My first TTAC-exclusive rendering for 2008: Toyota's eighth incarnation of the Celica. Toyota has already given us a few tips regarding the looks of their next sports car via the FT-HS Concept. However, the concept car has lots of “show-thingies” that are as unfit for market release as the vowel-less name. Gone will be the “hybrid-synergy-drive” hood scoop, the fancy roof or the unnecessary rear air intakes. Other parts like the expensive carbon-fiber compound wheels or the tiny mirrors will be replaced with components better fit for mass production and road-use. I also believe that the front air intakes will be a bit larger, as proper cooling is very important in a performance car. I added two extra intakes underneath the front lights, because I thought they will temper a bit the original “yacht-smile” of the FT-HS. The lights will feature more conventional technologies, the usual H9 and or Xenon lamps + LEDs for signals, that giving them a slightly different look. As always, we shall see what we shall see…
[For more Avarvarii photochopistry, click here.]
As a Celica fan, and an owner of a ’97 for 7 years, I can only say…ick. The flanks and roofline look OK, but that pointy-nosed mascara’d front end has to go.
With a little work, the pointy front end could rival “the powerful Mach Five.”
http://www.speedracer.com/cars-mach5.htm
Is this supposed to be pedestrian-friendly design?
Needs work, especially that front end, but then again i’ve never saw a concept that was love at first sight.
They should drop the Celica entirely, as well as the tC. Bring back the AE86 as a Scion in its stead. There is no point in having a youth brand if you are going to give its cars to Toyota instead.
Does anyone here have the know-how to do a pedestrian safety analysis of that nose? At least to know if it’s even feasible…
Toyota will have trouble selling a new Celica. First of all, the market for sport coupes is minimal, and secondly, the Celica will have to be quite a bit better than the Scion to justify a mid-20’s price tag.
I didn’t realize Toyota made boats. That front end reminds me of a 17′ Rinker in-board I used to own. I wonder how quickly it planes out.
Looks like Bangle on a sake binge. Ugh.
Well, at least they’re taking risks. Just like BMW.
Interestingly enough in this rendering, it looks similar to a Nissan 350Z with how it slopes to the back (obviously not the front).
Celica, didn’t toyota reveil and supra model that look like this?
I’d say they got the design backwards, c’mon Toyota even the Huyndai brand ‘Gen looks more like a Celica than the so called Toyota…
Carlisimo: You just take the prototype out and start kneecapping pedestrians of all ages and sizes and see how much damage it does to the people and the car at various speeds….
… but seriously, car companies use lifelike dummies suspended by wires, and computer modeling and sensors and all sorts of fancy crap to do that.
Do any of us here have the wherewithal to do the testing? Probably not.