Like how your car is an AE88 on the VIN?

Funny thing with the Supra is that there is the crossmember difference.

Agreed this is speculation. And for those not in America, there is no Fing way we want this named a Celica... The Celica line are well known for there Hair Dressing drivers, nothing could be further from the race/drift car we want this to be. Personally a rear wheel drive 200 plus toyota ain't any closer to being a Celica than a bloody Hillman Hunter. As pointed out, the jouro won't even put his name to the article. Just some idiot wanting to know when his pretty little Sillycar will return to the showroom floor........:mad0260:

Well known for Hair Dressing Drivers? :iono: Please explain?

The last turbocharged celica was stock 255bhp and the last generation of celica was available with 200bhp stock in TRD M spec. Bit more power than the average Hair Dresser tends to buy...

The convertible models could well be seen as Hair Dresser models, but i cant see a Hair Dresser driving around in a GT4 or TRD M....

Also the first 3 generations of celica were RWD.....so the FT86 could easily take up the Celica name.

A RWD Gen8 Celica would equal everything out. 4 generations rwd and 4 generations FWD/4WD :)

+1 with Leeky

It's not because I'm Celica 7 gen owner, it's because it makes sense, 86 isn't a real name, just a chassis code. For the market it'll be more interesting to sell under Celica name.

However, they deposit the 86 logo, so is it just a name to describe the engine she got and the mind involved in ? Or a real name they would use ? That's the question nobody knows.

Celica or 86, it's still a great name, come on, it's Toyota at least ! Be proud of that !

I would honestly be floored if this car was given the Celica name in Japan. I honestly would, where the AE86 has its strongest support and fanbase. Toyota would literally be slapping them in the faces after the fiasco ride the concepts have been through with the AE86 heritage, legacy, and literal car, in tote.

Celica/FR-S/ FT86....whatever the name...this car will sell its boxter heart out. Most people will be pleased with the cars styling and handling and would purchase it, even if it was called a Scion **** Monger or Toyota *** Trap. History and heritage only matters to those who make it matter. Otherwise its moot to the real world.

Some decisions are based on the dedicated fans of a product. Something as simplistic as NOT naming it after a completely different car than its inspiration is a pretty good start, thats ALL I'm saying.

It'd be a different story if Toyota was parading an RA around with something called the FT-60.

There hasn't been a RWD Celica since 1985. That's 26 years ago. This idea that because at one point the Celica was RWD and therefore this car should take on it's name is just asinine. Might as well call it the Model T because that was RWD.

I don't think Toyota is worried about how evening out the Generations.

Because the 86 was just a chassis code that became legendary. It's got underground appeal. People in the know what it really means.

How will the Celica name be more interesting? That doesn't even make sense.

I would be floored if they give it that name anywhere. As you noted, they have been practically screaming 86 since the FT-86's inception. It's drawn everything from that heritage. There is literally no incentive to name it after the Celica.

Other than they both have 4 wheels, and 2 doors. This car has nothing in common with the Celica.

I think people who want a name revived are letting passion get in the way of any kind of good judgement. Were all sad to see the Celica line die, but it's not coming back. Yet.

I wouldnt put money on it not coming back ;) People have been saying that the Supra isnt coming back but that hasnt stopped Toyota re-trademarking the name right.

Its personally preference at the end of the day. And i'd love to see this car wear the Celica name again. I know its just a name.... but it would make me want the car more :)

And there is an incentive to bring the name back - everyone knows what a celica is! Even those who really dont know much about cars at all know the Celica is a Toyota. But very few people (outside of car circles) know what an AE86 is.

So with that in mind, why not cash in on the celica name?

But saying all this, i would be surprised if it wore the celica name. Its a bit too small to be a celica.

I agree to call it a Celica is just that, asinine, BUT I can understand the logic of Toyota. As a normal consumer, who's going to pay $23k for a miata sized Corolla? Giving it the name of Celica would mean a sporty model and more money. Most people would be like "Corolla FT86? I'm not going to pay more than $20k for that AND if I have to it better be fully loaded with leather, sunroof.. L-O-A-D-E-D" this is what the majority of buyers are going to think, not us enthusiasts or purists who prefer a light, sports car without those creature comforts.

Calling it a Celica affords them more $$$, than putting the car into the Corolla segment. Same reason why someone would buy a Subaru version for a few grand more. Name and brand. You know the Celica.. CelicaSupra lineage. This could be a door opener for a possible new Supra with a 325hp+ H6/H6T BASED on this chassis to fight the upcoming RX-9 that will be based off the new smaller miata chassis in 2013. You never know, depends how the market receives this car.

I can only imagine the name is being used for future car progression and to bring in the higher dollar.

The Celica.. Celica/Supra has from the beginning been a sports model. The AE86 Corolla on the other hand has not. Sports model Celicas have been RWD or AWD. The 2000+ Celicas were the first non traditional sports car configuration of the car and that somewhat failed miserably, I say somewhat only because everything about that car I liked, the only thing the car needed was RWD, it was written all over it. If they aren't bring all-trac back at least revert back to old RWD days.

They should of never used the 86 number name lineage as they have but instead say: "This is the return of an iconic compact sports car, from road racing to it's roots in rally. THIS is the NEW 2012 Toyota Celica with a special focus on weight and balance derived from it's little sibling the old AE86 Corolla. We at Toyota always wanted to improve on the Celica and as such we feel this is the right direction for our company."

Now think if you were going to use a new chassis and you shared the chassis with Subaru. What would you name your car for future possible purposes. CELICA means it could be RWD or say AWD in the future, what better way then to partner with Subaru on this. They could do a GT-FOUR with Subarus AWD and model the chassis or Supra in existing chassis, it's a win-win.

^I agree with the general ideas behind what you said... except saying that should have called it the celica from the begining. The problem with that is two things. One we still don't know if its going to be celica, that is entirely rumor. And two even if they wanted to call it celica, saying it's a new celica would lock the name it and they wouldn't be able to change it later on.

The car was inspired by the ae86 but they never said it was a new 86. It was inspired by the way that car drove and they said this would be comparable in driving feel. Which it will (hopefully) but the name they never said where it was going. The only thing I dislike is the fact that in the US they're putting the car under a completely different brand...:paddle:

That's not true at all actually. The AE86 is a sports model. Whats not sporty about it? Ohhhh, you mean the Sprinter Trueno / Levin series of Corolla's dating back to the 70's that the AE86 is apart of? Oh, why then you're wrong again...as those are also sports models, having been sport coupe's with a performance oriented package since their inception.

I think all of the people using the same era of RWD Celicas (and this is a general observation not aimed at PA's quoted post) has a basis of being a better sports car than the AE86 (and ergo, the FT-86's proper predecessor) is kinda humorous. Not only did the AE86 out corner it, and was much more nimble, it even had a better 0-60, and only ~.5 to .3 seconds slower in the Quarter Mile, depending on your source. Yo yeah, Celica is that much better.

You can't bring the Celica Supra/ Supra even remotely into this debate....the FT-86 is not, repeat, NOT even slightly aimed at rekindling the feel, design, and sports heritage of that lineup.

Keep the Celica name. Who cares? Hell, the Celica has been a "chick car" for 26 years so if you're all so worried about a name you should think about the image attached to it.