Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Toyota Celica or Scion tC? Toyota reportedly deliberating over production FT-86 nameplate]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/26/toyota-celica-or-scion-tc-toyota-reportedly-deliberates-over-pr/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/26/toyota-celica-or-scion-tc-toyota-reportedly-deliberates-over-pr/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/26/toyota-celica-or-scion-tc-toyota-reportedly-deliberates-over-pr/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


Toyota FT-86 Concept - Click above for high-res image gallery

Although the Toyota FT-86, freshly unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show, is billed strictly as a concept car, we're fully expecting the rear-wheel-drive coupe to foreshadow a new production car from Toyota. The question on everyone's lips, then, is what Toyota will call the final version when it hits the market.

Some reports are indicating that Toyota will revive the Celica nameplate, a name which still carries a certain following among Japanese sportscar fans even though it hasn't been used in four years. Other reports are suggest that when the production FT-86 reaches American shores, it will act as a replacement for the current Scion tC. Both the models, in their last iterations, were front-drive models, but that may not be a factor in determining the vehicle's name.

So which is true? Only time will tell, but both reports could ultimately prove accurate. Even if Toyota does decide to badge the FT-86 a Scion, the youth-oriented brand is only active in the North American market, meaning that the Japanese automaker will still need another name for use in its domestic market and others overseas. Which name would appeal to you more? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.


Gallery: Toyota FT-86 Concept in the Studio


[Sources: Autocar and The Detroit Bureau]

Toyota Celica or Scion tC? Toyota reportedly deliberating over production FT-86 nameplate originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 10:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>celicaft-86scion tcScionTctctoyotatoyota celicaToyota FT-86ToyotaCelicaToyotaFt-86Mon, 26 Oct 2009 10:28:00 EST<![CDATA[REPORT: Toyota reviving Celica name for joint Subaru RWD car]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/03/23/report-toyota-reviving-celica-name-for-joint-subaru-rwd-car/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/03/23/report-toyota-reviving-celica-name-for-joint-subaru-rwd-car/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/03/23/report-toyota-reviving-celica-name-for-joint-subaru-rwd-car/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


The last report about the on again/off again sports car being developed jointly by Toyota and Subaru was that it's on again. Today comes word from L'Automobile in France that not only is the rear-wheel-drive Toyubaru going to happen, but it will arrive bearing the Celica name sometime in 2010. If Wikipedia is to be believed, this would be the eighth generation of the Celica, which traces its roots all the way back to 1970 when it debuted in Japan as an inexpensive rear-wheel-drive sports car. Through the years it switched to front- and all-wheel drive, with the final seventh generation Celica sold from 2000 - 2005 being a strict cart puller. L'Automobile claims that Thierry Dombreval, Toyota's VP of sales and marketing in France, spilled the beans on reviving the Celica name, so we won't consider this news solid until a second source comes forward or Toyota officially confirms it, neither of which is likely to happen. So for now all you Celica fans should just sit tight and light a few candles for your cause.


Gallery: 2005 Toyota Celica GT-S


[Source: L'Automobile via 4WheelsNews via Jalopnik]

REPORT: Toyota reviving Celica name for joint Subaru RWD car originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 23 Mar 2009 09:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>celicasubarutoyotatoyota celicatoyota subaruToyotaCelicaToyotaSubarutoyubaruMon, 23 Mar 2009 09:58:00 EST<![CDATA[Toyota/Subaru RWD sports car confirmed for 2011 with boxer engine]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/10/toyota-confirms-rwd-sports-car-coming-in-2011-with-subaru-boxer/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/10/toyota-confirms-rwd-sports-car-coming-in-2011-with-subaru-boxer/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/10/toyota-confirms-rwd-sports-car-coming-in-2011-with-subaru-boxer/#commentsFiled under: , ,

At a press conference in Japan today, Toyota CEO Katsuaki Watanabe finally confirmed that his company is jointly developing a pair of rear-wheel-drive sports cars with Subaru. Each brand will get its own version of the car, which will be powered by one of Subaru's boxer engines, though the engine's displacement, power output and even number of cylinders is not yet known. We're also not sure if the Subaru version will feature the brand's trademark all-wheel-drive system either as an option or standard equipment, or whether Toyota might offer AWD as well in an homage to the Celica GT4 (we hope so!). The styling will most likely resemble the sketch that was published by Autocar yesterday, though we don't expect one car to be a rebadged version of the other. Mark your calendars for 2011, which is when the new sports cars are scheduled to arrive. They'll be riding on a brand new platform and be built in Japan at a new plant by Fuji Heavy Industries, the parent company of Subaru. Toyota also confirmed rumors this morning that it will be buying up more of Fuji, raising its stake in the company from 8.7% to 16.5%.

These RWD sports cars will mean a lot for both companies, as Subaru hasn't offered a performance coupe since the slightly odd SVX, and Toyota all but abandoned performance models after the Supra, Celica and MR2 were cancelled.

[Source: Automotive News, Autocar]

Toyota/Subaru RWD sports car confirmed for 2011 with boxer engine originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 10 Apr 2008 11:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>breakingsubaru rear wheel drive sports carsubaru svxsubaru toyotaSubaruRearWheelDriveSportsCarSubaruSvxSubaruToyotatoyota celicatoyota coupetoyota MR2toyota rear wheel drive sports cartoyota rwdtoyota subarutoyota supraToyotaCelicaToyotaCoupeToyotaMr2ToyotaRearWheelDriveSportsCarToyotaRwdToyotaSubaruToyotaSupraThu, 10 Apr 2008 11:35:00 EST<![CDATA[One man's "Precious" Celica is another man's horrid airbrush job]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/15/one-mans-precious-celica-is-another-mans-horrid-airbrush-job/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/15/one-mans-precious-celica-is-another-mans-horrid-airbrush-job/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/15/one-mans-precious-celica-is-another-mans-horrid-airbrush-job/#commentsFiled under: , ,


click above to view more angles of the LOTR Celica

The 1996 Toyota Celica is way too small to transport an entire fellowship from Rivendell to the Black Gate of Mordor, even if four of the companions are pint-sized hobbits. That's probably why Frodo and the gang ultimately decided to hoof it, and have you seen how much second-hand Toyotas are going for in Middle Earth? It'd be cheaper to pay an Orc for a piggy-back ride.

Yes, I'm a LOTR nerd, but even I have a hard time appreciating the artwork that adorns this Celica. A guy by the name of Jason created "The Precious" from his perfectly good tuned Celica that already had a nice color-changing paint job with what looks like a yellowy orangish base. Now every time Jason embarks on an epic quest to get more Ho-Hos from his local Quicky Mart, the whole gang rides shotgun. Characters from the Peter Jackson trilogy that make an appearance on Jason's sheetmetal include Frodo, Aragorn, his elvish hottie girlfriend (can't remember her name, so I'm not that huge of a dork), Gandolf the White, Saruman the White, the Witch King of Angmar and Legolas... twice. Who wouldn't want Elijah Wood staring back as you unlock your car door?

Fortunately my appreciation for the automobile supercedes my fondness for fantasy, so you won't find any creations of J.R.R. Tolkein on my car's quarter panels. You can check out some pics of "The Precious" in the gallery below and read more about Jason's homage to LOTR by clicking the Source link.

Gallery: LOTR Celica


[Source: CarDoman Blog]

One man's "Precious" Celica is another man's horrid airbrush job originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 15 Feb 2008 19:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>lord of the ringslord of the rings celicaLordOfTheRingsLordOfTheRingsCelicaLOTR CelicaLotrCelicatoyota celicaToyotaCelicaFri, 15 Feb 2008 19:55:00 EST<![CDATA[Rumormill: Subaru to build new Toyota Celica]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/04/rumormill-subaru-to-build-new-toyota-celica/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/04/rumormill-subaru-to-build-new-toyota-celica/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/04/rumormill-subaru-to-build-new-toyota-celica/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


click above for more high-res images of the Toyota FT-HS Concept

The rumor mill is up and running again this week, churning out reports of a new Toyota Celica. While the Toyota line-up once included a variety of sports-coupes, since the cancellation of the Supra, MR2 and Celica, it's had nothing but sedans, hatchbacks, vans and trucks to offer. Rumor has it that a new Celica is on the way, to be built by Subaru, in whose parent company Fuji Heavy Industries Toyota acquired significant stake back in 2005.

If reports out of Japan's BestCar are to be believed, the new Celica will come in two versions: the base GT, with a naturally-aspirated 2-liter Subaru boxer four driving the rear wheels, and a hopped-up GT-Four version with the 300-hp turbo engine from the JDM Impreza STi and all-wheel-drive. The GT-Four could also be a sort of performance hybrid, gaining small electric motors in each of the four wheels. Both the GT and GT-Four are tipped to be available in either two-door or three-door bodystyles, since the Impreza is offered only as a sedan and five-door for this current generation. The new Celica, the styling of which could draw on the FT-HS concept car from last year's Detroit show (pictured above), is reportedly being readied for a launch in Japan next year.

[Source: MotorTrend]

Gallery: Toyota FT-HS Concept


Rumormill: Subaru to build new Toyota Celica originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 04 Feb 2008 11:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>celica gtcelica gt-fourCelicaGtCelicaGt-fournew celicaNewCelicatoyota celicatoyota subaru celicaToyotaCelicaToyotaSubaruCelicaMon, 04 Feb 2008 11:29:00 EST<![CDATA[Out of nowhere: Toyota says Celica replacement coming to Europe in 2009]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/11/20/out-of-no-where-toyota-says-celica-replacement-coming-to-europe/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/11/20/out-of-no-where-toyota-says-celica-replacement-coming-to-europe/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/11/20/out-of-no-where-toyota-says-celica-replacement-coming-to-europe/#commentsFiled under: , ,



In an article in Automotive News about Toyota's opposition to a maximum speed limit on Germany's autobahn, the publication's Deutsch counterpart, Automobilwoche, reported that Toyota intends to bring the Celica back to market sometime in 2009. The only semi-sporting model in Toyota's lineup was killed in 2005 both here and abroad, and although it doesn't mention sales in the U.S., it stands to reason that if Toyota does decide to revive the Celica, a model here in the States would be a distinct possibility.

What form the new Celica might take is open to debate, but the recent rumblings of a low-cost RWD model might hint at the future. If Scion gets the rumored rear-driver, is it too far of a stretch that an upmarket version could don the Toyota emblem? In short: we hope so.

Thanks for the tip, Dylan!

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]

Out of nowhere: Toyota says Celica replacement coming to Europe in 2009 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 20 Nov 2007 08:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2009 toyota celica2009ToyotaCelicacelicatoyotatoyota celicaToyotaCelicaTue, 20 Nov 2007 08:28:00 EST<![CDATA[Toyota to tackle Europe with hybrid sports car]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/06/20/toyota-to-tackle-europe-with-hybrid-sports-car/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/06/20/toyota-to-tackle-europe-with-hybrid-sports-car/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/06/20/toyota-to-tackle-europe-with-hybrid-sports-car/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


As it slowly gains on General Motors as the top automaker in the world, Toyota is planning to bolster its lineup by filling in the sports car slot with, what else, a hybrid. The company says that withithout the Celica and MR2 in the lineup, the full benefits of its participation in Formula 1 is  effectively being wasted.

Not only will the vehicle be a hybrid, it will also target the likes of BMW and Mercedes. Europe will be the biggest battleground for the automaker anyway as it expects sales there of more than one million Toyotas and 45,000 Lexus models this year. The new hybrid sports car is expected to contribute to Japanese juggernaut's goal of selling over 1.2 million vehicles in Europe by 2010.

[Source: Bloomberg]

Toyota to tackle Europe with hybrid sports car originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 20 Jun 2006 12:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>hybridlexus hybridLexusHybridmr2sports carSportsCartoyota celicaToyotaCelicaTue, 20 Jun 2006 12:58:00 EST