Everyone assumed Toyota would finally surrender to electricity. They assumed wrong. The Japanese are bringing back the legendary MR2 — without a single kilowatt-hour in the recipe.
The project sits with the Gazoo Racing performance division, and the car could hit the market by the end of 2028. The most striking part? Zero compromises with the EV agenda.
Under the skin lives a fresh four-cylinder 2.0-litre turbo. The engine is modular — front, rear, or mid-mounted depending on the platform. A universal tool for a whole new generation of Toyota sports cars.
The new engine is expected to outmuscle Toyota’s current naturally aspirated 2.4-litre units — and still slip under Euro 7 emissions limits. A small miracle of engineering balance. Hybrid versions later? Possible — but no fanaticism about it.
The headline trick of the new MR2 is weight. Toyota is aiming for the 1200–1300 kg window. A mid-engine layout promises near-perfect balance and the kind of agility today’s heavyweight sports cars can’t even approach.
The GR MR2 and GR MR-S names are already registered in Japan and Australia. Disguised prototypes are running on European circuits. And here’s the twist: among 2026’s sports car class and upcoming arrivals, the MR2 could be a rare beast indeed — a compact mid-engine machine with a combustion engine and a price tag near €60,000.
