Toyota MR2/S to make a comeback?

[CodeRedR51]

Sorry if there is a thread for this already. Searched and came up empty.



Edit: here is the concept they are referring to:

 

[Veinz]

Hopefully it’s not far off the Supra in terms of price and is 100% Toyota. But they will probably do collaboration with another manufacturer.

 

[Tornado]

An electrified V6 engine? Could this be the first car in history where the weight doubles between generations? Even the Eclipse didn't manage that and that turned into an SUV.





In fact, I can already imagine the years of articles we'll get from car journalists shaming people for it when it immediately flops.

 

[Epic B]

I was thinking if Toyota were to bring back the MR2, they could use the AWD plug-in hybrid drivetrain from the RAV4 Prime. If they were to offer a V6 hybrid they could use the one from the new Tundra. Just a thought that crossed my mind.

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

I love the MR2 so if they do make a 4th gen, I hope it's good. Just keep it under 3,000lbs and give it a manual please. The Lotus Emira uses a Toyota V6 already...maybe they can slap a Toyota badge on that with some revised body work. Lotus seems down for such ventures, and Toyota clearly is.

 

[Keef]

An electrified V6 engine? Could this be the first car in history where the weight doubles between generations? Even the Eclipse didn't manage that and that turned into an SUV.





In fact, I can already imagine the years of articles we'll get from car journalists shaming people for it when it immediately flops.

Call me crazy but given the success of the 86, the annoyingly good Supra, the GR Yaris, and the upcoming GR Corolla, I actually trust Toyota to do a better job with an MR2 than Honda with the NSX. Toyota is an expert at hybrids after all - while Honda has finally found success in F1, Toyota has been thoroughly committed to LMP for quite a long time now. Plus, the MR2 never achieved anywhere near the excellence or expectations as the NSX did so it'll be harder to bellyflop. I always thought it was weird that the Supra wasn't planned to be the top dog but the current arrangement actually is a decent strategy to curb expectations. Instead of risking the Supra name on a world-beater like Honda did with the NSX, they just turned it into a decent sports car, and now the MR2 is free to be anything they want since the name never had that much cachet anyway. In fact, making a new MR2 supercar be a left-field oddball would actually be more in line with its market position throughout its history.

 

[NekoPufferPPP]

Ooooh, interesting!

That concept is...ugly. I sincerely hope it looks nothing like it.

 

[05XR8]

I guess luggage space will be a consideration, this time around.

 

[Epic B]

If this is going to be anything like the old Alessandro Volta concept, I imagine this means the next MR2 will have a central drive layout? Probably not though. That concept car was also a V6 hybrid. I was thinking the new Tundra's hybrid option could work well if they wanted a V6 hybrid MR2.

 

[AbsoluteBarstool]

As much as I disliked the softness of the final MR2 compared to its predecessor, I think that Toyota could give Mazda a real run for their money if they went down that direction again. If they were to 'harden' it up again and offer a supra-level machine, I genuinely fail to see it working - even if they do make it the most enjoyable midship runabout in 2-wheel-drive.

 

[Grayfox]

Hopefully it’s not far off the Supra in terms of price and is 100% Toyota. But they will probably do collaboration with another manufacturer.

Lotus?
They're pretty much experts in lightweight MR vehicles, plus they've been powered by toyota too.

 

[TheCracker]

Is it economically viable for a large manufacturer to even think about creating a whole new platform for a low-volume niche car these days?

If they were to platform share who would it be with? Lotus is the only one i can really see it working with, but the Elise, when they still made it, was a £40k+ car. I'm not seeing how an MR2 wouldn't be treading on the Supras toes. You'd have to aim it between the £30k GT86 and the £50k Supra - so somewhere in the region of £40k is about right. When Lotus have spun-off Elise-based cars in the past, Vauxhall/Opel VX220 and Tesla Roadster, they've been built at Hethel on the Elise/Exige production line. Do they even have the capacity there to produce the sort of production figures Toyota would be expecting? I assume Lotus has plans for a Elise replacement in the near future, so it might tie in.

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

Is it economically viable for a large manufacturer to even think about creating a whole new platform for a low-volume niche car these days?

If they were to platform share who would it be with? Lotus is the only one i can really see it working with, but the Elise, when they still made it, was a £40k+ car. I'm not seeing how an MR2 wouldn't be treading on the Supras toes. You'd have to aim it between the £30k GT86 and the £50k Supra - so somewhere in the region of £40k is about right. When Lotus have spun-off Elise-based cars in the past, Vauxhall/Opel VX220 and Tesla Roadster, they've been built at Hethel on the Elise/Exige production line. Do they even have the capacity there to produce the sort of production figures Toyota would be expecting? I assume Lotus has plans for a Elise replacement in the near future, so it might tie in.

 

[TheCracker]

 

[GranTurNismo]

I hate to be that guy, but I think that these supposed serious talks at Toyota to revive the MR2 are bogus, or at least, wildly overblown. Most manufacturers (Toyota included) are investing the bulk of their resources in next-gen technology such as EVs and autonomous features, as opposed to all-new performance cars, especially at a time where sports car sales have been continuously dwindling down. Aside from all that, I don't think there is any room to justify the MR2 given Toyota's current performance car lineup. Right now, Toyota has the 86, GR Yaris, (upcoming) GR Corolla, and Supra, as well as the RCF and IS500 F-Sport from Lexus. The rumors seem to speculate that this supposed MR2 rebirth will have 345-395hp and be priced at slightly above $50k- therefore being marginally more expensive and faster than a GR Supra, and still below an RCF- as opposed to an all-out halo car like a GT-R or NSX or even the 2004 Alessandro Volta concept. A halo car from Toyota would make more sense (though, still not a whole lot of sense), than an all-new sports car that basically fills an already filled niche. I just don't understand why a new MR-2- and don't get me wrong, I'd love to see an all-new compact, Japanese, and relatively simplistic MR sports car- is justifiable, let alone capable of selling strongly enough to turn over any significant profit. Just my two cents.

 

[TexRex]

The trip is that neither of those feel all that long ago to me and yet both companies are dead.

Oh and how can one not love Frances McDormand?

 

[tankuroded]

Lotus?
They're pretty much experts in lightweight MR vehicles, plus they've been powered by toyota too.

You need to factor that current Geely era of Lotus seems to be gunning for heavyweight electric hypercars at this point, which goes against the classic lightweight Lotus formula.

 

[05XR8]

Lightweight for EVs though... Oh, hells to the yeah we're moving that goal post!

 

[Grayfox]

You need to factor that current Geely era of Lotus seems to be gunning for heavyweight electric hypercars at this point, which goes against the classic lightweight Lotus formula.

True, Toyota could buy the Elise Chassis IP and work of it.

 

[CodeRedR51]

Why have 2 manufacturers share development costs, when you can have 3 of them do it!

 

[MaxAttack]

Why have 2 manufacturers share development costs, when you can have 3 of them do it!

Sort of - Daihatsu is a full subsidiary of Toyota, which also has a ~5% stake in Suzuki. So, more like 2, really. I guess Daihatsu will work on any 86 parts that need shrinking down for the dashboard.

 

[05XR8]

...and since Mazda work with Toyota and Suzuki, put a rotary version in the e line up.

 

[Tornado]

Toyota GR Yaris Platform to Underpin Affordable Mid-Engined Sports Car: Report

Hopes for a reboot of Toyota's classic mid-engined MR2 gain new life with news that Suzuki and Daihatsu are collaborating on a sports car.

www.thedrive.com

The newer rumors have resurfaced.

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

A mid-engined car on the Yaris platform?

All of the rumors are pointing to this new MR2 being cheap, thank god - perhaps cheaper than the 86? Not much daylight in price for a sports car between the 86 and Supra... I happen to really like Suzuki and Daihatsu too, two manufacturers that do cheap really well. I wonder if there will be a new Cappuccino out of this too.

Please don't crush my dreams Toyota, otherwise I'm putting my money on Hyundai's 74.

 

[05XR8]

A mid-engined car on the Yaris platform?

All of the rumors are pointing to this new MR2 being cheap, thank god - perhaps cheaper than the 86? Not much daylight in price for a sports car between the 86 and Supra... I happen to really like Suzuki and Daihatsu too, two manufacturers that do cheap really well. I wonder if there will be a new Cappuccino out of this too.

Please don't crush my dreams Toyota, otherwise I'm putting my money on Hyundai's 74.

As if I don't have enough to daydream about. Thanks.

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

MR2 rumors coming out of Japan continue to persist. At this point, there is rumored to be 2 midship projects in development...one an EV that will take the MR2 name with 500hp (I wonder, really wonder if this is a Toyota-branded Cayman) and a smaller sub GR86-price sports car with a 1 liter 3 cylinder engine from Suzuki and a ~$25k USD price tag. The timeframe on the latter car is 2025 release date. This per Japan's Best Car which has a pretty reliable reputation when it comes to industry insider info - I really hope it's true.

 

[CodeRedR51]

Yes, let's make it an EV and sell it for $80k so nobody will buy one.

 

[Jump_Ace]

MR2, but for tall people this time?


Jerome

 

[ProjectWHaT]

Not sure where to put this, but I'll put it here rather than the Suzuki thread

New Toyota MR2 May Be a 1.0-Liter Mid-Engine Hybrid Sports Car: Report

There's a lot of rumors surrounding a potential MR2 successor from Toyota, and these latest alleged specifications are just fuel on the fire.

www.thedrive.com

スポーツEVはMR2の再来か!? S660終了で渇望されるミドシップスポーツの正体 - 自動車情報誌「ベストカー」

トヨタの「バッテリーEVに関する説明会」で公開されたEVのなかで、ひと際注目を集めたSports EV。一部で「MR2の再来か？」と噂されたが、その可能性はどうなのか。トヨタ関係者に「あのスポーツEVはなんなのか」と単刀直入にきいてみた!!

bestcarweb.jp

There are rumors that Suzuki and Toyota are partnering up to produce a 1L mid-engine MR2

It claims a new turbocharged three-cylinder 1.0-liter mild hybrid sports car is being developed with help from Suzuki. Since these are just rumors, it's unclear if this car would make it to the United States.

The small sports car could reportedly weigh as little as 2,200 pounds. The vehicle is also reported to have a wheelbase of around 100 inches, or near that of the Toyota GR86. There's no indication there are any carryover parts between the two cars, though. That being said, the car wouldn't be completely a completely ground-up effort. The Japanese publication reports that the car might share some parts with the current-generation Yaris, namely the front suspension.

As far as Suzuki's role goes, it's allegedly developing the 1.0-liter engine, which reportedly could produce around 120 horsepower. Toyota already makes a 1.0-liter three-cylinder in the Yaris, though.

That's not the only strange part of this report. It also claims that the price would be in the neighborhood of $20,000. That would make it the cheapest mid-engine car for sale—at least in the United States—by a huge margin. Even if it does carry parts over from at least one existing vehicle, that's pretty unbelievable.

There has been concrete evidence beyond rumors for a new mid-engine sports car from Toyota, which is part of the reason why the news refuses to die. Toyota has filed patents detailing a body structure for such a vehicle which we dug up in the past, and it also showed off a full-fledged concept for a GR-branded electric roadster several months ago. Related rumors for parts sharing also just keep coming.

As stated in The Drive article, there had been previous patents for a mid-engine car and there were previous concepts that appeared to be mid-engine

Perhaps things are coming together finally?

 

[Jump_Ace]

How to immediately lose interest in the MR-2.

View attachment 1088924

That thing is hideous, I'd rather take an Aztec


Jerome