Toyota GR86 Rally Legacy Concept

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Both the Toyota Celica GT-FOUR and AE86 (aka Levin/Trueno) are legendary in their own ways – the Celica in the World Rally Championship (WRC) and the AE86 among the drift community, made famous by Japanese Initial D manga/anime series.

Paying homage to the two models, Toyota created the GR86 Rally Legacy Concept for the 2024 SEMA Show. The concept rallycar, based on the GR86, draws inspiration from the iconic ST185 and ST205 Celica GT-Four rallycars of the 1990s.

“The aim was to evoke memories of the legendary rallycar that enthusiasts have admired on rally stages and in popular racing videogames,” said Paul Doleshal, General Manager of Motorsports and Assets at Toyota Motor North America. “That idea led to a formative conversation about how cool it would be to create a modern interpretation of such an iconic model.”

The project started with two distinct sportscars from the GR family – the GR86 and GR Corolla that were merged into a vision of how a modern version of the Celica GT-Four might appear. The most formidable fabrication challenges involved modifying the GR86’s chassis to accommodate the GR Corolla’s taller, transverse-mounted G16E-GTS 3-cylinder engine and the GR-FOUR AWD drivetrain.

While the G16 turbocharged engine could fit within the GR86 engine bay and transmission tunnel, some modification of the front of the chassis was required, along with a custom subframe and engine mounts to gain the clearance required for the driveline and suspension.

Converting the GR86 to all-wheel drive also required significant modification of the front suspension to incorporate GR Corolla hubs, spindles and axles to get power to the front wheels. Custom coil-over dampers were bolted onto each corner, and custom control arms were fabricated to complement the subframe modifications. Additional adjustments were made to the GR86 steering rack to ensure proper feel and clearances.

Under the rear end, the team replaced the stock GR86 rear end with the GR Corolla differential and housing to maintain factory gear ratios, electronics functionality, and power distribution. The GR Corolla rear axles also required modification to fit properly.

The engineers gave the engine some upgrades like a performance intercooler and an oil cooler. Engine management duties were delegated to a race ECU to ensure spot-on fuel delivery, spark timing, boost control and sensor monitoring throughout. While the GR86 Rally Legacy Concept retains the GR Corolla’s original output of 300 bhp/370 Nm, there is the potential to increase these numbers with further tuning.

The GR86 Rally Legacy concept features a striking Halo White exterior with heritage-inspired red and green colour palette (the Castrol colours on the rallycars), integrated with modern Toyota and TOYOTA GAZOO Racing logos. Notable exterior features include large red rally mudflaps, a custom exhaust, and a Celica GT-Four-inspired spoiler, complete the vintage rally look.

Inside the cockpit, there’s a full cage, painted in bright white. The driver is held in place by racing seats with red, 6-point racing harnesses, aligning with TOYOTA GAZOO Racing’s colour scheme.

“The GR86 Rally Legacy Concept is a testament to Toyota’s enduring passion for rallying,” said Mike Tripp, Group Vice-President, Toyota Marketing. “We did this build for our GR and Toyota rally fans – it’s a fantasy car come to life; our way of celebrating our past achievements and the possibility of the World Rally Championship making a return to the United States.”

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