gutless 4cyl to gut-wrenching 10cyl torque monster! that's quite the Intervention!
I like it! 💡...could go PHAT or FFEO ("feo" spanish for ugly, or could stand for: For Friends Eyes Only)
A quick review of the '70 Celica:
What a great handling little car!! The Celica was surprisingly easy to drive fast. It is the type of car that is as forgiving as the Pope. You're going into a corner way too hot, and you brake slightly, turning into the apex - and the Celica responds "Surely you didn't mean to go so fast, let me scrub some speed and put you on the right path, my son. Go in peace." And off you go storming into the next element with confidence that there is a greater power that will save you from your youthful exuberance, risk taking, and lack of judgement. And the rear end is easy to control - there might be some clergy humor here... but I'm not gonna go there!
There is perhaps no better way of exposing the forgiving nature of the '70 Celica than to drive the 1PP fewer, normally aspirated 86 MR2 immediately after driving the Celica ... and this most poignant comparison coincided with no other than the Nurburgring GP course with its hair pin turn and tight chicanes. Now it took every bit of the time alloted for practice laps to transition from the "there's a higher power watching out for me" driving feel of the Celica to "you took it too far, and you're going to pay for it" driving feel of the MR2. But you know, we're all human, we all adapt to the sometimes fickle characteristics of GT6 cars. Well, during the ensuing race the lone MR2, surrounded by '70 Celicas of matching '70s colors, was promptly spun by one of the Celicas. How did it happen? My guess is the timid MR2 driver got on the brakes lightly and early, while a Celica driver depended on his guardian angel as he braked later into that same corner, lightly tapping the MR2, which was all it took to spin it 180*, at which point Vic came along and saw nothing but an MR2 front profile
as he rounded the corner. So at this point the MR2 was last, but as the race wore on, the MR2 passed several Celicas without much drama, and indeed had more speed on the straights despite its 1PP deficit. I think the MR2 lapped about 2 seconds faster than the Celica, and finished the race in 2nd ...at least as I remember.
So we come to the question - Sleeper or Beater?
For the 70's, this car might be classified as a sleeper - sure it wont take on a Mustang or Camaro off the line, but it will kick some butt on twisty bits. Then again, any car that is reliably drive-able on a daily basis for hundreds of thousands of miles, as Toyota's of this vintage, could become a beater. My personal view is the '70 Celica was a great handling car - the type that eggs you on to drive harder - and as such gets a much deserved classification as : Sleeper - of the sweet handling kind!
Thanks to COTW for the opportunity to test out this great little car!
Good luck this week fellow COTWers!! 👍
