Toyota Celica GT-Four
The first Japanese AWD turbocharged car to win the WRC Drivers' and Manufacturers' titles.
via Wikipedia: Toyota Celica GT-Four · see source
The Toyota Celica GT-Four is a high performance sports car and variation of the Celica Liftback, produced from 1986 to 1999, with a turbocharged 3S-GTE engine, and full-time AWD. It was created to compete in the World Rally Championship, whose regulations dictate that a manufacturer must build road-going versions of the vehicle in sufficient numbers. These vehicles are referred to as "homologation special vehicles". The Celica GT-Four came in three generations; the ST165, based on the fourth generation Celica, and manufactured between October 1986 and August 1989; the "super round" shape ST185 produced from September 1989 to September 1993; and the ST205, built from February 1994 to June 1999.
- Manufacturer
- Toyota
- WRC Drivers' titles
- 1992, 1993
- WRC Manufacturers' titles
- 1993
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
The significance of the Toyota Celica GT-Four in WRC history, previously dominated by European manufacturers, is that it was the first Japanese AWD turbocharged car to win the WRC Drivers' and Manufacturers' titles. The Celica GT-Four ST165 made its World Rally Championship (WRC) debut in the 1988 Tour de Corse, with its first WRC victory coming in the 1989 Rally Australia. The ST185's WRC debut was in the 1990 Rally Monte Carlo, and its first WRC win was in the 1990 1000 Lakes Rally. The ST185 was Toyota's most successful rally car for more than two decades until this position was taken by Toyota Yaris WRC, and now the GR Yaris Rally1. The Celica ST185 won the WRC Drivers' Championship in 1992, and the WRC Manufacturers' and Drivers' championships in 1993. The ST205 debuted in the 1994 Rally Monte Carlo, and its first WRC victory was the 1994 Rally Australia, later disqualified. It also won the 1995 Rally Catalunya, which was also later disqualified, and the 1996 European Rally Championship.
In Their Own Story
Toyota Team Europe (TTE) was also the first to introduce the anti-lag system (ALS) in their Group A ST205 Celica GT-Four rally cars, a technological breakthrough that was later adopted by other teams. The Celica GT-Four production cars were built at Toyota's Tahara plant in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, and the rally cars were prepared by Toyota Team Europe in Cologne, Germany. Toyota preceded the Mitsubishi (Lancer Evolution and Galant VR-4) and the Subaru (Legacy and Impreza), but not the Mazda (Mazda 323GT-R & 323GT-X). Toyota later exited the WRC to concentrate their racing efforts in Formula One, but in 2017, 11 years after the Celica was discontinued, Toyota returned to WRC with the Toyota Yaris.
Reader's Guide
The Celica GT-Four introduced Toyota's first performance drivetrain that powered all four wheels. Transverse layout AWD systems typically are front biased, only capable of up to 50% torque as it relies on the front axles to power the rear axles. However despite using a transverse layout for the engine and transmission, the GT-Four system cleverly used hollow splined shafts to provide power to the centre differential first to produce a true 50:50 system. The use of hollow shafts isolates the front power delivery and rear power delivery. They are both powered by the centre differential. This allows for a torque split capable of 100:0 to 0:100 rear bias. However to control power split, Toyota also included a viscous limited-slip coupling joining the left and right side gears of the centre differential to keep it steady at 50:50. All three generations of the Celica GT-Four used the same basic system. However, the ST185 RC and ST205 also have a rear Torsen limited-slip differential (LSD) as standard.
Did You Know?
- The Celica GT-Four ST165 made its WRC debut in the 1988 Tour de Corse, with its first WRC victory coming in the 1989 Rally Australia.
- The ST185 was Toyota's most successful rally car for more than two decades until this position was taken by Toyota Yaris WRC.
- The ST205 won the 1996 European Rally Championship.
Frequently Asked Questions
What exactly is the Toyota Celica GT-Four?
It is a high-performance, full-time AWD sports car built by Toyota between 1986 and 1999, powered by a turbocharged 3S-GTE engine. It was developed as the road-going homologation version required by WRC rules so Toyota could field a competitive rally car.
How many generations of Celica GT-Four were there?
Three: the ST165 based on the fourth-generation Celica (October 1986 to August 1991), the ST185 with its distinctive 'super round' bodywork, and a final generation that carried the nameplate through 1999.
Which WRC titles did the Celica GT-Four win?
It claimed the Drivers' Championship in both 1992 and 1993, and the Manufacturers' Championship in 1993 and 1994. Those four titles came from the ST185 era of the car.
Why is the Celica GT-Four considered a landmark in rally history?
It was the first Japanese AWD turbocharged car to take home both the WRC Drivers' and Manufacturers' titles. Before its success, the top step of world rallying had been dominated by European and Finnish entries.
What does 'homologation special' mean in the context of the GT-Four?
WRC regulations require a manufacturer to sell a road-legal version of its rally car in a minimum production run before the car can compete. The GT-Four was built to satisfy that requirement, which is why fans and historians label it a homologation special.
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