2002 Toyota Celica T Sport

The highly acclaimed Toyota Celica sports coupe range is to be extended with the launch of a high performance Celica T Sport. The launch of the more powerful Celica marks the creation of a new T Sport brand for Toyota, reflecting the company’s successful motorsporting heritage in the FIA World Rally Championship, the American ChampCar series, the classic Le Mans 24-Hours race and its forthcoming entry into Formula 1

The T Sport brand will embody this motor sports excellence within the Toyota range - offering higher performance levels, positive handling and suspension characteristics,increased driver involvement and ride comfort, in-line with the T Sport model.

The new Toyota Celica T Sport features a sophisticated 1.8 litre engine with Variable Valve Timing and Lift -intelligent (VVTL-i) which combines the benefits of Variable Valve Timing-intelligent (VVT-i) with a two stage Lift change mechanism.
The result is a significant boost in maximum power output to 141kW (192 DIN hp) at 7,800rpm and maximum torque to 180Nm at 6,800rpm.

The new Toyota Celica T Sport with a close ratio, six-speed manual gearbox, will accelerate to 100km/h in 7.2 seconds and has a top speed, where permitted, of 225km/h. Yet, thanks to VVTL-i and its intelligent engine management, the Celica T Sport is easy to drive - and economical too.

The chassis of the Celica T-Sport has been further developed to give high speed stability with the increased power and provide more sports-orientated ride and handling. The Celica T Sport is marked out by its distinctive T Sport badging and 16-inch alloy wheels and tyres.

High performance engine

The heart of the Celica T Sport is its high-revving, 1.8-litre, double overhead camshaft engine which combines two advanced Toyota technologies to produce 141kW of power at 7,800rpm. Although the engine is based on the same 1.8-litre VVT-i unit which powers the standard Celica, almost all the parts are newly designed.

The new 1796cc engine, 2ZZ-GE, has a wider bore and shorter stroke (82mm x 85mm, bore and stroke) than before and a higher compression ratio (11.5:1). It also features increased valve diameters for greater air-fuel flow. These measures combine to give more power across the engine speed range and allow the Celica T Sport to rev to a dramatic maximum 8,200rpm.

The Variable Valve Timing-intelligent (VVT-i) technology - a key feature of the Toyota petrol engine range - gives the Celica a wide torque band and, in particular, boosts torque at low to medium engine speeds. This makes the car easier to drive, more economical and means it emits less harmful emissions.

Variable Valve Timing Lift-intelligent

The new Variable Valve Timing Lift-intelligent (VVTL-i) technology uses an extra cam on the camshaft to increase the intake and exhaust valve lift at high engine speeds (above 6,200rpm). This increases power output at the top end of the engine range.

The Variable Valve Timing Lift-intelligent works by seamlessly switching cams - low speed to high speed or vice-versa - at exactly the right operating conditions.

The two cams are side-by-side on the camshaft and, during low to medium engine speed running, the valves are operated by the low speed cam. The high speed cam is acting on a ’slipper’ which is free to float within the rocker arm and so has no effect on the valve lift.

At the right moment, the slipper is locked into place by a hydraulic pin and the high speed cam takes effect, increasing valve lift and allowing the low speed cam to rotate harmlessly until it is required again.

These two advanced Toyota technologies combined (VVTL-i) mean the Celica T Sport has high performance, is easy to drive, and is more economical with less harmful emissions than less sophisticated sports coupes.

Sports suspension and handling

The development of the Celica T Sport has incorporated further chassis changes to ensure the car lives up to its image and provides the driver involvement demanded by more sports-minded customers. As a result, the Celica T Sport has a stiffer ride and more sporting handling characteristics than the standard Celica. The front suspension MacPherson struts are stiffer with increased damping and lower front bushes have also been stiffened. In the rear, double wishbone suspension, shock absorber damping is increased and bushes are stiffer.

Brakes have been uprated to help handle the extra power. The Celica T Sport has 15-inch ventilated disc brakes at the front and 14-inch solid discs at the rear. Anti-lock braking, with electronic brake force distribution, is standard.

Close ratio gearbox

The slick, six speed manual transmission from the standard Celica is retained but a new set of close ratios has been developed for the T Sport. These are designed to allow the driver to extracts maximum performance from the car and ensure the engine stays in ’high-lift’ mode during full acceleration.

Distinctive T Sport styling

The new Toyota Celica T Sport will be instantly recognisable with its distinctive T Sport badging, distinctive exterior colour and side rocker mole which is the same colour as the exterior. Two dynamic new exterior colours, grey metallic and
blue-black mica colour clear, have been added to the Celica range for the T Sport brand. A new black-blue two-tone interior is also available.

Inside the Celica T Sport customers will find the same comfortable and sporty environment as the standard Celica. New instrumentation reflects the higher performance of the T Sport with the rev counter red-lined at 8,200rpm. Improvements across the Celica range include an optional audio system with RDS (Radio Data System) function, a pollen filter on the heating and ventilation system and an enlarged vanity mirror on the sun visor.