Toyota revives rally legacy with GR86 inspired by Celica GT‑Four
Are you a fan of '90s rally racing, when Group A cars raced on the tracks? Or perhaps you were a fan of the Toyota team, which dominated until their car was discovered to be cheating. If so, Toyota has a proposition for you. The GR86 model can look like the iconic Celica GT-Four. But it doesn't just look like it.
12:01 PM EST, November 6, 2024
After the disbandment of Group B, Lancia's team initially dominated the World Rally Championship. After winning several titles, Lancia's car became outdated, and Japanese teams took over the dominant role. In Toyota Team Europe's German factory, a car was developed that ended Italian dominance.
Toyota built increasingly better rally cars to promote the Celica model in Europe. In the early '90s, they won two championship titles—mainly due to Carlos Sainz's consistency—showcasing their strength in the lineup. However, the best was yet to come, although the worst did, too.
The great Toyota scandal
At the end of the 1994 season, TTE debuted a real beast—the Toyota Celica GT-Four with a big spoiler and improved mechanisms. The Japanese were no longer competing with Lancia, which had ceased developing the Delta, but with a new, very strong competitor—Subaru. The team had two aces with the Impreza—Colin McRae and Carlos Sainz.
The Spaniard had previously won two championships for Toyota but had to withdraw from the team because his sponsor was Repsol, and Toyotas raced in Castrol's colors. His place was taken by Juha Kankkunen, accompanied by Didier Auriol.
Unfortunately, the 1995 season wasn't the luckiest for Toyota because a new regulation introduced a restrictor in the intake system to limit engine power. The Celica's unit couldn't show its potential. As a result, Subaru took the leadership role and eventually won the championship title.
However, it was noticed that in the second half of the season, the Celica GT-Four became extremely fast, although it wasn't enough to recover losses. This raised suspicions among technical commissioners evaluating the car. Initially, everything seemed fine, but ultimately the mystery of the Celica ST205 GT-Four was uncovered.
It turned out that a spring was used in the intake system. Under the pressure generated by the turbocharger, the restrictor expanded, increasing the airflow. In the non-operational engine, the spring was of no significance and aroused no suspicion. With higher RPMs, it started functioning.
Ultimately, Toyota's team was disqualified for cheating and received a ban on competing in the following season. The Celica GT-Four not only failed to bring any success but also brought shame to the Japanese brand. Yet, it became iconic due to its appearance and a really hot period in rallying that many were interested in.
GR86 like Celica GT-Four
Toyota two decades ago would have gladly forgotten about the Celica, but today it realizes that not the earlier ST185 model that brought success, but the ST-205 GT-Four, which brought shame, is the most desired by rally fans. This road version reaches the highest prices and sparks hot emotions. This model inspired the creation of the Toyota GR86 Rally Legacy for the SEMA show in the USA. But beware—it's not just the paint job and a few spoilers.
To properly pay tribute to the rally models of the '90s, engineers transplanted the entire GR-Four AWD drive system from the Toyota GR Corolla into the GR86. The team from Motorsports and Assets at Toyota Motor North America modified the entire front part of the chassis to install the 3-cylinder inline engine.
It would seem that such a "swap" shouldn't cause problems because the GR86 has a standard 2.4-liter engine, but it's installed longitudinally and drives the rear wheels, plus it has a boxer design. In the GR Corolla, the unit is an inline one, mounted transversely by default, and drives all wheels. In this setup, it's placed under the hood of the GR86.
The G16 engine, also known as the Toyota GR Yaris, was mounted and improved. It had a more efficient intercooler and oil cooler to improve cooling and engine performance. Despite this, it maintains a standard power of about 300 hp, but there is potential for an easy increase.
Transforming the GR86 into an AWD variant required significant modification of the front suspension to transfer power to the front wheels as well. The suspension was completely changed with coilover shocks and new control arms. Additional modifications were made to the GR86's steering gear. The rear axle, also modified, got a differential from the GR Corolla.
Such a car should be made as a factory model
All-wheel drive, 300 hp of power, a coupe body—that's exactly what rally fans have been waiting for since the Celica became a boring, front-wheel-drive car with a naturally aspirated engine, known primarily for consuming oil. If such a car went on sale, customers would fight over it.
Additionally, to create the right wow effect at SEMA, a factory-style paint job was prepared to reflect when Castrol was the Toyota team's sponsor. There was no lack of a large spoiler, rally wheels, or even additional lights (commonly known as a power station) for nighttime special stages. Even the Michelin tires have a paint job, like typical rally ones.
The cabin features a roll cage and two sport seats, harness belts, a rally steering wheel, and an extended gear shift lever. This, of course, is too much for a road car, but Toyota went all out at SEMA. Will they do the same with a road model? Unfortunately, it's unlikely, as current regulations and ecological requirements do not allow it. And there's no hope that Toyota will use a clever trick to bypass them like it did in 1995.
