I don't know about you , but when I think of a "touring car" series, my mind tends to wander toward sedans with 20-in. wheels, huge shopping-cart spoilers, and the occasional sport wagon (and I don't mean your mom's Taurus wagon sitting on dubs and a drilled-out stock airbox). So when I heard APR Performance's new Celica was modeled to look like a Japanese GT300 Grand Touring Car Championship car, I thought, "How in the world did they convert a Celica into a four-door?" Boy, was I wrong.
When I got to the studio, I obviously had to rethink my stance. First of all, the car was built as an ostensible competitor in the JGTC GT300 series. I researched the series and found out the rules allow for extreme modifications to factory-produced platforms, but level the playing field by limiting the power output of the cars to approximately 300 hp (you can probably guess the GT500 series limits power to 500 hp). What the cars lack in extreme power, the racers make up for with driving skill and endurance, extreme handling capability and aerodynamic finesse. That's where the APR Celica really shines.
Adorning the factory chassis is APR's own 14-piece widebody kit--dubbed, of course, the GT300--that replaces almost every square inch of exterior sheetmetal and polyurethane. The kit took six months to prototype, with the end result being a happy medium between aesthetics and aerodynamics; a month after that, the final prototype was solidified in fiberglass and ready for installation. The twin air ducts in the stock front fascia were scrapped in favor of larger, single air ducts that direct the eye toward the center opening, which is graciously filled with a front-mount intercooler core; more on that later. The factory side skirts were removed to make way for the wider APR units that meld the lower door and front and rear wheel wells into a single piece--perfect for the combination of aerodynamic and aesthetic appeal APR was trying to achieve. The front fender includes twin exit vents that provide both fashion and function. The gargantuan beast known as the rear fender accents what was already a slightly aggressive proposition from the factory and terminates at the rear bumper, where the entire aggressive line is drawn to a close.
A custom designed carbon-fiber hood from Carisma Autotech and truly one-of-a-kind 19x8.5- (-5 offset) and 19x10-in. (0 offset) Racing Hart Type CRs (wrapped in Bridgestone Potenza S-03s) complete the bad-ass rolling-chassis look. A special two-stage application of PPG red pigment (expertly handled by TPR Autobody in North Hollywood) completes the bulk of the exterior work. But wait, there's still more.
APR's own carbon-fiber piece occupies the rear hatch wingspan (aka, the Celica Spec wing) and, as an astute observer might notice, also the outside mirror area. The Formula 3 carbon-fiber mirrors were designed and produced by APR and are quickly becoming the "must-have" product for 2003. And about those carbon-fiber Mad Max pedestrian knee destroyers? Those are actually another member of APR's 2003 product line, the Canard Bumper Flaps, designed and utilized in the name of downforce (and they look pretty buff, too). The graphics scheme, which adds neither horsepower nor downforce, was designed and executed by Vinyl Mayhem.
But enough "design engineer/aesthetic" talk--you can turn on HGTV or MTV "Cribs" for that. I wanted to know what kind of enhancements were performed on the already potent six-speed VVTL-i engine. Well, when you bring up the name SP Engineering as the masterminds behind the engine-bay production, you know good things are cooking. The 1.8L 2ZZ-GE engine retains a stock configuration internally, but consider the bolt-ons and you'll see how this car can really move.
For starters, there's the Blitz Compressor System supercharger. As if that weren't enough, a large front-mounted Blitz intercooler calls the new front fascia area home, cooling the belt-driven boost to even lower temperatures. And, to add insult to any competitor's injury, a Nitrous Express intercooler cooling ring kit was also stuffed in there. Fuel delivery is handled by the reprogrammed Blitz Compressor system ECU and sprayed into the Blitz intake manifold to the tune of an as-of-yet undisclosed horsepower rating (we'll let you guess, since this is supposed to be a GT300 class car). Exhaust duties belong to the Blitz NUR Spec system.
Getting power to the ground is the responsibility of Blitz's Active Clutch mated to the Toyota's factory six-speed gearbox. Suspension duties are handled by the triple-threat combination of Hotchkis, AEM and B&G. On the Hotchkis side of things, one can adjust camber and rest assured that body sway is negligible, thanks to Hotchkis' adjustable camber kit and front and rear anti-sway bars. B&G contributed an S3 full coilover system, a speed-sensitive, height-adjustable system that showcases the latest in good-for-the-track, great-for-the-street technologies. Stopping power is provided by AEM's Big Rotor brake kit in the front and rear, sporting relocated calipers and larger-than-life cross-drilled rotors.
The GT300 race is classified by some as an endurance race; the rules require two different drivers to complete the same race event. Thus, the interior of APR's GT300 Celica was enhanced to reflect this. Driver (and passenger, if your girlfriend wants the closest trackside seating possible) are treated to a pair of King Dragon carbon-fiber racing seats and Sparco four-point harnesses; the tiller is also a Sparco unit. From Ignited, there is a one-touch Engine Start button and several racing cover switches that I wanted to press/flip really badly, just to see what they were connected to.
Autometer occupies the bulk of the carbon-fiber-treated interior with a catalog listing of its Sport Comp series gauges; Monster tachometer, nitrous pressure, fuel pressure, oil pressure, water temperature and A/F ratio. And, to make sure you survive any track mishaps, an Autopower six-point rollcage was installed. The safety work was completed by BRS Tuning of Baldwin Park, Calif., while the rest of the interior enhancements and amenities were provided by Car Craft Custom Interiors of Carson, Calif.
Originally slated as a combination SEMA Show vehicle and APR's own rolling showcase of its handiwork, we're sure this car can turn some impressive numbers on the dyno, especially given the list of manufacturers that contributed to the project. As for actually competing in the Japanese Grand Touring Car Championship series, well, the name says it all; it's in Japan, and that makes the series that much harder to compete in on any regular basis. But believe me, you won't catch me sighing as I say this car is resigned to street duty here on American soil.
And I don't use the word "soil" lightly; it's probably what you'll do to yourself when you see this beast touring down the street. Or should that be "tearing" down the street?