- A Toyota Celica GT-Four with the Castrol livery is listed on eBay.
- It is an ST205 generation WRC Edition with performance upgrades.
- Toyota is bringing back the Celica nameplate for road and rally.
Toyota has confirmed its desire to resurrect the Celica, but has yet to formally announce a launch date. The news brought previous generations of the Japanese coupe back into the spotlight, with buyer interest increasing. A fitting example for your shopping spree is the pictured 1994 Toyota Celica GT-Four ST205 WRC Edition with the iconic Castrol livery, which is currently up for grabs on eBay.
Gaming enthusiasts might recognize this Celica from the SEGA Rally Championship. While some purists prefer the earlier ST185 generation with the pop-up headlights, the quad-headlight ST205 has its own muscular beauty. The flagship GT-Four version is distinguished by the wide fenders, the vented aluminum hood, the larger bumper intakes, the more aggressive chassis setup and the turbocharged AWD drivetrain.
More: Toyota’s Reborn GR Celica Will Be Everything Honda’s New Prelude Isn’t
However, the model listed for sale is one of the 2,500 units of the WRC Edition homologation specials built in 1994 to satisfy FIA regulations. Those came fitted with motorsport hardware from the factory, including an anti-lag system.
The example on eBay has a right-hand drive layout and was imported to the UK market from Japan. It has 121,000 km (76,000 miles) on the odometer and appears to be in great condition for its age. Besides the eye-catching livery, it rides on white Speedline alloy wheels and is fitted with projector headlights.
jdmcarspecialist8 / eBay
Inside the four seater cabin, we find a TRD shift knob, an aftermarket steering wheel and the standard bucket seats with the typical ’90s colors and patterns.
More: This Rare Toyota Celica GT-Four RC Could Be The Perfect Restoration Project
Under the hood lies the turbocharged 2.0-liter 3S-GTE four-cylinder engine with a series of performance upgrades. The mill benefits from a front-mounted intercooler, a Koyo radiator, an HKS cold-air intake, an aftermarket dump valve, and an upgraded exhaust. Power is transmitted to all four wheels via a five-speed manual gearbox and a permanent AWD system with a viscous center differential and a Torsen rear differential.
While the seller doesn’t specify the output of this particular Celica, the standard GT-Four produced a respectable 248 hp (185 kW / 252 PS) in roadgoing form, and over 300 hp (223 kW / 303 PS) in WRC flavor. Other differences between the road car and the rally car include the active differentials, the sequential gearbox, the stripped interior with a roll cage, and the rally-spec long-travel suspension.
jdmcarspecialist8 / eBay
The listing highlights a rust-free underbody with clear underseal protection, and recent maintenance including a full service, timing belt and water pump replacement, MPH speedometer conversion, and rear fog light installation. As for the asking price, the rally-themed youngtimer could be yours for £23,995 ($32,500).
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The Toyota Celica enjoyed an illustrious career in WRC securing four Drivers’ titles (1990, 1992, 1993, 1994) and two Manufacturers’ titles (1993, 1994) although none of these were won with the ST205 generation. The most successful and famous iteration is the ST185 rally car driven by Carlos Sainz.
jdmcarspecialist8 / eBay
The Celica coupe eventually passed the torch to the Toyota Corolla WRC based on the E110 generation hatchback, before a lengthy hiatus. Fast forward into the future, Toyota Gazoo Racing got back to the top level of rallying with different versions of the Yaris and the GR Yaris through the 2010s and 2020s, improving its score to 8 Manufacturers’ titles and 6 Drivers’ titles in total.
More: Toyota Confirms The Celica Sports Name And AWD In One Shot
Camouflaged prototypes spotted during development testing on rally stages earlier this year suggest that the GR Yaris will give way to a new Celica rally car, coinciding with the upcoming change in regulations. However, until the new model arrives, owning a rare, rally-liveried piece of homologation history is about as good a distraction as any car enthusiast could ask for.
H/T to Unique Cars for Sale / Facebook
