Fans of big-turbo-powered Japanese racing metal will be no doubt looking forward to the snap, crackle and pop of raging Toyota rally cars at the 2013 Goodwood Festival of Speed, which runs from 12 – 14th July. The Festival of Speed is the perfect place for manufacturers to remind us of all the cool cars they’ve made over the years, and this year Toyota will be shouting about their historic rally warriors.
Toyota has not been shy to go racing over the years – to prove their models’ metal – and for the Festival of Speed they’re going to bring together three generations of the Celica GT-Four on the rally stage, letting lose the rumble, burble and boom of their most successful World Rally Championship racecars.
The ST185 will be first off the blocks, 20 years after winning Toyota’s first WRC manufacturer’s title, as well as a driver’s championship for famous flying Finn, Juha Kankkunen. The Celica ST165 and ST205 will also be taking to the Goodwood special rally stage, with the curvy ST205 the inspiration for many a Celica GT-Four road-going fantasy. The Celica GT-Four is still a highly respected (and rapid!) road car – you must build road car versions of the prospective competition car to go rallying under the homologation rules – with used GT-Fours from around £3k representing pretty pukka performance value.
The three Toyota heritage rally Celicas, which claimed 30 WRC victories between them, will be joined by the mighty Group B Celica twin-turbo TA64, one of the most powerful rally cars ever, as well as the championship-winning Corolla WRC.
Another famous rallying Toyota– albeit less snarly than the turbo beasties – will also be on rally-show; the wonderful rear-driving, high-revving 1.6-litre Yamaha engine-powered Corolla AE86. The car that I learned to do donuts in! These so-nimble little beauties are rare and expensive these days, and while they only made about 120bhp from the factory, in the right rallying hands, they’re still one of the very best on the rough ‘n’ muddy stuff.
Celica ST185, one very famous Toyota rallying shape
Celica ST165
Celica ST205. Still a rapid road car and yours from around £3k
Group B Celica twin-turbo TA64. The beautiful boxy beast
Corolla WRC
Corolla AE86, doing what it does best
By Dan Anslow
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