Unfortunately, this isn’t the 2.0-liter G20E engine that’s rumored to be destined for the production version of the GR Celica making over 400 horsepower, but rather, it’s the tried-and-tested G16 found in the GR Yaris and the GR Corolla.
As we inch closer to 2027, we’re anticipating that Toyota could finally share more details about the new Celica. The car will likely be based on the brand’s TNGA platform, come with the turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, and also the GR-Four AWD system.
The Final Shape
In the videos unearthed by Carscoops, we can see the prototype’s front end featuring headlights reminiscent of the European-spec Corolla sedan. The hood appears to have a forward-facing scoop and a couple of vents, which I would love to see on the final production unit of the GR Celica. The rest of the front bumper, however, features an exceedingly large center opening, brake ducting on the sides, and extremely wide fenders. Aside from the hood and headlights, the front end seems mostly prototype-specific.
The sides feature very prominent wheel arches to accommodate the long-travel suspension, and the rear fenders are as wide as the front, if not a little wilder. The GR Celica’s roofline is quite tall, probably similar to the GR Yaris’, but the rear is where things get interesting. Towards the D Pillar, you also get an aero vent, likely placed there to channel the air through and reduce drag. This prototype has only two doors, making it a coupe and giving it pretty much the same layout as the Celicas of yesteryear.
Towards the rear, we can see a very thick rear end, and the car also appears to be a liftback, calling back to the Celica’s iconic shape. A massive rear spoiler rises as high as the vehicle’s roofline. The rear is relatively flat, but it has other features that are going for it, namely the center-exit exhaust pipe. It’s just a single tip on this one, unlike the triple-threat that we got on the GR Corolla.
Coming Mid 2027?
We expect more official news in 2027, perhaps toward the middle of next year. Gazoo Racing is still keeping quiet about its next rally car, but this prototype is already pointing to a replacement for the GR Yaris and a new road-going homologation special on the horizon.
While we don’t know what the final look of the GR Celica will be, this prototype gives us a general idea of the final product, minus the turbocharged four-cylinder soundtrack for now, and it will be nothing like the Honda Prelude.
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