Toyota to Discontinue Importing Celica Sports Coupe by the End of 2005 Model Year

Toyota Drops Celica but At Least Offers Scion tC as Replacement

Its a sad day for sports car fans in America, as Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc. has just announced that its Celica coupe and MR2 roadster will be discontinued by the end of the 2005 model year.

What seems odd at first is Toyotas decision to delete the venerable models from its 2006 lineup. The move makes more sense after a quick study of each cars place in the market, however, being that the Celica at least, is being replaced by the new 2005 Scion tC. The MR2 has never sold well since its roof was chopped off as it is.

Toyotas Canadian division doesnt offer Scion at all, so the loss of the Celica (they dont get the MR2 north of the 49th) makes even less sense. Instead of the Scion xA Toyota Canada chose to import the Yaris 3- and 5-door subcompact as the Toyota Echo Hatchback, which has proven to be a smart decision in it own right. Toyota Canada offers nothing to pull in young buyers similar to those buying up the boxy Scion xB here in the U.S.

Back to the U.S. market, is this decision to axe Toyotas sports models a sign that the most financially successful automaker in the country is moving away from attracting young buyers? Recent introductions of new youth-oriented models like the Corolla XRS and Matrix XRS would say this is not true, however, all of the Japanese automakers new American offerings are packaged to allow acceptance by singles and families alike. The Celica, due to its 2-seat configuration, either targeted young singles or empty-nesters.

At first glance, Toyotas U.S. division seems to be in a stronger position than Toyota Canada when it comes to attracting the youth buyer, solely from its new Scion division. When it comes to the young, theres a justifiable argument that Toyota has become a victim of its own success. Scion was born out of the belief that todays youth doesnt want to buy a new car from the brand that built the Camry which sat in their parents driveway for the last two decades. The same fate befell some domestic brands, such as Buick, Mercury, Oldsmobile and Chrysler, until recently, now that it has transformed itself into an exciting and dynamic brand within the last year or so.

But a bold powerful image doesnt suit Toyota, which owes much of its success to attracting conservative buyers looking for well-built, dependable transportation that is also less harmful to the environment. Sports cars dont fit such a socially conscious image, and even having one in Toyotas portfolio could potentially offend its core buyers. Therefore, despite its relatively clean, efficient engineering, it still makes sense for the racy Celica to be dropped.

Toyota could, however, choose to offer a hybrid-powered icon similar to the Volta supercar concept that debuted recently in Geneva. With the upcoming Lexus RX 400h the automaker is already teasing enthusiasts with specifications that show its technologically advanced hybrid-electric drivetrain is not only ideal for reducing fuel consumption and emissions over conventional gasoline-only powered vehicles, but that it can also deliver the performance of a V8 with the fuel efficiency of a 4-cylinder.

The same philosophy could easily be applied to a new sports model. While such a car featuring hybrid power would no doubt cost much more than the current Celica, base-priced between $17,570 for the entry-level GT and $22,235 for the sportier GT-S model (not including all options), it would go far in promoting Toyotas Hybrid Synergy Drive system, and the many vehicles which will soon offer it as optional equipment. But no such announcements have been made.

For the time being, Toyota will continue to sell its remaining 2004 Celica GT and GT-S models, with the 2005 model year being its last. It all started back in 1971 when Toyota introduced a compact rear-drive Celica powered by a carbureted 1.6 liter 4-cylinder engine to the American market, which soon became extremely popular. Over the years the sporty coupe has been awarded as Motor Trends "Import Car of the Year," one of Car and Drivers "Ten Best Cars," and the "Most Reliable Sporty Car" by Consumer Reports.

Now, in its 7th generation, the EX-1 "Car of the Future" concept car-based Celica is critically acclaimed as one of the best buys in its sporty subcompact class. Its dramatically angular cab-forward styling was shocking to some when it first appeared on the market in 1999 as a 2000 model, but has managed to stay fresh even after four years of intense competition.

Toyota introduced the latest version of the MR2 roadster to the American market in March of 2000. but, outside of the showroom at least, it never became the brand icon the Japanese automaker had hoped it would. The previous coupe version experienced much greater success.

"The Celica and MR2 have been a favorite among sports car enthusiasts since their introductions in the U.S.," said Don Esmond, senior vice president and general manager of the Toyota Division. "The past few years, however, have been very challenging for both Celica and MR2 as competition in a segment where whats new dominates and we continue to add more exciting and youthful products to the lineup such as the Matrix and Corolla XRS, Solara sports coupe and recently the Scion xA, xB and tC."

While it might be a stretch for Esmond to refer to the Solara as a youthful product, hes got a point with the others mentioned, especially the Scion line. The original 1.6-liter, 4-cylinder twin-cam mid-engine MR2 focused on the youth-oriented buyer too, when it became available in 1985. A supercharger was added in 1988 but it was the second generation model that stirred the souls of performance enthusiasts. It was sleeker in design while offering more interior room, plus it delivered serious power in 1991 when the top-level turbocharged version became available.

While the current MR2 offers top-down sun-filled transportation, Toyota has chosen not to market it as a true performance car by only offering it in base 140 horsepower guise, and in the process neglected the very buyer that supported the cars sales in the first place. While the price of the MR2 would have increased with an XRS version featuring the brands superb 180 horsepower 1.8-liter 4-cylinder, it may have made up for the lack of interest by sport-import buyers that the current car experienced.

In the end, both the MR2 and Celica will join the Supra, and a boatload of rival imported and domestic coupes and convertibles that are no longer offered in America. While its a sad day for performance car enthusiasts, we can only hope that Toyota has something even more exciting up its sleeve, possibly with a hybrid-electric drivetrain.