Toyota’s Hidden 500-HP All-Wheel-Drive Celica Supercar

Rally Reborn - Back in the late 1990s, Toyota’s Celica was already known as a sporty, reliable compact coupe, but by the time the seventh-generation model arrived in 1999, something was missing. It carried a sharper, modern design with compact, agile proportions and short overhangs, and it was lighter by 196 pounds than its predecessor. Paired with 1.8-liter inline-four engines—the 2ZZ-GE and 1ZZ-FE—and a new six-speed manual gearbox, it had plenty of appeal for enthusiasts who appreciated nimble handling and efficiency. Yet, fans of the Celica's motorsport heritage noticed a glaring absence: there was no high-performance all-wheel-drive variant to continue the GT-4 legacy that had been a rally icon for years.

The 2000 Toyota Ultimate Celica is the extreme in driving excitement, features a race-bred suspension, custom exhaust system, Recaro sport seats with four-point belts, an integrated rollcage, a racing fuel cell, performance tires and wheels, and Champ Car-inspired styling. (Picture from: CCDiscussion)

Toyota knew that sports car fans weren’t just looking for style—they craved performance rooted in racing history. Previous GT-4 models had brought turbocharged, all-wheel-drive rally technology to the streets, showing off Toyota’s motorsport prowess and giving the model a halo of excitement. Without such a standout, the seventh-generation Celica, while capable, felt like it lacked the punch needed to excite hardcore enthusiasts. That’s when Toyota decided to take things a bold step further and produce a one-off supercar concept that would remind the world of what Celicas could really do.

The 2000 Toyota Ultimate Celica project was spearheaded by a small, passionate team of Toyota USA executives—Jim Press, Yale Gieszl, and Bryan Bergsteinsson of the Lexus division—who shared a clear vision: a 500-horsepower, all-wheel-drive Celica that could compete with supercars on paper. (Picture from: Pinterest)

Enter the 2000 Toyota Ultimate Celica, a car designed not for mass production but to showcase Toyota’s engineering audacity. The project was spearheaded by a small, passionate team of Toyota USA executives—Jim Press, Yale Gieszl, and Bryan Bergsteinsson of the Lexus division—who shared a clear vision: a 500-horsepower, all-wheel-drive Celica that could compete with supercars on paper, if not in showrooms. To bring this vision to life, they collaborated with Rod Millen Motorsports, tapping into the expertise of a man known for his record-setting Pikes Peak Tacoma and championship-winning race cars.

The 2000 Toyota Ultimate Celica new body pieces widen the vehicle by 3.8-inches in the front and 3.2 in the rear. (Picture from: HotCars)

The Ultimate Celica was far from a mere bodykit exercise. Its 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine was heavily modified, drawing inspiration from Toyota’s early ’90s IMSA GTP racing cars. It featured Mahle forged pistons, titanium con rods, a billet crankshaft, custom headers, and a Garrett T04 ball-bearing turbocharger running at 22 psi. This setup produced a staggering 500 horsepower at 8,000 rpm and 340 lb-ft of torque at 5,500 rpm, all managed through a five-speed manual transmission borrowed from the GT-4 rally car. 

The 2000 Toyota Ultimate Celica powered by 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine was heavily modified, drawing inspiration from Toyota’s early ’90s IMSA GTP racing cars. (Picture from: Wikipedia)

To handle the immense power, the team installed the GT-4’s all-wheel-drive system with a Torsen rear differential and viscous center coupling, alongside upgraded Bilstein suspension, racing-inspired brakes, and a custom roll cage for rigidity and safety. Inside, the cabin received Recaro racing seats with four-point harnesses, maintaining a balance between road usability and track readiness.

The 2000 Toyota Ultimate Celica styled at Toyota’s Calty design center in Newport Beach, California, it took cues from Champ Cars, featuring a boxy rear wing, a formula car-inspired front nose, and widened fenders to accommodate 19-inch BBS magnesium wheels wrapped in Michelin Pilot tires. (Picture from: CCDiscussion)

Visually, the Ultimate Celica screamed performance. Styled at Toyota’s Calty design center in Newport Beach, California, it took cues from Champ Cars, featuring a boxy rear wing, a formula car-inspired front nose, and widened fenders to accommodate 19-inch BBS magnesium wheels wrapped in Michelin Pilot tires. The car’s stance alone suggested it wasn’t here to blend in with ordinary Celicas—it demanded attention. | G9jY73pGwK0 |

Performance numbers confirmed the hype. Despite notable turbo lag off the line, the Ultimate Celica rocketed to 60 mph in 4.9 seconds and covered a quarter-mile in 13.3 seconds at 108 mph, with a 60–100 mph sprint clocked at 6.7 seconds—comparable to contemporary Porsche 996 Turbos. It wasn’t just a concept; it was proof that Toyota could take a humble sports coupe and transform it into something audaciously fast, yet still grounded in motorsport DNA. 

The 2000 Toyota Ultimate Celica's new body pieces widen the vehicle by 3.8-inches in the front and 3.2 in the rear. (Picture from: CCDiscussion)

Today, the Ultimate Celica remains a rare and largely unseen chapter in Toyota’s performance history. It reportedly spent time at the Toyota USA Automobile Museum in California, and while it never reached production, its legacy endures as a reminder of what could have been—a bridge between rally-bred heritage and street-level supercar ambition. Meanwhile, the seventh-generation Celica continues to be celebrated for its lightweight, nimble design, with affordable examples still available for enthusiasts looking for a practical sports coupe, or for those seeking the previous GT-4 models for a taste of full-blown rally magic.

 

The Ultimate Celica may never have reached the roads, but it remains a fascinating snapshot of Toyota’s willingness to dream big—a 500-horsepower reminder that even everyday models can harbor extraordinary potential. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | HOTCARS | SUPERCARS.NET | CCDISCUSSION ]

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