By Sam Hardy

July 2005

Coupe buyers love to be noticed - but if you want to be looked at, nothing less than dramatic styling, a ground-hugging stance and aerodynamic extras will do.

Since 1999, Toyota's Celica has offered a good-value package for owners wanting something more exciting than a hot hatch, but it is never really stopped passers-by in their tracks. And Mazda's RX-8 and Nissan's 350Z have put it further in the shade recently.

But that's about to change with the Celica GT. Looking like a refugee from a Playstation game, it is based on the 190bhp T-Sport, with lowered suspension, a huge rear wing and a full bodykit. The garish style is completed with side skirts and 17-inch alloys. Inside, the makeover continues with Alcantara suede-effect sports seats and a GT gearknob. Sadly, the effect is spoiled by a poor-quality dash.

The road manners are the same as the T-Sport's, with light, precise steering and limited body roll making this a great-handling car - and comparable with today's best coupί¿½s. But the big wheels ensure the ride is very hard on uneven surfaces, and the high-revving 1.8-litre petrol engine means that the GT has to be driven hard to access its considerable performance. The Celica is priced at ΂£22,595, making it ΂£1,445 more expensive than the T-Sport. That might seem a fair value, but Mazda salesmen will disagree.

The 228bhp RX-8 costs ΂£495 less, plus offers more power, a genuine four-seat cabin and great looks. Still, Toyota is set to drop the Celica next year, which could make this model very rare indeed.

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