Celica Forums General Discussion General Toyota Canada Drops "Tsunami" Name From Celica

Toyota Canada is abandoning plans to name one of its most popular models of sports cars in this country, the "Celica Tsunami."

The automaker confirmed to CTV affiliate, Carbon FiberTO in Toronto, that it was immediately changing the name of the car -- and pulling all advertising and marketing containing the tsunami name.

The move comes as the world continues to learn the staggering scope of the Dec. 26 natural disaster in south Asia, and as the death toll continues to climb. It was updated on Friday to 147,000.

Five Canadians have been officially declared killed in the tsunami: four in Thailand and one in Sri Lanka. Another 146 are missing.

Exactly one year ago, on Jan. 7, 2004, Toyota announced the name of for the car, calling it "the new wave of bold style."

Its press release at the time noted that "tsunami is the Japanese word for tidal wave."

The "Special Edition Celica Tsunami" was to have been a high-performance car, and was to have been available in both red and a color that was described as "thunder cloud."

The car will now be called the Celica Sports Package.

toyota failed in another advertising campaign?? what else is new

but on a more serious note, i do appreciate the company's concern for the loss of lives in that trajedy. i'm not sure if they are dropping the tsunami here in the states as well..but i do know several shops or slogans that contain 'tsunami' are being rethought and renamed.

Those have been out and about here for a little while now (obviously Canada) so there will be some or a bunch rather running around with the Tsunami badge, perhaps it will be some what of a rare or collectable badge.

how can you call this failure? its more of RESPECT for the current situations happening in this world

i want a tsunami package

i think its jsut getting retarded everybody getting all bent out of shape over the name yo uknow people died shit happens its a horrable way to look at it but people die every day

I've got the U.S. version, but I've never heard anybody at my dealer use the term Tsunami. Is there a different name for the U.S. version?

You whats funny? I didn't know what Tsunami means on the Tsunami package until this incident happened in Asia. Called it funny but its the truth. I found out the hard way...

i agree that itss tupid to change the name of things over an incident-people are just too soft and emotional all the time

hardly anybody knew what tsunami meant before that incident
they did like an interview and you cant believe what ppl said

it's only called tsnumai in canada.
yours is called action package

Living in Hawaii, you're probably somewhat more aware of the term than the typical U.S. land lubber. Hilo, on the big island, was hit with some pretty bad Tsunamis back in the 1930s, I believe.

Well, yeah, I know its an "action package". I just thought since it was called Tsunami in Canada, maybe there was a particular name for it here in the U.S.. Oh well, I guess I'm deprived.

^^^canada is more special lol

I got my Tsunami Edition back in November 2004. Then when Dec.26 happened, I was like..man I'm forever going to remember this year, because my car is named after this tragedy! But yeah, its now called the "Action Package" similar to what it was always called in the U.S. The difference between the U.S. Action Package, and the Canadian Tsunami, is that the Tsunami comes with Suede seats and the Panasonic 200W system. I don't think the Action Pack comes like that in the U.S, or does it?? Neither do we have the option of colored-keyed headlights (thank god), not to dog it or anything, just not my style.

But this brings up an interesting debate, if we had like a massive avalanche and killed like the entire Denver area, does that mean Chevy is going to change the name of the Avalanche to something else?!

^ I guess its the size of the disaster thats so disturbing.

Funny, mine doesn't have the color-keyed lights either; I'm with you on that, I don't miss them.

i hated those at first, but i gotta say i've seen a couple around here, and they're kinda growing on me. i still prefer the old a/p a little better though.

they should call it the rice edition

But this brings up an interesting debate, if we had like a massive avalanche and killed like the entire Denver area, does that mean Chevy is going to change the name of the Avalanche to something else?! [/quote]

Here's a safe one: The Chevrolet Yeast Infection!! MWAHHHHHHHH HAAAAAAAAAAAA

Here's a safe one: The Chevrolet Yeast Infection!! MWAHHHHHHHH HAAAAAAAAAAAA [/quote]

or what if a bunch of cobra's go crazy in africa and bite a bunch of people and they all die from the poison.. are we gonna change the name of the mustang cobra?

i heard that as well...i'ts amazing how much people don't know

1000 people die from starvation every hour. How many have died from starvation in the rest of the world since the tsunami hit? 552,000. People just don't seem to care if it's an everyday thing.

Well said.

yeah i personally woulldnt change it but oh well

It would be interesting to find out just how many of the Tsunami packages were made and sold. Could be a collectors thing later on...or just wishful thinking.

I have one of the rare Tsunami Edition. There were officially only 359 of them sold, before they rebadged/remarketed it as the Sports Package, beginning of 2005.

359 Worldwide? Or wasn't the Tsunami a Canadian thing?

Heard about this in TIME

359 sold just in Canada. Tsunami Edition is a Canadian Exclusive. So there is 359 Tsunami Ed. Celicas floating around in the Great White North.