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Toyota’s Most Anticipated Revival in Years Is Shaping Up to Be a True Thoroughbred

The M in MR2 stands for “midship,” and now, also for “motorsports-bred.”

Chrome "MR2" badge on a shiny red car surface with part of a yellow license plate visible.Toyota
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By Chris Chin

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Toyota’s highly anticipated MR2 revival is shaping up to be a true, thoroughbred sports car. Our pals across the pond at AutoExpress recently made a discovery and had an epiphany.

The British motoring publication says that Toyota’s been testing the next-gen MR2 right before our eyes. And we’re very inclined to agree with them.

Why else would Toyota be testing a mid-engine GR Yaris?

Toyota GR racing car with red, white, black, and blue geometric camouflage pattern on a racetrack.
Toyota had many raising eyebrows at its GR Yaris M Concept, not too long ago.
Toyota

It all started before the COVID-19 pandemic, when Mr. Akio Toyoda himself expressed his dreams and desires to revive the “three brothers.” Those being Toyota’s sports car trifecta, the Supra, Celica and MR2.

Such statements also coincided with ‘Yota’s then-revival of the BMW-based Supra, which proved Toyoda’s aspirations were coming to fruition.

Rear view of a Toyota Gazoo Racing car with open engine compartment showing exhaust pipes and turbo components.
Now, all roads and clues are leading to a potential MR2 revival, since, why else would Toyota and GR be testing a midship-placed high-performance turbo-four?
Toyota

Since then, rumors have persisted regarding the return of the Celica and MR2. Over the years, both the company and Toyoda himself have provided clues and hints, further cementing the prospect of both revivals.

Now, the case for their return is as strong as it’s ever been.

Toyota revealed a very unique and oddball GR Yaris M Concept during one of 2025’s Super Taikyu events. But unlike any other previous model, this specific prototype sported a new mid-placed turbocharged four-cylinder.

Toyota Gazoo Racing M Concept car with red, white, and black geometric camouflage and large rear spoiler.
Since its debut, Toyota and GR have been running a mid-engine GR Yaris in its motorsports programs.
Toyota

Because it was so unusual, it immediately caught everyone’s attention. Once the excitement had settled down, however, it all finally made sense. Toyota and Gazoo Racing are working on a new mid-engine, turbo-four-powered sports car. That could only mean one thing: an MR2 revival.

Born from motorsports

Black Toyota GR race car with blue and yellow graphics and number 32 on a racetrack.
The mid-engine-powered GR Yaris M is still in service as a racecar.
Toyota

While the GR Yaris M Concept shocked the world last year, it wasn’t just a static display model. Gazoo Racing and Toyota both put the concept to use in their racing programs to vet its engineering.

“If we don’t challenge [ourselves in motorsport] maybe we don’t fail, but if we challenge then maybe we fail,” Mr. Toyoda told AE’s sister publication, Carwow, in a recent interview.

Rear view of a race car engine bay with metallic silver and gold heat shielding and blue silicone hose connectors.
Little did we know, the GR Yaris M racecar is also a testbed for this supposed MR2 revival.
Toyota

“If we decided to make such a car in a meeting, it would never exist,” Toyoda further explained. “We are showing to our employees that you can challenge, you can say anything you want, because we’re doing it, we’re showing in front of everybody.

What we know to date

Gray Toyota MR2 Spyder convertible with red interior parked on asphalt.
It’s been almost two decades since Toyota gave the world an MR2.
Toyota

Despite all the telling clues, Toyota remains tight-lipped about the MR2 revival’s specifics. Hearsay suggests styling will still take inspiration from the 2023 FT-Se sports coupe.

Although originally pitched as an all-electric model, the concept’s exterior aesthetic is the concept’s real focus.

a photo of an orange toyota concept car in a studio
Rumors still suggest the MR2 will take styling inspiration from the 2023 FT-Se Concept.
Toyota

Additionally, that new turbo-four, codenamed “G20E,” is one of several new four-cylinders from Toyota. In 2025, the automaker also announced its new family of gasoline-powered four-cylinders for the brand’s next-gen model.

Internet sleuths even discovered trademark filings for the “GR MR2” name around the world.

a photo showing the rear of an orange toyota concept in studio
If the new MR2 closely resembles the FT-Se, we’ll be all for it.
Toyota

When the new MR2 will debut remains to be determined, and Toyota’s Tokyo Auto Salon trolling this year suggests it’s taking its time.

Originally, the automaker claimed to be revealing a new “mid-engine” car. But that ended up being an updated and spruced up version of the popular Japanese Domestic Market Kei truck, from its sister brand, Daihatsu.

About the Author: Chris Chin is an associate editor at Gear Patrol, covering cars, trucks and anything else with four wheels. He has over a decade of experience writing news and reviews but considers himself an enthusiast first, with a passion for classics and European cars. His daily driver is a 1987 Mercedes-Benz 560SEL with nearly 250,000 miles (87,000 are his).

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