Toyota's big reveal at this year's Tokyo Auto Salon turned out to be a gag - instead of a real mid-engine machine, fans got a hotted-up Daihatsu Hijet kei truck. This time it's no joke. Gazoo Racing has officially confirmed that a car with the engine behind the driver is genuinely in the works. After years of rumors and speculation, we finally know something MR2-shaped is coming - you'll just need a healthy dose of patience.
What Toyota Actually Confirmed - The Mid-Engine Layout Returns
Tomoya Takahashi, president of the newly spun-off Gazoo Racing brand, told Automotive News flat out: a new mid-engine model is on the books. Prototypes are already running, but the road to dealerships is long. The project sits in the first of four development stages before it can reach the assembly line.
Takahashi didn't sugarcoat the timeline. By his account, the whole effort will take four, maybe five years. In practice, that means a debut around 2030 at the earliest. That's a long wait, but for a layout Toyota abandoned nearly two decades ago, the comeback itself is a big deal.
The G20E - A New Turbocharged 2.0-Liter Four
The juiciest part of the announcement concerns the heart of the new car. It's a unit called the G20E - an all-new turbocharged 2.0-liter gasoline engine, first tested in the GR Yaris M concept. Engineers are targeting more than 400 HP. In race trim, free of factory limits, the four-cylinder could push past 600 HP.
Takahashi explained why the current setup won't cut it. The three-cylinder 1.6-liter from the GR Yaris, GR Corolla, and Lexus LBX Morizo RR makes around 300 HP, which in his view is too little for a car with the engine behind the seats. The new 2.0-liter is meant to be noticeably stronger, while also coming in about 10 percent smaller and lower than the current turbocharged 2.4-liter.
Toyota also says the G20E could be up to 30 percent more efficient, though that figure may apply only to the hybrid version. Takahashi confirmed the new unit will be electrified and is suited to front-engine cars as well. That opens the door to using it across multiple models, not just one sports car.
Is This the MR2 Coming Back? The Most Likely Scenario
Takahashi didn't reveal which model gets the new engine. Logic suggests, though, that a reborn MR2 is the prime candidate for the G20E. Toyota stopped building mid-engine cars in 2007, when the last third-generation roadster rolled off the line.
Stuffing a midship layout into a hot hatch like the GR Yaris would make little sense. That model is currently being used to test the powertrain, but a production version with the engine behind the seats seems unrealistic. A successor to the beloved MR2 is a far more natural home for this kind of build.
Passion for the track and sharp driving starts with the right driver gear - and the same names you'll find in Toyota's factory teams matter here too.
Not Just the MR2 - A New Celica on the Horizon
Before the mid-engine car arrives, Toyota may roll out another sports model. Cooper Ericksen, vice president of product planning for North America, admitted that prototypes of a new Celica are already running on public roads. The front-engine model is in a fairly advanced development phase, and dealers have already seen prototypes and design sketches.
The public hasn't seen anything concrete yet, so a production debut before 2028 looks unlikely. Even so, the fact that the Celica is back on the planning board shows just how far Toyota has stretched the ambitions of its sporting brand.
What This Means for the Gazoo Racing Lineup
If Toyota delivers on its promises, the Gazoo Racing range could look impressive within a few years. Alongside the current GR Yaris, GR Corolla, GR86, and GR GT, fans might see a GR Celica and a GR MR2 - not to mention the returning GR Supra the brand floated earlier.
The open question is whether Toyota can sell that many low-volume sports cars at once. Each model occupies a narrow niche, and development costs run high. The company looks determined, though, to keep affordable performance motoring alive, with the new G20E engine set to anchor that strategy.
The G20E won't be limited to a single body style, either. Takahashi noted the unit is also being developed with larger vehicles and all-wheel drive in mind, making it a versatile foundation for many future GR models.
FAQ About Toyota's New Mid-Engine Car
When will Toyota launch the new mid-engine car? The project is in the first of four development stages. The path to production will take four, maybe five years, so in the best case the car arrives around 2030.
What engine will the new model get? A new turbocharged 2.0-liter gasoline unit called the G20E. Engineers are targeting more than 400 HP, and in race form output could top 600 HP.
Is this definitely an MR2 revival? Toyota hasn't named the model, but the mid-engine layout fits a successor to the MR2 best - production of which ended in 2007.
Will there be a new Celica? Celica prototypes are already running on public roads, and the front-engine model is in an advanced development phase. A debut before 2028 still looks unlikely.
Will the new engine go into other cars too? Yes. The G20E is designed to be electrified and compatible with front-engine and all-wheel-drive layouts, so it could power many Gazoo Racing models.