Toyota's New Mid-Engined GR Yaris Is Looking More And More Like The New MR2

Is that you MR2?

By Brad Anderson
Toyota's new mid-engined GR prototype racing SuperTaikyuSTO/X
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Toyota has been developing and testing a mid-engined GR Yaris prototype for well over 18 months, equipped with its new turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four, and has raced it at several Super Taikyu events in Japan. Over the weekend, it fielded another prototype, and this time the car looks much more like the MR2 it's expected to birth.

Previous examples of the GR Yaris M Concept tested by Toyota in the Japan-only racing series have looked mostly like the standard GR Yaris, albeit with flared wheel arches and an engine fitted where the rear seats are ordinarily found. This car differs in that it has a much more traditional mid-engined sports car shape, mimicking a prototype our spy photographers snapped testing a few months ago.

The front of the car retains some elements from the GR Yaris hot hatch, including the headlights and taillights. Other than that, it appears to carry over very little from the production model. Images shared online by CarWatch in Japan show that there's a larger radiator and fan beneath the hood, where the Yaris's turbocharged 1.6-liter three-cylinder usually sits.

Toyota is serious about performance cars

An image showing Toyota's upcoming turbo 2.0-liter Toyota

The rear half of the race car is particularly interesting. It includes boxy, flared wheel arches and quarter panels with larger air intakes to feed the engine. Toyota has also equipped the car with a fixed rear wing and a unique diffuser. As dramatic as this prototype's exterior is, what's beneath the rear glass is what will really excite Toyota enthusiasts.

Toyota is hard at work developing a new turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four for its new mid-engined production model, and future iterations of the GR Yaris and GR Corolla. It's more powerful than the smaller 1.6-liter turbo three-cylinder and also outperforms the company's outgoing 2.4-liter turbo. Standard, road-legal models with this new engine are tipped to produce around 300 hp and 295 lb-ft (400 Nm) of torque, and other higher-performance versions may deliver upwards of 400 hp and 406 lb-ft (550 Nm).

It remains unclear whether Toyota is reviving both the MR2 and Celica or if it's bringing back just one of these models, and which one it is. Whatever the case may be, the car will pair the new 2.0-liter turbo with an all-wheel-drive system and Torsen limited-slip differentials at the front and rear axles, just like Toyota's flagship hot hatches. The company's current eight-speed automatic could be used, or Toyota may even decide to use a six-speed manual transmission. Whatever ends up happening, it's hard not to be excited by Toyota's commitment to high-performance sports cars.

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