Arashi

I personally like the styling of the Celica. I also think that it is a decent car for the price. But now that there are cars like Mini Cooper, Acura RSX and even Toyota's own Scion tC, it isn't surprising that they are ending the production.

But what if it came as Corolla GT and Corolla GTS from the first place? And just made it RWD with LSD with the same engine choices and just add a set of suspension that easily drifts the car.

A lot of styling cues and features of the car are quite similar to the old one, being a hatch with sharp, triangular rear windows, tiny grille, flat and wide duct on the hood, being very light weight, small rear bench, plasticky and don't have many features.

The 17k-23k price tag doesn't seem too hefty as well. If they didn't offer stuff like Action Package, leather, sunroof, side air-bags and all that non-sense and just keep HID, alarm and sound system for option, the car would have probably sold. It was a perfect time for it to debut too, the drift hype started showing from around 2001, about a year after the car was launched.

A 23k dollar Toyota thats RWD with LSD, near 50:50 weight ratio, very tossable suspension, 180hp, 2500lbs, 5 or 6 spd stick, with none of the stuff like leather, abs, moonroof, aero parts. By having auto as an option on top of that, the car could have made some serious bucks for Toyota.

The problem is keeping the price same while building/converting it into a RWD car, I'm not a mechanic nor familiar with engine building process so I'm not sure how much money/effort takes into converting a transverse, FWD car into a normal RWD car, or whether it costs more money to build a RWD car from scratch than making a FWD. I think the Elise and MR2 have the engine transversely mounted, just like NSX, but I could be wrong.

aklucsarits

Corolla has been a compact, economy car brand for Toyota in the US for over 30+ years. Celica has been the brand used for Toyota's sporty, affordable coupe in the US for the last 20+ years. Given the heritage and brand recognition of each model, it would be foolish from a marketing perspective for Toyota to start mixing the models and causing confusion.

Further the smallest RWD platform that Toyota currently produces is used in the new Lexus IS. That mid-size sedan platform is what will reportedly be used under the upcoming Toyota Supra. However it's probably too large to be used for an affordable sport-compact car, like the Celica.

Andrew

Christople

I wonder who would actually buy that thing? They didn't sell alot of GTS's in comparion to the GT in the celica trim, nor did they even do any updates to the car. It looks like it was pretty much dead from the start. They lower the redline halfway through production, then add it back. The gearbox was horrible and alot of people blew up their endings from shifting wrong.

It is still a peppy car with a horrible rear view. The celica got great gas milage, handled well, had a decent interior (IMO), but had an open differential.

For Toyota to actually produce what you are saying, they would have to make a whole new engine/transmission, make it either fit in the current Corolla and/or design a whole new corolla that supports the FWD economy style and support this FRD platform.

Judging on how Toyota has put the same engine in various cars, and there is no FRD car out besides the Lexus lines, I don't see this happening.

Christople

In re reading your post, I think there is a car that will be out soon that supports what you are talking about.

2006 Mazda Miata

Front Engine Rear Wheel Drive, 170hp instead of 180. Very tossable, 50/50 weight, LSD. Weighs about 2400 I believe.

The only thing is, convertible, 2 seater, small trunk. I would still want to drive one though.

vAnt

The Celica and the MR2 are discontinued.

No replacement models will be made.

SpeedxRacer

The mass would never buy a corolla in the 23k range.

aklucsarits

[QUOTE=Christople,Jul 21 2005, 10:17 AM] In re reading your post, I think there is a car that will be out soon that supports what you are talking about.

2006 Mazda Miata

Front Engine Rear Wheel Drive, 170hp instead of 180. Very tossable, 50/50 weight, LSD. Weighs about 2400 I believe.

The only thing is, convertible, 2 seater, small trunk. I would still want to drive one though.

Christople

Didn't know that the new Miata was all double wishbone. I wonder if it will outhandle an S2000.

vader1

What then would they do with the Corolla? It is a fantastic economy car and they sell a jillion of them. I guess I am missing the point? Why would you change the name of a car and kill off a successful car just to rebadge a car you already make in the first place that has declining sales? (and I think production is ending)

Secondly why would you market one of your sporty models under a well established economy car name? That would be like changing the Name "Viper" to "Neon" and hoping it would boost sales would it not?

I think the point is that if they are not selling enough of them to keep the plant producing them, changing the name and selling them as some sort of limited edition is not suddenly going to make it profitable. Its all about profit.

watermelonman

I always thought the styling of that car was easily its low point. I think it was obnoxiously loud and will look very dated very quickly.