The Toyota MR2 could return in 2028 as a mid-engine Gazoo Racing sports car, according to a new report from Autocar. Toyota has not outright confirmed the revival, but the company has strongly hinted at it, while mid-engine prototypes based on the GR Yaris have been shown on numerous occasions.
Toyota’s Mid-Engine Sports Car Could Pack 450 HP
Over the past couple of years, Toyota has been developing the 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder G16E-GTS engine used in the GR Yaris and GR Corolla. The work has evolved the engine into a 2.0-liter power plant called the G20E.
The G20E is capable of producing 400-450 horsepower in a basic state of tune, while more than 600 hp could be possible when it is turned up. That output would put the engine in position to challenge the 416-hp M139 engine used in the departing Mercedes-AMG A45 S for the title of most powerful production four-cylinder engine on the planet.
However, outright power is not expected to be the primary focus of the new sports car.
New MR2 Could Focus on Handling and AWD
Toyota Gazoo Racing boss Tomoya Takahashi pointed to the original MR2’s weight distribution as both a strength and a weakness. “What made the car turn so well also let it spin out easily on corners,” Takahashi said.
Toyota hopes the first thing drivers notice when they drive the new car, which is expected to be called the GR MR2, “is how well the car turns.”
To deliver that handling without making the mid-engine sports car overly snappy, the new MR2 may use an all-wheel-drive system. Toyota notes that concentrating the bulk of an AWD sports car’s weight around the middle puts less strain on the front axle, reducing understeer and minimizing tire wear.
Hybrid System and FT-SE-Inspired Design
A hybrid component is also likely to help the sports car meet European emissions limits. The overall package is expected to feature styling very similar to the Toyota FT-SE, a concept originally intended to foreshadow a high-performance EV.
The MR2 is also expected to be marketed as a Gazoo Racing product, similar to the GR GT supercar. If that happens, Toyota badges may be conspicuously absent as the GR sub-brand develops into a relatively independent entity, similar to BMW M.
What the 2028 Timeline Could Mean
The reported 2028 release date remains unsubstantiated, but the source is reputable and the timeline makes sense for Toyota, which works efficiently while almost never rushing a product through development.
Toyota has reportedly been working on a mid-engine AWD setup for some time. The development could allow the new MR2 to remain light and fun while also being safer and more efficient than the original.
If development proceeds as expected, a new Celica may also be introduced on the same platform, potentially giving buyers affordable Gazoo Racing options under the same banner as the brand’s new motorsport-bred supercar.
