Toyota Files For a Trademark on 'Celica'
09-15-17, 05:36 PM
#1
Driver
Thread Starter
Toyota Files For a Trademark on 'Celica'
Toyota's planned revival of a "three brothers" sports car lineup may finally come to pass.
The three tiers originally included the Celica, the MR2 and the Supra. The Toyota Celica has been absent from global markets, however, since the seventh generation T230 platform went out of production in 2006, ending a 36-year-long run.
But recently, a search for "Celica" in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's public archives yields four results. Two are for software, one is for Toyota's original USPTO trademark filing in 1973 (now expired), and one, the most recent, dated August 31, 2017, is another application by Toyota for the "Celica" trademark.
With the Toyota 86 in production rather than the MR2, however, the lineup of three may have to be changed to Celica-86-Supra. That said, rumors of a new MR2 persist, and Toyota may have to either axe the runt of the litter or make room for one more.
That's not to mention the S-FR concept shown off in 2015 either, though by the lack of news on it since, we may be safe in assuming it's dead.
So, what could we expect of a new Celica? Well, a four-cylinder engine seems like a given. As for which engine of Toyota's would fit the bill, well, none, really. Toyota has no in-house performance engines at present. Their 86 is powered by an outsourced Subaru FA20 unit, and the upcoming Supra is expected to use BMW engines.
Some considered the ill-fated Scion tC the Celica's successor, though the tC lacked the Celica's low weight and nimble handling, never mind the Celica's motorsport heritage, which includes one of history's greatest motorsport controversies.
Gone for more than a decade, it was starting to look like Toyota had abandoned the Celica as a has-been. Last month's filing by Toyota with the USPTO could be evidence of renewed interest in reviving Celica production, however.
Should the Celica come back, it will hopefully feature a brand new rev-happy, naturally aspirated four-pot, like the 2ZZ-GE from the T230 Celica GT-S. Why? Just listen to the video below. You'll understand.
The three tiers originally included the Celica, the MR2 and the Supra. The Toyota Celica has been absent from global markets, however, since the seventh generation T230 platform went out of production in 2006, ending a 36-year-long run.
But recently, a search for "Celica" in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's public archives yields four results. Two are for software, one is for Toyota's original USPTO trademark filing in 1973 (now expired), and one, the most recent, dated August 31, 2017, is another application by Toyota for the "Celica" trademark.
With the Toyota 86 in production rather than the MR2, however, the lineup of three may have to be changed to Celica-86-Supra. That said, rumors of a new MR2 persist, and Toyota may have to either axe the runt of the litter or make room for one more.
That's not to mention the S-FR concept shown off in 2015 either, though by the lack of news on it since, we may be safe in assuming it's dead.
So, what could we expect of a new Celica? Well, a four-cylinder engine seems like a given. As for which engine of Toyota's would fit the bill, well, none, really. Toyota has no in-house performance engines at present. Their 86 is powered by an outsourced Subaru FA20 unit, and the upcoming Supra is expected to use BMW engines.
Some considered the ill-fated Scion tC the Celica's successor, though the tC lacked the Celica's low weight and nimble handling, never mind the Celica's motorsport heritage, which includes one of history's greatest motorsport controversies.
Gone for more than a decade, it was starting to look like Toyota had abandoned the Celica as a has-been. Last month's filing by Toyota with the USPTO could be evidence of renewed interest in reviving Celica production, however.
Should the Celica come back, it will hopefully feature a brand new rev-happy, naturally aspirated four-pot, like the 2ZZ-GE from the T230 Celica GT-S. Why? Just listen to the video below. You'll understand.
09-16-17, 06:36 AM
#2
Lexus Fanatic
Nice to see Toyota show some signs of bringing it back, but the market for sports-coupes, right now, in the U.S., is questionable.
I owned a 1995 Celica for almost six years (before my Lexus IS300). It was one of the most reliable cars I ever owned, though, with a standard Corolla 4 in it, somewhat underpowered. The 1994-1999 models, I thought, were especially striking in their looks. The smaller, lighter-built vision which replaced it in 2000, IMO, looked like a Hot Wheels car from the toy store.
I owned a 1995 Celica for almost six years (before my Lexus IS300). It was one of the most reliable cars I ever owned, though, with a standard Corolla 4 in it, somewhat underpowered. The 1994-1999 models, I thought, were especially striking in their looks. The smaller, lighter-built vision which replaced it in 2000, IMO, looked like a Hot Wheels car from the toy store.
09-16-17, 07:21 AM
#3
Driver
Thread Starter
09-16-17, 09:36 AM
#4
Lexus Champion
Back then Toyota had some excellent engines in their parts bin but for some reason in North America they rarely used them. Instead opting to go with the economy Corolla and Camry engines I never understood that. The GE/turbo and BEAMS engines are just as reliable (maybe more) than the xx-FE engines if they would have offered those maybe Toyota would not have had to cancel the Celica's production run.
09-16-17, 11:18 PM
#5
Back then Toyota had some excellent engines in their parts bin but for some reason in North America they rarely used them. Instead opting to go with the economy Corolla and Camry engines I never understood that. The GE/turbo and BEAMS engines are just as reliable (maybe more) than the xx-FE engines if they would have offered those maybe Toyota would not have had to cancel the Celica's production run.
Still kind of bitter that we never had the 1JZ-GTE/2JZ-GTE twin turbo monsters in Lexus products back in the 90's/early 2000's. At the price point Lexus sold for, these should have been options IMO, instead the only JZ goodness we got was a low output version with no turbos.
09-17-17, 03:03 AM
#6
Lexus Fanatic
I think the problem was cost, Toyota couldn't figure out how to give us the good engines from Japan without pricing themselves out of the market or selling at a loss. I remember the late 80's/early 90's Celica All-Trac sold for a small fortune back in the day, sales were minimal at that price point.
Still kind of bitter that we never had the 1JZ-GTE/2JZ-GTE twin turbo monsters in Lexus products back in the 90's/early 2000's. At the price point Lexus sold for, these should have been options IMO, instead the only JZ goodness we got was a low output version with no turbos.
Still kind of bitter that we never had the 1JZ-GTE/2JZ-GTE twin turbo monsters in Lexus products back in the 90's/early 2000's. At the price point Lexus sold for, these should have been options IMO, instead the only JZ goodness we got was a low output version with no turbos.
09-17-17, 04:38 AM
#7
Lexus Fanatic
Back then Toyota had some excellent engines in their parts bin but for some reason in North America they rarely used them. Instead opting to go with the economy Corolla and Camry engines I never understood that. The GE/turbo and BEAMS engines are just as reliable (maybe more) than the xx-FE engines if they would have offered those maybe Toyota would not have had to cancel the Celica's production run.
I think the problem was cost, Toyota couldn't figure out how to give us the good engines from Japan without pricing themselves out of the market or selling at a loss. I remember the late 80's/early 90's Celica All-Trac sold for a small fortune back in the day, sales were minimal at that price point.
Still kind of bitter that we never had the 1JZ-GTE/2JZ-GTE twin turbo monsters in Lexus products back in the 90's/early 2000's. At the price point Lexus sold for, these should have been options IMO, instead the only JZ goodness we got was a low output version with no turbos.
Still kind of bitter that we never had the 1JZ-GTE/2JZ-GTE twin turbo monsters in Lexus products back in the 90's/early 2000's. At the price point Lexus sold for, these should have been options IMO, instead the only JZ goodness we got was a low output version with no turbos.
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09-17-17, 09:22 AM
#8
Lexus Champion
My point is the Toyota parts bin was stocked with drivetrains that would have made the Celica much more desirable.
09-17-17, 10:39 AM
#9
Lexus Fanatic
Would be sweet to see it come back as a RWD car. I don't suppose anyone here is old enough to remember the 22 and 20R motors (I was a child who could work on it), just a generation of motors that were indestructible just because. Imagine back then to gain 7 HP and 7 ft. lbs was something....
09-17-17, 02:19 PM
#11
It was frustrating back in the 90's that when the All-Trac turbo went away and the 1994-1999 model design came out we never even got the 3S-GE BEAMS 190hp version, let alone that model's GT-Four variant marketed as an All-Trac. Beautiful car at the time which looked great in the brochures but turned me right off when I saw the only engine available was a 135hp 5S-FE Camry engine. At least they offered a 5-speed manual but that Celica needed at least 200hp to begin with. The 2000-2005(?) Celica indeed looked like a Hot Wheels creation but the 180hp 1ZZ-GE and six speed manual GT-S trim level finally brought it somewhere fun.
I agree with the comment about 1JZGTE and 2JZGTE engines being absent from the pricey Lexus lineup of the time.
The designer of the GT86 and Supra MKV prototype said a while back that he'd be in favor of seeing a new Celica GT-Four model produced. I hope he gets his way.
With the Celica name coming back (although a trademark doesn't automatically mean it will) I'm concerned we won't see a production version of the little RWD manual S-FR concept that is supposed to MSRP under $20k. The MR2 has been much talked about but I've yet to hear anything about a new one in the rumor mill compared to the future of the 86, the new Supra, S-FR, now the Celica.
I agree with the comment about 1JZGTE and 2JZGTE engines being absent from the pricey Lexus lineup of the time.
The designer of the GT86 and Supra MKV prototype said a while back that he'd be in favor of seeing a new Celica GT-Four model produced. I hope he gets his way.
With the Celica name coming back (although a trademark doesn't automatically mean it will) I'm concerned we won't see a production version of the little RWD manual S-FR concept that is supposed to MSRP under $20k. The MR2 has been much talked about but I've yet to hear anything about a new one in the rumor mill compared to the future of the 86, the new Supra, S-FR, now the Celica.
09-17-17, 03:53 PM
#12
Lexus Fanatic
There's (probably) a slightly better potential market for a Celica than an MR2. The last MR2 sales were so low that it would be stretching it to even call it a niche product.
At my local Toyota dealership (I was driving my blue 1995 Celica at the time), I can remember when the first 3Gen MR2 Spyder arrived (bright yellow) and rolled down off the truck. Not surprisingly, it went to the General Manager's Office-Assistant...from what I remember, a very nice lady, and well deserving of it. In fact, that dealership had treated me and my late mother so well (my Mom had driven a Corolla Wagon until she got cancer and passed away) that I helped wash and prep that new MR2 for the Office Assistant, and personally gave her the keys (you should have seen the look on her boss'es face LOL)
I'm a firm believer, though, in, werever possible, returning niceties for niceties. 
Last edited by mmarshall; 09-17-17 at 04:31 PM.
09-17-17, 06:04 PM
#14
Lexus Test Driver
Would be sweet to see it come back as a RWD car. I don't suppose anyone here is old enough to remember the 22 and 20R motors (I was a child who could work on it), just a generation of motors that were indestructible just because. Imagine back then to gain 7 HP and 7 ft. lbs was something....
09-17-17, 06:37 PM
#15
Lexus Champion
In truth Toyota already makes a modern day Celica, the Toyota 86. I know many will disagree with me here but the BRZ/FRS/86 is a Celica in spirit not a successor to the AE86. This is very easy to see, 2 door lightweight RWD sports car with a 4-cylinder engine frameless doors. Sound familiar?