Japanese sports cars have made a comeback, but it seems Toyota isn’t happy with just the Supra, GR86, and GR Corolla. According to a recent scoop report, the company is working on a twin-motor EV sports car that might even be called the Celica.
The story comes from the latest issue of Best Car Web, a famous Japanese scoop website. It states that Toyota’s in-house skunkworks, Gazoo Racing, has begun the early development of a pure sports car of the battery-electric variety.
Not only are we getting a new Toyota out of this, but apparently, Mazda is a joint development partner and a successor to the RX-7 could come out of all this. That’s the good news, the bad news being that this project is in the early stages, and because it requires the new solid-state batteries, I think it’s going to take at least 6 more years.
YouTuber Kirk Kreifels has bought said the issue of Best Car Web and was able to shed further light on the story. The GR sports car is said to take the form of a 2-seater coupe with a sleek, aerodynamic profile that has been speculatively rendered (see video).
It will develop around 500 horsepower from dual electric motors and is said to be powered by the new solid-state battery system. This hasn’t been fully developed yet, but Kirk argues all of Toyota’s 2021 concepts had low profiles indicative of this much thinner, lighter battery technology.
The Celica name isn’t decided yet
Best Car claims the new cells provide about double the range from the same sized package, don’t degrade as fast as lithium cells, and can charge faster. Needless to say, a 500+ mile electric sports car from Toyota sounds super-sexy. But it’s worth pointing out that the “Celica” name is never used. Kirk speculates this is not an EV Successor to the Mk5 Supra simply because Toyota keeps trademarking the Celica name.
Mazda is also apparently involved with the project, and this will result in a successor to the legendary RX-7. Unlike the Toyota, this sports car will be RWD, a “series hybrid” where the rotary range extender we keep hearing about will be used.
The scoop story says that even though the rotary engine won’t be connected to the wheels, it will rev out when you accelerate and provide you with a driving experience that’s unlike any other car. Because of the power requirements of the BEV, this might even be a multi-rotor system with a supercharger. Do electric superchargers count?
The video goes on to talk about the next-gen R36 Nissan GT-R, which isn’t a hybrid V6 like the old rumors said. Instead, Godzilla is said to become a fully-electric rival to the Porsche Taycan, maybe even with a 4-door body. Cool… but it’s going to debut in 2028.
