Toyota ponders reborn MR2
Japanese firm plots revival of mid-engined sports car; EV powertrain an option
Toyota is considering reintroducing its mid-engined MR2 sports car, possibly in battery-electric form.
European marketing boss Matt Harrison, speaking at the Paris motor show, said the company is at the “discussion stage” but confirmed it is a favoured potential addition to the product plan.
Harrison also alluded to the brand’s so-called ‘Three Brothers’ of the Supra, Celica coupé and MR2, using boss Akio Toyoda’s favoured term for the trio of sports models he would like to see returning to showrooms. The Supra is shortly to be launched and the GT86 is today’s Celica, leaving only the MR2 to come Toyota has already hinted at a smaller sports car with the 2015 S-FR concept, which was inspired by the front-engined S800 sports coupé of 1965.
Other options could include a platform-sharing joint venture with another manufacturer wanting to introduce a relatively cheap mid-engined car, engineering its own petrol or petrol-hybrid mid-engined model or, perhaps the most cost-effective option, creating a pure electric sports car.
An EV could have several advantages. The greater packaging flexibility of the battery-electric running gear means that the highly adaptable Toyota New Global Architecture, designed to accommodate EV powertrains, could form the basis of an electric MR2.
The compactness of the electric motor would enable it to be located behind the car’s two seats, in the spirit of the original. The battery could be sited below the floor, bringing a desirably low centre of gravity, and the car’s relative simplicity should lower overall development costs.
Range is likely to be less of an issue in a compact sports car, and a low-cost, low-weight EV sports car could be marketed as a fun, environmentally friendly, short-distance commuter car.
Were it to get the go-ahead, a new MR2 would be unlikely to appear before the early to mid-2020s, by which time the energy density of batteries and EV technology in general will have improved. Toyota would also have a number of pure EV models either on sale or well under development by then.
Toyoda is keen that Toyota should continue to offer “affordable, simple and fun- to-drive” cars among its zero-emission products. He cited the original Mini, which he owned when working in the UK in the 1980s, as “the kind of car we should all dream of making”.
This has been floating around the internet today.
https://www.grandtournation.com/cars/toyota-and-subaru-to-bring-back-the-mr2-with-300bhp/
No sub-GT86 model in Toyota’s ‘three brothers’ sports car range
A three-strong sports car lineup may still happen, but any new Toyota MR2 looks likely to slot in between the GT86 and Supra
Driving enthusiasts hoping for an even smaller sports car to sit below Toyota’s GT86 will have to wait for a ‘dramatic breakthrough in technology’ if it’s to happen, according to Toyota Gazoo Racing chief Tetsuya Tada.
Speaking to evo at the 2019 Geneva motor show, Tada confirmed that while he’s still keen to give Toyota the three-strong “three brothers” sports car lineup first mooted a couple of years ago, current market conditions make it very costly to develop smaller cars – particularly when those cars are niche products like sports cars.
‘I believe most people are looking forward to the smallest of the “three brothers”’ said Tada. ‘And when people say the smallest they expect it would be the most affordable. But in reality coming up with a compact small sports car is quite difficult.’
Tada explained that because safety and emissions regulations remain the same at all points in the market and that the physical number of components that make up a smaller car are very similar to a larger one, the chance of making a profit on such a car is low.
That, unfortunately, makes a production version of Toyota’s S-FR concept from the 2015 Tokyo motor show highly unlikely – and means that any revival of the MR2 is likely to sit above the current GT86 in Toyota’s lineup, rather than directly replace the MX-5-rivalling third-generation MR2.
Incidentally, the GT86 itself is one reason Toyota may struggle to supply a smaller, more affordable sports car.
‘In the actual market there are now plenty of second hand GT86s that are fairly compact,’ he said, ‘so in order to compete with these second-hand cars it’s difficult to come up with a smaller version.’ The subtext? If you want an affordable Toyota sports car, then GT86s start from about £10k…
Tada wouldn’t elaborate on rumours the GT86 itself wouldn’t see a second generation, but did express that he sees it as an important product for Toyota – not least as a springboard to the Supra.
'GT86 was a car to remind our Toyota customers of the fun of driving sports cars, and we also hope that these drivers would improve their skills in driving a sports car,’ he said.
‘In the aircraft world it’d be equivalent to a training aircraft. There have now been many years of “training”, and we’ve been receiving feedback from these customers that they’re now ready for new horizons, so Supra is an answer to these questions.’
But most markets aren't getting the 4 cylinder. From what I understand it's only the EU and Japan. And even then it will probably still be more expensive than the 86. The issue with the 86 in some market (EU) was the cost.From Tada's interview i get the feeling that the SZ and SZ-R versions of the Supra are the GT86's successor...
So maybe the sports lineup will consist of :
1) GR Super Sports to compete GT-R / NSX
2) Supra A90 (SZ / SZ-R / RZ and maybe GRMN) to compete with Z / Cayman
It actually is one of the 3 brothers now that the SFR is deadBut most markets aren't getting the 4 cylinder. From what I understand it's only the EU and Japan. And even then it will probably still be more expensive than the 86. The issue with the 86 in some market (EU) was the cost.
The GR Super Sports is on a whole different level. BestCar said it would be a limited production car and cost around a million dollars and battle with other hype cars like the Mercedes-AMG Project ONE and Aston Martin Valkyrie. I wouldn't count this as one of the "3 brothers".
Ok.. I didn't bring up the S-FR because it isn't relevant. The latest reports said a 2nd gen 86 is coming. Then we have the Supra and Toyota has been hinting at a new MR-2. There is the 3 brothers.It actually is one of the 3 brothers now that the SFR is dead
Toyota Might Bring Back MR2 With Help From Subaru
Could Toyota be teaming up with Subaru to bring back the MR2?
A few months ago, there were reports of Toyota talking about partnering up with another automaker to bring one more dedicated sports car to the lineup to join the 86 and Supra. The new model names that came up in conversation were the Celica and MR2. Since Toyota already partnered with BMW and Subaru on the 86/BRZ and the upcoming Supra, Toyota have hinted at another partnership with Subaru for the third sports car to be added to the family. Most recently according to Japanese Nostalgic Car, the rumors about Toyota and Subaru are surfacing once again, this time with a mid-engined Toyota.
Not long ago, Supra chief engineer Tetsuya Tada referenced the Celica, MR2, and Supra as, “The Three Brothers” from the ‘80s and ‘90s and hopes to have a similar lineup in the near future. With this recent mid-engined Subaru floating around, it just could be the missing piece to the Toyota sports car trinity.
There isn’t any information on possible power plants to be used in the rumored MR (mid-engine rear-wheel drive) project, but we’re hoping for something a bit more punchier than the 86/BRZ’s 2.0-liter naturally-aspirated four-cylinder boxer engine. The second-generation MR2 was offered with a turbocharged engine, so there’s hope history might repeat itself.
Japanese Nostalgic Car also mentions that Toyota and Subaru are currently working on a new 2.4-liter engine for the next generation 86/BRZ. This new engine could also find its way behind the driver seat of the rumored MR2. It’s all speculation for now, but it’s always fun to think of what could be, especially with a beloved sports car possibly making a comeback.