Toyota has confirmed it is actively developing a new mid-engine sports car. The model is widely expected to revive the Toyota MR2 nameplate but remains several years away from production.
Despite growing speculation following recent trademark filings and a high-profile Tokyo Auto Salon tease, Toyota says the project is still firmly in the development phase, with no reveal or launch timeline locked in.
Toyota confirms mid-engine sports car program is underway
Speaking through Toyota’s official channels and industry media, Gazoo Racing president Tomoya Takahashi confirmed the company’s performance division is working on a mid-mounted application of Toyota’s forthcoming 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine.
While the Toyota MR2 name has not been officially confirmed, the layout, intent, and historical references strongly point to a fourth-generation revival of Toyota’s iconic mid-engine sports car.
Toyota previously built three generations of the MR2 between 1984 and 2007, all featuring rear-wheel drive and a transversely mounted engine positioned ahead of the rear axle.
All-wheel drive marks a major shift from past MR2s
Unlike earlier MR2 models, Toyota’s future mid-engine sports car is expected to adopt all-wheel drive, a move aimed at improving stability and real-world performance.
According to Takahashi, the decision reflects lessons learned from earlier MR2s, which were praised for their balance but criticised for being unforgiving at the limit.
The same layout that made the MR2 agile also made it prone to spinning, Toyota explained, particularly during hard cornering.
By pairing a mid-engine configuration with four driven wheels, Toyota believes it can transform that behaviour into stronger traction and greater cornering confidence, rather than oversteer-driven instability.
Tokyo Auto Salon tease fuels speculation, but not a reveal
Anticipation around the MR2 intensified after Toyota announced it would unveil a mid-engine vehicle at the Tokyo Auto Salon in January 2026. Instead of a production-ready sports car, Toyota and Daihatsu surprised attendees with two heavily modified kei trucks, inviting fans to vote on their favourite.
While the move was widely interpreted as tongue-in-cheek trolling, something Toyota chairman Akio Toyoda is known for, the show wasn’t entirely devoid of MR2 clues.
Toyota GR Yaris M Concept offers a glimpse of Toyota’s thinking
Displayed alongside the kei truck concepts was the GR Yaris M Concept, a development vehicle featuring a mid-mounted 2.0-litre turbo engine.
Toyota says the GR Yaris-based prototype is being used as a test bed, allowing engineers to solve packaging and cooling challenges in a compact platform before scaling the drivetrain for larger vehicles.
If the powertrain can be successfully engineered into a small car like the GR Yaris, Toyota says it becomes far easier to deploy it in future sports models.
Hybrid tech is all but guaranteed
While Toyota remains committed to internal-combustion engines, the company has acknowledged that hybrid assistance will be essential for future performance cars.
With tightening global emissions regulations, Toyota has indicated that combining the new turbocharged engine with electrification is effectively unavoidable if it’s to be used across multiple models.
No launch date, development continues through 2026
Toyota has stopped short of confirming when the new MR2-style sports car will debut, but it has confirmed that the mid-engine GR Yaris M Concept will be in development throughout 2026.
That suggests a production version, if approved, would arrive well beyond the near term, placing any potential MR2 launch several years away.
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