Toyota Confirms GR Celica for Rally Championship
Toyota will field a GR Celica rally car in the 2027 World Rally Championship under new Rally1 regulations.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Motorsports
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Toyota has confirmed a new GR Celica sports car will compete in the 2027 World Rally Championship. The move comes as 2027 Rally1 rules introduce a common control chassis and turbocharged 1.6-liter inline-four engines for all teams.
Why it matters
The 2027 regulations are aimed at making top-level rallying more accessible to teams. The Celica project also signals a possible road-going sports car tied to the rally program.
The Rally1 cars use 1.6-liter turbocharged inline-four engines derived from Rally2 units, while the road-car G20E is a 2.0-liter turbo claimed at around 450 horsepower. Toyota's rally program has not disclosed final output figures for the 2027 race engine.
The players
Toyota
Japanese automaker fielding two Rally1 teams and developing the GR Celica rally and road cars.
Gazoo Racing
Toyota's motorsport division that will campaign the GR Yaris in the 2027 Rally1 class.
The details
Toyota Racing will campaign the GR Celica, while Gazoo Racing will run the GR Yaris in the same 2027 Rally1 class. The road car is reportedly being developed on a new mid-engine platform using modified GR Yaris body shells, currently at the first of four development stages.
Timeline
2027 season: GR Celica rally car debuts in the World Rally Championship.
End of the decade: a possible showroom launch of the Celica road car may occur.
Roadmap
The 2027 Rally1 rules standardize the chassis and engine architecture so teams compete on a more even footing, lowering barriers to entry at the top of rallying. Toyota's GR Celica entry places a road-car nameplate inside that framework, tying its motorsport identity to a new mid-engine platform.
Fans following the World Rally Championship will see a Toyota GR Celica in the 2027 Rally1 class alongside the GR Yaris. Anyone tracking the Celica nameplate should note that the road-car mid-engine layout and launch date are not yet confirmed.
The takeaway
Standardized 2027 Rally1 hardware means results will hinge more on team execution than on engine or chassis development. Readers should watch for official Celica specifications before assuming mid-engine layout.
Further reading
Explore more Motorsports coverage for context on the 2027 rally regulations and manufacturer programs.
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