Toyota Celica GT-Four WRC: The Road-Legal Rally Car

The Toyota Celica GT-Four WRC (ST185 and ST205 generations) is Toyota's World Rally Championship homologation special. Built between 1989 and 1999 across two chassis generations, the GT-Four was the car that won Carlos Sainz's 1990 and 1992 WRC titles and Juha Kankkunen's 1993 title. At its peak, the Celica GT-Four was Toyota's most successful WRC product and the Japanese manufacturer's direct competitor to Subaru's Impreza WRX STI and Mitsubishi's Lancer Evolution. Today, the road-going GT-Four WRC homologation cars are among the most sought-after Toyota performance cars ever made.

The ST185 Generation (1990-1994)

The ST185 Celica GT-Four was the first generation to win a WRC drivers' title. Key specifications:

• Engine: 3S-GTE 2.0L turbocharged inline-4
• Output: 225 PS at 5,700 rpm
• Torque: 260 Nm at 4,000 rpm
• Transmission: 5-speed manual
• Drivetrain: Full-time AWD with viscous center diff
• Suspension: Independent double-wishbone all around (track-focused)

The ST185 WRC car (Toyota's actual rally machine) produced 300+ hp and used specialized rally components. The road car was the homologation special — Toyota had to build ~5,000 production units to legally enter the ST185 in WRC Group A.

Total ST185 GT-Four production: ~15,000 units worldwide between 1989 and 1994.

The ST205 Generation (1994-1999)

Toyota updated the GT-Four with the ST205 generation in 1994. Key changes:

• Engine: Updated 3S-GTE with revised ECU
• Output: 255 PS at 6,000 rpm
• Transmission: 5-speed manual
• Drivetrain: Enhanced AWD with revised center diff programming
• Body: Updated front fascia, widened fenders, revised aerodynamics
• Suspension: Further refined for rally-spec responsiveness

The ST205 continued Toyota's WRC program through 1997. Carlos Sainz won additional rally stages but didn't secure another drivers' title. The final factory WRC Celica season was 1997.

WRC Championships

The Celica GT-Four's WRC achievements:

• 1990: Carlos Sainz wins WRC drivers' championship (ST185)
• 1992: Carlos Sainz wins WRC drivers' championship (ST185)
• 1993: Juha Kankkunen wins WRC drivers' championship (ST185)
• 1994: Didier Auriol wins WRC drivers' championship (ST185)

Between 1990 and 1994, the Celica GT-Four won 4 consecutive WRC drivers' titles — a dominant run that cemented Toyota's reputation as a top-tier rally manufacturer.

Production Special Editions

Toyota released several limited-edition GT-Fours:

• ST185 GT-Four Carlos Sainz Edition: Celebrating Sainz's 1990 championship
• ST205 Group A Evolution: Rally-homologation variant
• Various special editions for different markets

Today's Market

Clean Toyota Celica GT-Four examples have become collectible:

• Clean ST185: $20,000-$40,000
• Mint ST185 Carlos Sainz Edition: $40,000-$70,000
• Clean ST205: $25,000-$50,000
• Mint Group A ST205: $60,000-$100,000

Legacy

The Toyota Celica GT-Four WRC is Toyota's most successful rally car ever produced. The four WRC drivers' titles it helped win (1990, 1992, 1993, 1994) represent Toyota's rally heritage at its peak. Without the Celica GT-Four, Toyota's rally reputation would be significantly different.

For Toyota enthusiasts and rally historians, the GT-Four is essential context. It's the car that proved Toyota could compete at the WRC level, the car that established the 3S-GTE as a rally-capable engine, and the car that made the Toyota Celica name mean "serious performance sedan" in the 1990s.

When Toyota killed Celica production in 2006, the WRC Celicas faded from memory in Western markets. But for rally enthusiasts worldwide, the Celica GT-Four remains a foundational Japanese rally car.