JAKARTA - Toyota is again tempting sports car fans with a strong signal about the revival of the MR2. Enthusiasm emerged after the company's performance sub-brand, Gazoo Racing, uploaded a short video of an internal conversation that sparked widespread speculation.
The 29-second Japanese-language video features a dialogue between a Toyota employee and the company's chairman, Akio Toyoda. When asked about his new car, Toyoda replied that it was a mid-engined two-seater that he wanted to prepare in time for the Tokyo Auto Salon on January 9.
Toyoda's role in Toyota's performance projects is indeed inseparable. During his tenure as Toyota President from 2009 to 2023, he oversaw the birth of the LFA supercar for Lexus, brought the affordable GT86/GR86, and revived the Supra name.
With the pseudonym of the racer Morizo, Toyoda is even known to be unafraid to test the GR Yaris rally car to the extreme. However, the public still has to wait until this month's Tokyo Auto Salon to find out the meaning of the mysterious upload.
To strengthen the signal, Toyota is known to have registered the GR MR2 trademark in 2025, as well as GR MR-S as the name of MR2 for the Japanese market. This step confirms the role of Gazoo Racing in the development of Toyota's latest mid-engine sports car.
At last year's Tokyo Auto Salon, Toyota also revealed that the mid-engine car it was preparing would carry a new turbocharged four-cylinder gasoline engine. This decision marks a change of direction from the original plan for a pure electric sports car that was previewed by the FT-Se concept at the end of 2023.
The choice is opposite to the direction taken by European brands such as Porsche, Alpine, and Lotus which are committed to bringing electric sports cars in the near future. Instead, Toyota will put the G20E gasoline engine in the middle position.
"This machine represents the beginning of a new development that will come from the world of motorsport before we produce it. We always learn a lot with this kind of work," said Toyota GR Technical Director Naohiko Saito, quoted by Auto Express, Wednesday, January 7.
Regarding performance, Toyota has not confirmed the official output of the G20E. However, the manufacturer is targeting this engine to be more powerful and efficient than the 2.4-liter turbo unit currently used in Toyota and Lexus models abroad.
It's also claimed to be 10 percent smaller in size, an important advantage for a compact mid-engined layout. Early estimates put power at around 300 bhp for the base version, with potential to rise to 400 bhp on a more aggressive setup.
Toyota even stated that this engine motorsport variant is capable of supporting up to 500 bhp, although emission regulations can limit this figure in road cars. Toyota's hybrid module integration is said to open up the opportunity for higher performance in the future.
The engine will be mounted transversely on the chassis, following the configuration of the GR Yaris M Concept, and combined with a Gazoo Racing-specific eight-speed automatic transmission. Which is also used on other Toyota performance models in the global market.
"This layout is new for us, but in our initial testing we found the combination of all-wheel drive with a mid-engine offers the best balance for high performance," said Saito.
With three decades of experience selling the MR2 from the mid-1980s to the late 2000s, Toyota is no shortage of historical references. However, this new sports car is expected to appear much more contemporary, adopting design inspiration from the FT-Se concept - from the low windshield, short engine hood, to the compact and muscular stern.
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