Throwback Thursday: 1988 Toyota Celica 4WD Turbo (03:44)

"Most people think of four-wheel drive as an option you buy to use at the cottage or off-road," Graeme Fletcher said all the way back in 1987.

"Well the vehicle we're testing this week is a four-wheel drive vehicle that's designed for exclusive use on the road."

That vehicle, of course, was the 1988 Toyota Celica 4WD Turbo.

Called the Celica GT-Four and Celica All-Trac Turbo in other parts of the world, the Celica 4WD Turbo was ahead of its time when it made its Canadian debut in 1988.

With its turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder making in the neighbourhood of 185 horsepower and 184 lb.-ft. of torque, the car ran from 0 to 100 km/h in 8.8 seconds—a very respectable number for a compact sports car built nearly 30 years ago.

About the only part of the Celica 4WD Turbo that wasn't respectable was its $34,228 sticker price—equivalent to more than $62,000 today, adjusting for inflation.

This segment originall appeared on Episode 8 of Motoring 1988.