If
Toyota's all-new Celica turns your head, then what's underneath its slick, edgy sheet metal should be more than enough to hold your attention. The 2000 Celica is lighter, more powerful, quicker and --believe it or not -- less expensive than the 1999 model. Not a bad way to start the all new millennium.
The first Celica was launched in 1971 as Toyota's answer to the American pony car. It was sporty, nimble and youthful, but also reliable and economical. Celica hasn't changed much for the better part of a decade. It grew stale and seemed expensive.
For 2000, Celica has been completely redesigned. It goes on sale October 1.
This new Celica is the first car guided by genesis, a new, youth-oriented marketing wing of Toyota Motor Sales USA. With cars like Celica and the all new ECHO subcompact, genesis will try to woo buyers under age 30 as that group begins flexing its consumer muscle.
The Celica GT-S leads the lineup with distinctive styling, nice handling and a high-strung 180-horsepower 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine developed with assistance from Yamaha. The GT-S retails for $21,165.
Most buyers will opt for the more affordable 140-horsepower GT, which retails for $16,695.
Naturally, the two models vary in standard features: The GT gets a six-speaker stereo with both cassette and CD, power windows, power mirrors and air conditioning. The GT-S adds two speakers and more amplifier power, fog lamps, drilled aluminum sport pedals, power locks, a leather steering wheel and shift knob, cruise control and alloy wheels with wider tires. The GT-S evaluated here had nearly all the options, including a sunroof, leather seats, a rear spoiler and 16-inch alloy wheels with lower profile speed-rated tires. In place of the GT's five-speed gearbox, the GT-S comes standard with a six-speed gearbox. Either model can be ordered with a four-speed electronically controlled automatic that adds $800 to the GT, $700 to the GT-S.
Toyota had three key objectives for the seventh-generation Celica: less weight, more power, and a lower price.
The 2000 Celica weighs nearly 100 pounds less than a comparably equipped 1999. And even though the all new engine is smaller (by 400 cc), it boasts a 5-horsepower edge over last year's engine. The GT-S is expected to beat the 1999's 0-60 mph times by a substantial two-second margin, while improving fuel economy by 22 percent. Toyota said it held down the cost of building the Celica through increased production efficiencies and by sharing parts with other models.
The new Celica is based on Toyota's XYR concept car (for Xtreme, Youthful, Racy), which made the rounds at major auto shows two years ago. Its 102.3-inch wheelbase is 2.4 inches longer than the 1999 Celica's, yet the all new car is nearly four inches shorter, with a lot less overhang front and rear. Designers at the company's studio in southern California took inspiration from Toyota's CART auto-racing program. The channel down the Celica's hood is supposed to recall the needle nose on an Indy car. The long, vertical headlights are intended to remind us of the endplates on a formula race car's front wing.
Maybe, maybe not. What's clear is that Celica deliberately mixes round organic shapes with sheer and angular. The contrasts aren't necessarily clean or elegant, but they are dramatic and by no means ugly. Celica's striking headlights make it look expensive. It is a fairly large, bold step by Toyota's usual conservative, edgeless styling standards.
Under the hood, Celica offers a choice of two all-aluminum inline four-cylinder engines. While both displace 1.8 liters, each has its own block and bore and stroke measurements. With twin cams and four valves per cylinder, the base GT engine makes a respectable 140 horsepower and 125 foot-pounds of torque, both at 6400 rpm.
The GT-S inline-4 was developed jointly with Yamaha, which also does final engine assembly, and it employs a number of high-tech tweaks. It is the first Toyota-badged engine in North America with variable valve timing, lift and duration (called VVTL-i). For the buyer, that means higher revs, better engine breathing and more horsepower for the engine's size. The GT-S powerplant is one of a few non-turbocharged production engines that boast 100 horsepower per liter of displacement. With its high 11.5:1 compression, it produces 180 horsepower at 7600 rpm and 133 foot-pounds of torque at 6600 rpm.
The Celica GT comes standard with a five-speed manual transmission. The GT-S gets a six-speed. The GT-S is also available with the E-Shift semi-automatic shift program from the hot Lexus GS 400 sports sedan. This optional four-speed automatic can be shifted manually via buttons on the steering wheel spokes.
