Talk of a new Toyota MR2 dates back to even before the last one, the MR2 Spyder, ended production in 2007. That’s due in part to Toyota’s habit of constantly dangling the carrot – dropping just enough hints to keep enthusiasts hooked. Even Chairman Akio Toyoda leaned into the tease recently, trolling us with a mid-engine two-seater reveal at the Tokyo Auto Salon that ended up being nothing more than a modified kei truck.
But now we finally have something more solid: Toyota has confirmed a mid-engine sports car is in the works. The word comes from Gazoo Racing boss Tomoya Takahashi, whose division was recently spun off into a standalone performance marque; the stunning new GT sports car serves as its debut model.
Still A Few Years Away
In an interview with Automotive News published this week, Takahashi said Toyota has started testing prototypes for the car, but things are still at an early stage – a really early stage, apparently. The new car, which won’t necessarily be called an MR2 – we’ve even heard Toyota might call it a Celica – is only in the first of four development stages, which the GR boss said means it won’t be ready for another four to five years. That points to a launch not happening until 2030, at the earliest.
News of the mid-engine sports car isn’t a huge surprise, as Toyota used last year’s Tokyo Auto Salon to announce it was testing a new mid-engine platform within the confines of a modified GR Yaris, even previewing it at the show. Toyota referred to the modified hot hatch as a prototype and said it was part of a collection of test vehicles being used to develop what the automaker described as “ever-better motorsports-bred cars.”
The long development time for the new mid-engine sports car may be related to certain difficulties Toyota has had with testing of the mid-engine platform in the modified GR Yaris. The automaker didn’t go into detail but said the issues were related to driving characteristics, as opposed to anything technical.
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And there’s also a new engine being cooked up. The modified GR Yaris featured a newly developed turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-4, dubbed the G20E, and Toyota has confirmed there will be both standalone applications and hybrid configurations. On its own, the engine delivered around 450 horsepower in the modified GR Yaris, but Toyota has hinted that more than 600 hp is possible – before adding any electrification. In his interview with Automotive News, Takahashi didn’t go so far as confirming the G20E for the mid-engine sports car, but said the model would need more than the 300 hp made by the current turbocharged 1.6-liter inline-3 found in the GR Yaris and its GR Corolla big brother.
Design May Have Already Been Shown
As for the styling, Toyota’s well-received FT-Se concept from 2023 may point the way. Although the concept featured an electric powertrain, the proportions are clearly that of a mid-engine car – it even has what appears to be side intakes. Toyota also hinted at the time of its reveal that the design could also carry an internal-combustion engine if needed.
And with EV adoption still moving slower than expected – especially in the performance space – it arguably makes even more sense today for Toyota to keep this one ICE-powered. After all, if you’re reviving the spirit of the MR2, a lightweight, turbocharged setup feels like the right call.
Source: Automotive News
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