Growing up with dreams of becoming a car designer, the first generation Toyota Celica coupe was one of my favorite designs of all time.
In fact, I still have an A3 drawing of a green Celica GT, complete with fenders, stashed away somewhere. But I don’t think my ten-year-old self could have ever imagined a build like the 1976 Celica ‘GTV12’ brought to life by Shawn Bassett and his team at Attacking The Clock Racing, and featured in the SEMA Show 2024 in the Toyo Treadpass.
Gone is the original four-cylinder engine, replaced by a stunning 1GZ-FE V12 from a Toyota Century. Featuring billet rocker covers, individual throttle bodies, tubular exhaust manifolds and polished CSF race radiator, the arrangement looks like a precious jewel in the metallic green engine compartment.
The transmission swap is equally impressive, with the Century’s lethargic 4-speed being replaced by a ZF 8-speed from an A90 Supra. But that’s not all.
Looking inside, you’ll see a sequential shift lever and a clutch pedal in the adjustable OBP pedal box. That’s because the ZF automatic transmission has been cleverly programmed to mimic the feel of a manual gearbox, with electronic ‘clutch control’ enhancing sequential shifting capabilities.
The suspension has also been tailor-made, transforming this old-school mini-muscle car into something more modern and agile. The front now has the S13 Nissan geometry, while the rear has a custom pushrod setup. The team at Moton Suspension have created a one-off setup for the Celica, complete with inverted dampers and special anodizing to match the green color scheme.
Speaking of which, I have to admit that I have a soft spot for green on brown. The theme for the build was to create a hot rod using as many Toyota parts as possible, right down to the metallic British Racing Green paint borrowed from a special edition JDM GT86. Rivetless fenders flow into deep side skirts and an even deeper chin spoiler, giving the small coupe an unmistakable IMSA feel.
The icing on the cake is the set of BBS E55s wrapped in Toyo Proxes R888R tires – a combination that would make any split-rim enthusiast weak at the knees.
The paintwork is punctuated by custom ‘spread-tow’ carbon fiber accents, visible in the striking square weave pattern.
Inside it’s a sea of Lamborghini ‘Kela Brown’ leather and suede. The sun visors, roll bar and handlebars have all been expertly reworked by E3 Upholstery’s trimmers, as have the carbon bucket seats with Willans harnesses.
This happens when a shop specializing in Pikes Peak competition cars is asked to do something out of the ordinary. And extraordinary this Celica is – so much so that it is hands down my favorite Toyo Treadpass build of the year.
Mario Christou
Instagram: mcwpn, mariochristou.world
mariochristou.world
Photography by Darrien Craven
Instagram: _crvn_