Bringing back an icon is one thing. Reinventing it with a screaming V12 and modern engineering sorcery? That’s a whole different beast.
While Toyota has been dropping breadcrumbs about reviving the Celica nameplate—potentially with a punchy, turbocharged inline-four—it turns out that the most radical homage to the original Celica has already arrived. And it didn’t come from Aichi, Japan, but from a Florida-based garage with a wild streak and an eye for mechanical artistry.
Meet the first-generation Celica like you’ve never seen it before: a meticulously reworked 1970s coupe that now breathes fire through twelve velocity stacks and revs to 10,000 rpm.
A Classic Reinvented
This outrageous build is the handiwork of Attacking The Clock Racing and its mastermind Shawn Bassett, who initially dreamt of stuffing a Lexus LFA’s V10 into Toyota’s original pony car. When sourcing that powerplant proved unworkable, he pivoted to something even more ambitious: a 5.0-liter 1GZ-FE V12 from a Toyota Century—Japan’s most discreetly regal limousine.
But this isn’t a stock V12. No, this one has been fully built to churn out 700 horsepower (707 PS), capped with stunning dovetailed velocity stacks that pierce through the hood like chromed crown jewels. The engine not only sings to a sky-high 10,000 rpm but is also backed by a transmission setup as wild as the engine itself.
Clutch Pedal Meets Modern Tech
The ZF8HP automatic, widely used in everything from the BMW M2 to the Toyota Supra, is an unlikely pairing for a vintage Celica—especially one with a clutch pedal. Yes, you read that right.
Thanks to clever engineering, the ZF’s internal clutch packs can now be manually engaged via a traditional foot pedal, allowing for clutch kicks, rev holding, and launches usually reserved for manual gearboxes. Yet when the mood strikes, the car can settle into docile cruising—just as easily as any modern GT.
Engineering Artistry, Inside and Out
This build doesn’t just impress under the hood. Peer closer and you’ll see painted and exposed carbon fiber, vintage BBS E55 wheels fitted to custom center-lock hubs, and a bespoke pushrod rear suspension—visible through the rear parcel shelf like a mechanical sculpture.
The cabin? It’s a masterclass in balance—British Racing Green paint on the outside, tan leather and carbon fiber Tillett Racing seats on the inside, accented by custom Speedhut gauges that fuse modern tech with retro aesthetics. It’s track-ready but far from stripped-down—a tasteful homage to both Toyota’s past and a very wild future.
Missed at SEMA, But Not Forgotten
Though this Celica build debuted at SEMA 2024, it somehow slipped under the radar. Now, with the 2025 show season heating up, it’s the perfect time to revisit one of last year’s most audacious creations. Not just a restomod, but a full-blown reinterpretation of what a JDM icon can become when limits are ignored.
As Toyota flirts with a future Celica revival, projects like this serve as a reminder: sometimes the wildest dreams live outside the factory walls—and scream through twelve open stacks.
Source: Attacking The Clock Racing
