Excitement around Toyota’s performance lineup keeps building even as the current Supra approaches its Final Edition for 2026. Momentum continues through the GR Corolla and GR86, and attention is shifting toward the 2027 GR GT, a striking coupe planned with a V-8 hybrid powertrain. That model is set to elevate Gazoo Racing into a standalone division, and growing hints suggest an MR2 revival may follow the same GR-first approach.
Buzz around a new MR2 rises because Toyota has quietly laid the groundwork. The FT-Se concept made its debut at the 2023 Tokyo auto show, giving fans an early look at a compact sports shape. A trademark for “MR2” later appeared in the United States in August under a filing for automobiles and related components, helping reinforce expectations that something is in development.
Recent trademark activity pushes the idea even further. Toyota submitted “GR MR2” in Japan last week and “GR MR-S” in Australia, which points toward GR branding rather than conventional Toyota badges. Japan’s filing recalls the previous MR-S name used for that market’s third-generation car. Even the FT-Se concept wore GR logos across its bodywork, with no Toyota emblem displayed anywhere.
Concrete details remain limited, yet a few patterns seem to be forming. Styling is likely to draw from the FT-Se’s sharp surfaces and mid-engined outline. Although that concept was imagined as an EV, projections lean toward a gas-powered layout using a four-cylinder engine mounted behind the seats. Toyota previewed this direction in January 2025 with the GR Yaris M, a prototype created for the Super Taikyu series.
Testing for that layout started when Toyota reworked a GR Yaris M by placing a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four behind its rear seats and running it in Japan’s Super Taikyu series. That setup shows real commitment to a mid-engined plan. Power could push past 300 horsepower, and a hybrid option may appear later. A manual gearbox would fit the car’s mission, though details still remain under wraps.
