The
Toyota Celica GT-Four is a high performance model of the
CelicaThe Toyota Celica name has been applied to a series of popular coupes made by the Japanese company Toyota. The name is ultimately derived from the Latin word coelica meaning "heavenly" or "celestial"....
liftback, with a turbocharged 3S-GTE engine, and full-time
AWDAWD may refer to:* AWD Holding, Allgemeiner Wirtschaftsdienst, German company* Acute Watery Diarrhoea, a symptom associated with cholera* Air Warfare Destroyer, for example Australian Air Warfare Destroyer* Four-wheel drive, aka All wheel drive...
. It was created to compete in the
World Rally ChampionshipThe World Rally Championship is a rallying series organised by the FIA, culminating with a champion driver, co-driver and manufacturer. The driver's world championship and manufacturer's world championship are separate championships, but based on the same point system...
, 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;
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
ST205 from February 1994 to June 1999.
The Celica GT-Four rally cars were prepared by Toyota Team Europe in
KolnKOLN, digital channel 10, is the CBS affiliate in Lincoln, Nebraska. It operates a satellite station, KGIN, on digital channel 11 in Grand Island. KGIN repeats all KOLN programming, but airs separate commercials...
,
GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...
.
The Celica GT-Four ST165 made its
World Rally ChampionshipThe World Rally Championship is a rallying series organised by the FIA, culminating with a champion driver, co-driver and manufacturer. The driver's world championship and manufacturer's world championship are separate championships, but based on the same point system...
(WRC) debut in the 1988
Tour de CorseThe Tour de Corse - Rallye de France is a rally race first held in 1956 on the island of Corsica. It has been part of the World Rally Championship schedule since the inaugural 1973 season. The name "Tour de Corse" refers to the fact that in the early days it was run around the island; nowadays it...
, but the first WRC victory came in 1989
Rally AustraliaRally Australia is an automobile rally event which was held in and around Perth, Western Australia from 1988 until 2006, when that state's tourism commission severed its collaboration with the event. The rally was part of the Asia-Pacific Rally Championship in 1988 and the World Rally Championship...
.
The
Toyota Celica GT-Four is a high performance model of the
CelicaThe Toyota Celica name has been applied to a series of popular coupes made by the Japanese company Toyota. The name is ultimately derived from the Latin word coelica meaning "heavenly" or "celestial"....
liftback, with a turbocharged 3S-GTE engine, and full-time
AWDAWD may refer to:* AWD Holding, Allgemeiner Wirtschaftsdienst, German company* Acute Watery Diarrhoea, a symptom associated with cholera* Air Warfare Destroyer, for example Australian Air Warfare Destroyer* Four-wheel drive, aka All wheel drive...
. It was created to compete in the
World Rally ChampionshipThe World Rally Championship is a rallying series organised by the FIA, culminating with a champion driver, co-driver and manufacturer. The driver's world championship and manufacturer's world championship are separate championships, but based on the same point system...
, 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;
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
ST205 from February 1994 to June 1999.
The Celica GT-Four rally cars were prepared by Toyota Team Europe in
KolnKOLN, digital channel 10, is the CBS affiliate in Lincoln, Nebraska. It operates a satellite station, KGIN, on digital channel 11 in Grand Island. KGIN repeats all KOLN programming, but airs separate commercials...
,
GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...
.
The Celica GT-Four ST165 made its
World Rally ChampionshipThe World Rally Championship is a rallying series organised by the FIA, culminating with a champion driver, co-driver and manufacturer. The driver's world championship and manufacturer's world championship are separate championships, but based on the same point system...
(WRC) debut in the 1988
Tour de CorseThe Tour de Corse - Rallye de France is a rally race first held in 1956 on the island of Corsica. It has been part of the World Rally Championship schedule since the inaugural 1973 season. The name "Tour de Corse" refers to the fact that in the early days it was run around the island; nowadays it...
, but the first WRC victory came in 1989
Rally AustraliaRally Australia is an automobile rally event which was held in and around Perth, Western Australia from 1988 until 2006, when that state's tourism commission severed its collaboration with the event. The rally was part of the Asia-Pacific Rally Championship in 1988 and the World Rally Championship...
. The ST185's maiden WRC win was in the 1992
Safari RallyThe Safari Rally is considered by many to be the world's toughest rally. It was first held from 27 May to 1 June 1953 as the East African Coronation Safari in Kenya, Uganda and Tanganyika, as a celebration of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II...
, and won four events in that year. The ST185 is Toyota's most successful rally car. It won the
WRC Driver's Championship in 1992, and the
WRC Manufacturer's and Driver's Championships in 1993 and 1994. The ST205 came in late 1994, and became official rally car in 1995 with one WRC victory. It also won the 1996
European Rally ChampionshipThe European Rally Championship is the European continental championship series in rallying. It is organised by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile .- 2009 season events :*Rallye 1000 Miglia - Italy *Istanbul Rally - Turkey...
.
The significance of the Toyota Celica GT-Four in WRC history, previously dominated by European manufacturers, is that it was the first time a Japanese car manufacturer entered the WRC with an AWD turbocharged car and took trophies and won races. Since then other Japanese manufacturers have been successful in the WRC. Toyota preceded Mitsubishi (
Lancer EvolutionThe Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, colloquially known as the Lancer Evo or Evo ,is a car manufactured by Mitsubishi Motors. There have been ten official versions to date, and the designation of each model is most commonly a roman numeral. All of them share a two litre, turbocharged engine and...
and
Galant VR-4The Mitsubishi Galant VR-4 was the range-topping version of Mitsubishi Motors' Galant model, available in the sixth , seventh and eighth generations of the vehicle...
) and Subaru (
LegacyThe Subaru Legacy is a mid-size car built by Japanese manufacturer Subaru since 1989. Available as a wagon or sedan, the Legacy joined the smaller Leone and took over as Subaru's mainstay vehicle. The Legacy has been noted for its reliability and practicality , and many models have been commended...
and
ImprezaThe Subaru Impreza is a compact car that was first introduced by Subaru in 1993."Impreza" is a coined word, deriving from an originally Italian word, impresa, meaning a feat or achievement. In Polish, "Impreza" means "party", "event" or "show"....
). Toyota later exited the WRC to concentrate their racing efforts in
Formula OneFormula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1, and currently officially referred to as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" in the name refers to a set of rules to which all participants...
.
Toyota Team Europe (TTE) was also the first to introduce the
anti-lag system (ALS) in their ST205 Celica GT-Four cars, a technological breakthrough that was later adopted by other teams.
ST165 (1986-1989)
The GT-Four concept started with the
convertibleA convertible is a type of automobile in which the roof can retract and fold away, converting it from an enclosed to an open-air vehicle. Many different automobile body styles are manufactured and marketed in convertible form....
prototypeA concept vehicle or show vehicle is a car prototype made to showcase a concept, new styling, technology and more. They are often shown at motor shows to gauge customer reaction to new and radical designs which may or may not have a chance of being produced.General Motors designer Harley Earl is...
displayed at 1985
Tokyo Motor ShowThe is a biennial auto show held in October-November at the Makuhari Messe, Chiba City, Japan for cars, motorcycles and commercial vehicles. Hosted by the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association , it is a recognized international show by the Organisation Internationale des Constructeurs...
. The white car with burgundy interior is the first car to be called
Celica GT-Four with theme "Open Air 4WD Motoring". The convertible never went into production, but the concept went to the
liftbackA liftback is a car body style in which the cargo space is accessed through a tailgate that extends up to the higher end of the C-pillar and includes the rear window. Liftbacks have either fastback-like rear ends, which are significantly sloped compared to more vertical hatchbacks, or are...
model which began production in October 1986.
The ST165 GT-Four can be distinguished from the front wheel drive Celica by its front bumper which has larger openings, and the "GT-Four" decals on the doors. Inside, the original GT-Four has Differential Lock Switch near the hand brake.
Minor change was given in October 1987. As with other front-drive Celicas, the ST165 received a new grille, tail lights, and alloys. The export version also has full body kit, noticeably the side spoilers and dual front round fog lights. The GT-Four is marketed in the USA as "Turbo All-Trac" and in
CanadaCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
as "4WD Turbo."
ST185 (1989-1993)
The first 21 units ST185 were built in December 1988 as prototypes for various tests. The production model was launched in
Japanis an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
in September 1989, and delivery began a month later.
The 3S-GTE in the GT-Four features an air-to-air intercooler and CT26
twin entry turbo to eliminate exhaust gas interference. The JDM GT-Four has of power and of torque, a result of more aggressive ignition advance and ceramic turbine. The Full-time 4WD system in the GT-Four has viscous coupling limited slip center differential and some models are equipped with a
TorsenTorsen is a type of limited slip differential used in automobiles. It was invented by American Vernon Gleasman and manufactured by the Gleason Corporation. Torsen is a contraction of Torque-Sensing...
rear differential.
All export market GT-Four are wide-body Liftbacks with flared fenders. The JDM GT-Four was also offered as normal body.
In August 1990, the wide body GT-Four A was added into the Japanese lineup. Super Live Sound System with ten speakers became standard on the GT-Four A.
| JDM ST185 Models |
| Production Date |
Body Style |
Model Code |
Model Name |
Intercooler type |
JDM price (¥'000) |
Remarks |
| 8910 - 9108 |
Normal Body |
E-ST185-BLMVZ |
GT-Four |
Air-To-Air |
2,685 |
Optional: ABS, Auto A/C, Leather, 10-Speakers Premium Sound System, Sunroof. |
| 8910 - 9108 |
Normal Body |
E-ST185-BLMVZ(V) |
GT-Four V |
Air-To-Air |
2,427 |
Economy model with wheel covers (no alloys), no fog lights, limited options. |
| 8910 - 9108 |
Normal Body |
E-ST185-BLMVZ(R) |
GT-Four Rally |
Air-To-Air |
2,385 |
Rally model with close ratio gearbox, steel wheels, no power window. |
| 9008 - 9309 |
Wide Body |
E-ST185H-BLMVZ |
GT-Four A |
Air-To-Air |
2,900 (Aug '90 launch); 2,975 (Aug '91 facelift) |
Similar to all export models, equivalent to All-trac in the USA. 10-Speaker Premium Sound System is standard. |
| 9108 - 9309 |
Wide Body |
E-ST185H-BLMVZ(R) |
GT-Four Rally |
Air-To-Air |
2,691 |
Rally model with close ratio gearbox, steel wheels, no power window. The rarest ST185 model. |
| 9108 - 9202 |
Wide Body |
E-ST185H-BLMQZ |
GT-Four RC |
Water-To-Air |
3,200 |
For WRC Group A homologation. Export version is called Carlos Sainz Limited Edition. |
There are three different gearboxes for ST185 GT-Four. The E150F with 4.285 final gear ratio was installed in the JDM and All-trac. European and Australian specs come with E151F with 3.933 ratio. The JDM only GT-Four Rally has E152F with close ratio on the 1st through 4th gear and 4.285 final ratio. All the RC/Carlos Sainz/Group A have E151F.
Anti-lock braking systemAn anti-lock braking system, or ABS is a safety system which prevents the wheels on a motor vehicle from locking up while braking....
(ABS), Leather interior, sunroof, and System 10 Premium Sound System are optional on '90–'92 All-trac, and standard on '93 All-trac. With its sport-style interior, power-operated driver's seat, auto tilt-away steering wheel, and cruise control as standard equipment, the All-trac was the most expensive Celica yet. With a 2.0 L turbocharged 3S-GTE producing and of torque, it was the most powerful Celica ever sold in the USA.
The European versions have standard ABS. Sunroof comes standard in the UK models, or optional for cars in the Continent. However, System 10 Premium Sound System and Leather interior are only available as options in selected European countries, and were not offered in the UK.
The Australian spec is less luxurious than other destination models. Cruise control, leather, and sunroof were not offered. Early models don't have ABS and fog lights which became standard few months after introduction. However,
AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the continental mainland , the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans...
was the country with the big numbers of ST185 with over 2,000 units sold.
The special
rallyRallying is a form of motor competition that takes place on public or private roads with modified production or specially built road-legal cars. This motorsport is distinguished by running not on a circuit, but instead in a point-to-point format in which participants and their co-drivers drive...
edition of 5000 units was known as the GT-Four RC in Japan,
Carlos SainzCarlos Sainz Cenamor is a Spanish rally driver. He won the World Rally Championship drivers' title with Toyota in 1990 and 1992, and finished runner-up four times...
(CS) in
EuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian Sea, the Caucasus Mountains , and the Black Sea to the southeast...
(in honour of their famous
WRCThe World Rally Championship is a rallying series organised by the FIA, culminating with a champion driver, co-driver and manufacturer. The driver's world championship and manufacturer's world championship are separate championships, but based on the same point system...
driver), or Group A Rallye in
AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the continental mainland , the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans...
. Special features include:
- a different intercooler
An intercooler , or charge air cooler, is an air-to-air or air-to-liquid heat exchange device used on turbocharged and supercharged internal combustion engines to improve their volumetric efficiency by increasing intake air charge density through nearly isobaric cooling...
(WTA as opposed to ATA) which Toyota Team Europe wanted so they could more easily tune their WRC car;
- different hood, the emphasis of which is to get rid of heat
In physics and thermodynamics, heat is the process of energy transfer from one body or system due to thermal contact, which in turn is defined as an energy transfer to a body in any other way than due to work performed on the body....
as fast as possible (instead of scooping in air, as is the case with the standard ST185 hood);
- different bumper that is much lighter than the standard one.
Out of 5000 units, 1800 were for Japanese market, 3000 were allocated to Europe, 150 in Australia, 25 in Singapore, and very few made a trip to New Zealand and general markets.
ST205 (1994-1999)
The GT-Four ST205 was launched for Japanese market in February 1994, and for the Australian, European, and British markets in the mid-year. This version was to be the most powerful Celica produced to date, producing between 239-255 PS from an updated 3S-GTE engine. Influenced strongly by Toyota Team Europe, Toyota's factory team in the World Rally Championship, the final version of the GT-Four included improvements such as an all aluminum hood and front quarter panels to save weight, four-channel
ABSAn anti-lock braking system, or ABS is a safety system which prevents the wheels on a motor vehicle from locking up while braking....
, an improved CT20B turbocharger, and "Super Strut Suspension". The 2500
homologationHomologation is a technical term, derived from the Greek homologeo for "to agree", which is generally used in English to signify the granting of approval by an official authority...
cars built to allow Toyota to enter the GT-Four as a
Group AIn relation to motorsport governed by the FIA, Group A referred to a set of regulations providing production-derived vehicles for outright competition. In contrast to the short-lived Group B and the Group C, the Group A referred to production-derived vehicles limited in terms of power, weight,...
car in the World Rally Championship also sported extras such as all of the plumbing required to activate an
anti-lagAn anti-lag system is a system used on turbocharged engines to minimize turbo lag.- Overview :ALS was first used in the early days of turbocharged cars in Formula One racing circa mid to late 1980s, until fuel restrictions made its use unsuitable...
system, a water spray bar and pump for the front intercooler, a small hood mounted spoiler aft of the windscreen washers and an extender spoiler mounted on risers. Out of 2500 GT-Four WRC, 2100 stayed in
Japanis an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, 300 were exported to
EuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian Sea, the Caucasus Mountains , and the Black Sea to the southeast...
, 77 for
AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the continental mainland , the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans...
, and few to the general markets.
Japanese WRC models had ABS as an option and also received climate control as standard.
Export WRC models only received a manual aircon system but all had ABS.
Officially WRC models in the initial 2500 were only produced in 1994 as required by WRC
homologationHomologation is a technical term, derived from the Greek homologeo for "to agree", which is generally used in English to signify the granting of approval by an official authority...
rules. All ST205 sold in Australia were WRC models and called GT-Four Group A Rallye.
For 1996 model year, the ST205 received minor change which consists of new 6-spoke alloys, projector headlights, contoured side spoilers, and redesigned rear spoiler. The high WRC rear spoiler was not available for the facelift model, but returned on the second minor change in December 1997.
World Rally Championship (WRC) Results
- ST165 won 13 WRC series. Carlos Sainz
Carlos Sainz Cenamor is a Spanish rally driver. He won the World Rally Championship drivers' title with Toyota in 1990 and 1992, and finished runner-up four times...
won the 1990 WRC Driver's Title.
- ST185 won 16 full WRC series, and 3 overall winner in the W2L series. WRC Driver's Titles with Carlos Sainz in 1992, Juha Kankkunen
Juha Matti Pellervo Kankkunen is a Finnish former rally driver. His factory team career in the World Rally Championship lasted from 1983 to 2002. He won 23 world rallies and four drivers' world championship titles, which were both once records in the series...
in 1993, and Didier AuriolDidier Auriol is a French rally driver.Born in Montpellier, and initially an ambulance driver, Auriol made his name as a French rally driver in the World Rally Championship throughout the 1990s. He became World Rally Champion in 1994, the first from his country to do so...
in 1994. WRC Manufacturer's Titles in 1993 and 1994.
- ST205 won 1 full WRC series, and 2 overall winner in the W2L series.
Miniature
- 1/10 scale Radio Controlled by Tamiya
is a Japanese manufacturer of plastic model kits, radio controlled cars, battery- and solar-powered educational models, sailboat models, acrylic and enamel model paints, and various modeling tools and supplies...
Castrol GT-Four Group A Rally Car (ST185), and GT-Four (ST205).
- 1/24 scale Plastic Kit Display by Tamiya
is a Japanese manufacturer of plastic model kits, radio controlled cars, battery- and solar-powered educational models, sailboat models, acrylic and enamel model paints, and various modeling tools and supplies...
GT-Four RC 1992 Safari and 1993 Monte Carlo Rally Cars (ST185), and GT-Four (ST205).
- 1/24 scale Plastic Kit Display by Hasegawa (ST185 GT-Four RC in road car and several versions of Rally Cars).
- 1/43 scale Diecast GT-Four (ST165, ST185, ST205) road cars and various rally cars by Trofeu.
- 1/43 scale Diecast JDM GT-Four (ST165) road cars by DISM / Aoshima.
- 1/43 scale Diecast GT-Four RC (ST185) 1992 Monte Carlo Rally (Repsol), and 1993 Monte Carlo Rally winner (Castrol) by IXO.
- 1/87 scale plastic HO GT-Four (ST185) by Evrat made in France
France , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
.
- 1/43 white metal kit GT-Four (ST185, ST205) various rally cars by Racing 43 made in Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic , is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia. Italy shares its northern, Alpine boundary with France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia...
.
- 1/64 scale Diecast GT-Four (ST165, ST185, ST205) rally cars by CM'S.
Further reading
- Toyota Celica 25 Years of Development and Motorsport book written by Brian Long, published in England.
External links