Toyota has blossomed in the eyes of enthusiasts with its range of Gazoo Racing (GR) models like the GR Yaris, GR Corolla, GR 86, and GR Supra. Though the GR Supra serves as Toyota’s flagship performance car, there are rumours that Toyota is reviving a storied name to slot above it in 2026.
According to a scoop reported by Best Car Web, Toyota is looking to resurrect the MR2 name in the next 3 years. The Toyota MR2 was sold between 1984 and 1997 for two generations and was succeeded by the Toyota MR-S between 1999 to 2007.
The Midship Runabout 2-seater was seen unfairly as the “poor man’s Ferrari” due to its mid-engine layout. Despite costing a fraction of a brand-new Ferrari, the MR2 brought as many smiles to drivers once they get the hang of overcoming snap-oversteer, a common phenomenon in mid-engine cars.
In Toyota’s sports car line-up back then, the MR2 was positioned below the Supra in terms of pricing. However, this newest scoop from Japan speculates that the 2026 MR2 would be the flagship sports car model for Toyota.
Best Car Web reported that Toyota is working on a more potent version of the GR Yaris called the GRMN Yaris. It is a mid-engined hyper hatch similar in layout to the Renaultsport Clio V6 from 20 years ago.
The Japanese outlet reported that this fire-breathing version of the GR Yaris could be limited to only 500 units and priced between JPY 7.32 million to JPY 8.47 million (~RM 236k-273k).
Based on that rumour, the team over at Best Car Web reimagined what an MR2 for the 2020s would look like and the result is a sports car that combines the design elements of past MR2s and the modern Toyota look.
The GRMN Yaris shown at 2022 Tokyo Auto Salon shares the same name as the rumoured mid-engine variant and is limited to 500 units
The 2026 MR2 could be powered by the same engine that is rumoured on the mid-engine GRMN Yaris – a 1.6-litre turbocharged 3-pot mounted behind the driver that makes 320 PS and 392 Nm. The next-gen MR2 is also reported to be Toyota’s swansong to the petrol-powered internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles in Japan.
As such, production could be very limited and the price would also reflect its finite availability. Best Car Web speculated that the all-new MR2 could be priced around JPY 10 million (~RM 323k before taxes) which makes it beyond the attainability of its predecessors.
The Japanese automotive outlet reported that the mid-engine GRMN Yaris prototype has been completed and is undergoing testing. The next-gen MR2 meanwhile is still a rumour but Toyota is looking to revive another classic sports car name to its arsenal of performance cars. Could we see the Celica become an actuality too?
Traded advertising for a career that fits his passion for cars. Enjoys spotting cars during his free time and has a soft spot for Japanese Kei cars but drives a thirsty manual sedan.
