A Cafe Visitor at Fuji Speedway Just Caught Toyota’s Upcoming Mid-Engine MR2 Prototype on Track

Photo credit: You_SuiKoyoAZ
Someone sitting in the cafe at the Fuji Speedway Motorsport Museum looked up and saw a low, dark coupe rolling by. Phone out, they grabbed a couple of stills and then a short video of the same car turning laps on the circuit itself. The clips hit social media on July 22 and immediately set off the usual round of speculation about Toyota’s long-rumored mid-engine, next-generation MR2 sports car.

The prototype has a real matte dark finish and a two-door coupe body that appears to have been molded to sit low and wide. To keep the engine cool, the front bumper is large and low-slung, with a prominent splitter and a gaping mesh air intake. The headlights and taillights look strangely similar to those on a conventional Yaris, but let’s be honest: the fenders flare out like a pair of broad shoulders, and the rear has a fixed swan-neck wing hanging off the back. Large intakes are mounted high on the back fenders, and a deep scoop has been carved into the bonnet. All of these minor elements, as well as the general design, indicate that the engine is tucked away behind the seats rather than up front, as one would assume.

In the video, this car is tearing through Fuji’s corners with a very planted and purposeful look, and the exhaust sound is a deeper, more urgent growl than that of the GR Yaris. The fact that it sounds more serious than the 3-cylinder Yaris indicates that it is likely driven by a G20E turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder. We’ve already heard that this engine will produce between 300 and 400 horsepower in street models, with more extreme versions likely pushing the limit even further.

We’ve known for a while that Toyota’s mid-engine development is nothing new, but rather something they’ve been discreetly developing over the last few years. They’ve been driving a succession of GR Yaris-powered test vehicles, some of which have been dubbed the ‘M Concept’ or ‘Concept M’, on private courses and even in Japan’s Super Taikyu endurance race. The fundamental layout they’re looking for sounds simple enough: engine in the middle, transmission in the back, and a prop shaft sending power to an all-wheel-drive system with Torsen limited-slip differentials at the corners. They had previously used a smaller 1.6-liter three-cylinder in some of the mules, but after switching to the G20E, they appear to have finally struck the right balance of power and weight. They’ve already verified that they’ll go through approximately twenty development rounds until they’re satisfied, so expect to see a few more test mules around Fuji shortly.

The dimensions closely resemble the 2023 FT-Se idea, prompting speculation that it could be a preview for a revamped MR2. It’s unclear whether the commercial version will be called the MR2, Celica, or something else entirely. Toyota has trademarked the GR MR2 name and announced plans to add several mid-engine cars to their Gazoo Racing performance lineup, but when we can expect to see it on the road is still unknown. They’ve been working on this for a long time, and it shows; the development process appears to have been ongoing for several years, with various racing and private track testing.
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