Home / Classic Cars / Want a Supra Alternative? Check Out This 1994 Toyota Celica GT-Four
Want a Supra Alternative? Check Out This 1994 Toyota Celica GT-Four
Rally-bred homologation special will cross the block at Barrett-Jackson Northeast
Toyota Supra Coupe Classic Cars
by Words: Rory Jurnecka June 19, 2019
Fourth-generation Toyota Supras are all the rage right now and the best, lowest-mileage turbocharged examples command prices over $100,000. But what if you could buy an even rarer Toyota sport coupe with Supra-esque looks, a turbocharged four-cylinder engine, and genuine rally-car homologation pedigree at a lesser price? Fortunately for you, there's the Toyota Celica GT-Four.
Never heard of it? You can be forgiven as the ST205-series GT-Four was never sold in the U.S. But some 2,500 GT-Four WRC homologation specials were built for the 1994 model year in order to legalize the car for Group A competition in the World Rally Championship. With an overall profile shared with the sixth-generation Celica, the GT-Four was the most potent Celica yet built, with 252 horsepower on tap from a 3S-GTE 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder. This was the same basic engine used in the period MR2 Turbo, with some modifications that included a water-cooled intercooler, water injection, and an anti-lag setup for the CT20B twin-entry turbo. A close-ratio, five-speed manual transmission channeled that power to all four wheels, giving the GT-Four the grip it needed to put that power down on slippery international WRC rally stages. And that it did, a competition version winning the 1995 Tour de Corse before being banned from the WRC due to illegal turbo restrictors. Nevertheless, the GT-Four did go on to win the 1996 European Rally Championship.
If we have you interested in a GT-Four of your own, Barrett-Jackson has you covered at its annual Northeast auction, where a 1994 example from the first year of production will be crossing the auction block. We like this example's factory-sprayed Lucerne Silver paintwork over gray cloth interior, and while the large rear wing may be a little ostentatious, that combined with five-spoke wheels and a hood scoop for the intercooler serves as a not-so-subtle reminder of the GT-Four's rally-car roots. The cloth seats look nicely bolstered and show little wear and a Blitz boost gauge and Panasonic stereo are said to be the only modifications from stock (although we also see an HKS Super Power "mushroom"-style air filter and Cusco strut tower brace in the engine bay, along with an aftermarket tailpipe sticking out from the rear bumper).
This is the first year that 1994-model-year cars are eligible to be brought into the U.S. under the federal 25-year importation rules, and it's likely that this ST205 GT-Four is among the very first (if not the first) to be imported. That means when you bring your new auction score down to the local cars and coffee event, you'll probably end up taking a fair amount of attention away from those ubiquitous Mk IV Supras, even though you paid a whole lot less. What's it worth? Tough to say without any precedent for U.S. sales, but we'll guess this one will go for somewhere between $20,000 and $30,000. It will be sold to the highest bidder as a no-reserve entry at Barrett-Jackson Northeast.
Barrett-Jackson's 4th Annual Northeast Auction is being held June 26-29, 2019, at the Mohegan Sun Casino and Resort in Connecticut. The collector-car sale will showcase hundreds of coveted vehicles, and the experts from MotorTrend will be there to bring you all the action LIVE from the auction block. You can catch Barrett-Jackson Northeast on MotorTrend Network every day of the auction and download the app for exclusive, live coverage. Need more viewing options? You can also tune in to our live stream from your web browser.
Watch This! Editor-in-Chief Ed Loh Talks the Future of Tesla with Elon Musk
Watch This! Editor-in-Chief Ed Loh Talks the Future of Tesla with Elon Musk 03:27
Refreshing or Revolting: Dodge Charger Widebody vs. Challenger Widebody
Is Toyota Readying an Off-Road-Inspired Small SUV Below RAV4?
2020 Mini Cooper SE: A Subcompact Tesla Model 3 Alternative?