Toyota pays tribute to the Celica GT-Four rally car with the GR86 Rally Legacy Concept

Toyota has gone all out at the 2024 SEMA show in Las Vegas as it unveiled various concepts which includes the FJ Cruiser-like Land Cruiser ROX Concept and the Dakar-ready Toyota RAV-X Concept, among several others.

Now, the Japanese automaker looks to its past, particularly the iconic Celica GT-Four rally car with the new GR86 Rally Legacy Concept which will surely bring some nostalgia to fans of the brand’s storied motorsports heritage.

Most obvious with this concept is its Halo White exterior paint job, matched with a red and green color palette which surely reminds us of the Celica GT-Four rally car. Also hard to miss are the huge rally lights in front which will surely provide superior lighting when rallying in the dark.

Other exterior bits include large red rally mud flaps, a custom exhaust, and a Celica GT-Four-inspired spoiler which all complete the vintage rally look.

Inside, the GR86 Rally Legacy concept is equipped with a full cage which is painted in bright white. Special racing seats with red-colored six-point harnesses are also installed. Of course, various interior components have been removed or replaced to reduce weight.

But this concept is not all about aesthetics or the rally car looks as there is a lot going on underneath. And by a lot, we do mean a lot.

Starting with the powertrain, the 2.4-liter engine which was originally co-developed with Subaru has been swapped-out in favor of Toyota’s own 1.6-liter G16E-GTS turbocharged three-cylinder engine from the GR Corolla. This makes 304 horsepower and 370 Nm of torque like in the GR Corolla, with the potential for more with some additional tuning.

Additions to the powertrain include a performance intercooler to chill the intake charge, and an oil cooler to reduce engine oil temps. A race ECU has also been installed to ensure good fuel delivery, spark timing, boost control and sensor monitoring.

Putting in that engine did not go without any major changes though as the chassis had to be modified in order to accommodate the taller engine, along with a custom subframe and engine mounts for additional room for the driveline and suspension.

And since this is now all-wheel drive, significant modifications had to be done to the suspension in order to fit GR Corolla hubs, spindles and axles to get power to the front wheels. Custom coil-over dampers and custom control arms were also added. Additional adjustments were then made to the steering rack to ensure proper feel and clearances.

Think we’re done? No we’re not. The concept has also been fitted with the GR Corolla’s differential and housing to maintain factory gear ratios, electronics functionality, and power distribution. The GR Corolla rear axles also required modification to fit properly. 

And we think that’s it. With so much done to create the Toyota GR86 Rally Legacy Concept, don’t you think it might be a waste if Toyota does not put this into production, or perhaps bring it to actual rally racing? Who knows though, they might give us a surprise.