Looking for an affordable JDM car that’ll still provide enough fun on the road? Check out the captivating Toyota Celica GT-Four ST205.
It sometimes happens that influential cars in the automotive industry get overlooked. That’s a somewhat normal occurrence, considering how many exceptional rides exist out there, begging for our appreciation. But that shouldn’t stop us from bringing the overshadowed examples to the daylight and giving them the credit they deserve.
For instance, Toyota produced one significant rally homologation car in the late ’80s and throughout the ’90s that most definitely deserves a shout-out. The Celica GT-Four came from Toyota’s need to build a road-going version of the vehicle that competed in the World Rally Championship, as per government regulations. Therefore, the nameplate lived to see three exciting generations, which consisted of the ST165, the ST185, and the ST205.
As our today’s title suggests, we’re here to discuss the third-generation — that is, the Toyota Celica GT-Four ST205. This final version of the nameplate, built between 1994 and 1999, had a very special appeal to it more than 23 years ago (yes, that long ago) which earns it a seat among true sports car icons. It still has the appeal, actually, and for several good reasons.
The Toyota Celica GT-Four ST205 Is The JDM Car From A Brag-Worthy Lineup
Via: Toyota
The Toyota Celica GT-Four had great success in rally championships across all three generations. The Toyota Celica GT-Four ST165, produced between 1986 and 1989, won the 1989 Rally Australia. The ST185, a second-generation built between 1989 and 1993, won the 1992 Safari Rally (among four other titles that year alone). Finally, the Toyota Celica GT-Four ST205 won the 1995 World Rally Championship and the 1996 European Rally Championship.
Now, the importance of the Toyota Celica GT-Four is not only in its rally success. This car was the first one from a Japanese car manufacturer to come with a turbocharged engine and an all-wheel drive to the World Rally Championship and win titles. Also, European manufacturers were previously quite dominant on the scene, and the GT-Four broke the pattern.
To quickly demonstrate, the Toyota Celica GT-Four ST165 came with the newly developed 3S-GTE turbo inline-four engine producing between 182 and 190 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque. The power ranged depending on the market and the production year. Then, its sibling ST185 rose the power output (thanks to some improvements, such as an air-to-air intercooler and the twin entry turbo) to 222 horsepower and 224 lb-ft of torque.
Both models were not only powerful and quick but utterly exciting to drive. How could they not be, considering their WRC-oriented development? But the Toyota Celica GT-Four ST205 topped the line with its performance, as we’ll show below.
The Toyota Celica GT-Four ST205 Is An Utterly Exciting JDM Car
When the Toyota Celica GT-Four ST205 arrived at the Japanese market in 1994, the first thing it brought upgraded was that 3S-GTE engine. Then came the improved all-aluminum hood, four-channel ABS, suspension, and more.
Without any doubt, the Toyota Celica GT-Four ST205 was the most powerful version in the entire lineup, putting out exciting 252 ponies for the Japanese domestic market and no-less-exciting 239 ponies for other markets. The sleek, rounded body with round double headlamps also increased the appeal of this JDM car, built only in 2500 units for the first year, of which only 400 went out of the country.
Anyhow, the Toyota Celica GT-Four ST205 was an exciting car to drive at the time of its production — as much as it is today. Part of this excitement comes from its rally history, development, and successes, and the other part purely from its design. But then again, who wouldn’t love to have a JDM car from the lineup that achieved numerous rally wins and the most powerful generation?
P.S. There’s also that business with the illegal turbo restrictors and the 1995 WRC ban that adds to the Toyota Celica GT-Four ST205’s publicity.
You Can Get The Toyota Celica GT-Four ST205 At Quite A Reasonable Price
Remember that we said only 400 units of the Toyota Celica GT-Four ST250 left the Japanese domestic market in 1994? Yes, well, that sadly means not many of these amazing cars are available for sale today. You can still find them on auctions, of course, but you may have to be patient and wait for a particular model to become available.
On the other hand, if you’re all up for getting any of the famous GT-Four generations, you may be of better luck finding your car quicker. The good thing about the sad part of the GT-Four’s underrated popularity is that its price is not sky-high. You can find any of the three generations available for sale for well under $20,000. That’s a particularly good deal for the Toyota Celica GT-Four ST250, the best-performing JDM car in this bunch and the cherry on the lineup design-wise.
