Toyota has been hinting at the MR2’s return for a few years. A mention of the iconic two-seat mid-engine sports car appeared in season two of Toyota’s Grip anime YouTube series last year, and now we have our best confirmation that the model might officially return. Maybe.
Toyota has filed to trademark the MR2 name in Japan and the MR-S in Australia. The automaker filed both late last month, and the timing is interesting. Toyota teased a fourth GR model set to join the 86, Corolla, and Supra in the latest Grip episode, and earlier this year, it debuted a mid-engine Yaris concept.
In 2021, Toyota introduced the Sports EV, a concept car with mid-engine proportions. The company would follow up with a similar-looking FT-Se Concept in 2023, which was also electric.
Then, earlier this year, the automaker introduced the Yaris M Concept, a mid-engine hatchback with the developmental turbocharged 2.0-liter “G20E” four-cylinder engine. All the signs are there for the car’s return—we don’t know when that will be, or if it’ll happen at all.
Toyota FT-Se Sports Car Production Rendering by Motor1
While Toyota has hinted at the MR2’s return for nearly half a decade, the company has not confirmed it, and it’s unclear whether MR-S is a different name, a hotter version of the car, or something else. The company has also suggested that Celica might make a comeback, and it has filed similar trademarks. Clearly, Toyota is interested in new sports cars.
Toyota built the MR2 for over 20 years, with the first generation going on sale for the 1985 model year. Toyota ended the car’s production after three generations in 2007, when it had a 1.8-liter four-cylinder making 138, but Toyota discontinued it in the US after the 2005 model year. It started at $25,685, including the $540 destination fee, which is $43,158 today.
If Toyota were to revive the MR2, we don’t expect it to return anytime soon. We haven’t spotted any development vehicles in public, and the trademark could mean nothing. Automakers trademark names all the time and never use them, but we hope the GR MR2 is real, and could see it in 2027 or 2028, which feels too far away.