If Toyota were to revive the MR2, I would prefer it to be with Porsche

Many rumours suggest that the Japanese brand intends to continue its strategy of reviving some of its most iconic sports cars. Following the recent debut of the Toyota Supra at the Jarama Circuit in Madrid, some reports point to the possible arrival of the new Toyota Celica and even the legendary Toyota MR2.

For years, documents have surfaced claiming that Toyota could be planning to revive its legendary Toyota MR2, but the company had never confirmed that it was actually working on such a project.

However, Tetsuya Tada, chief engineer at the carmaker, has been asked about the possibility of launching a new, modern Toyota MR2 and which manufacturer they would want to work with to make this happen. “Porsche!”, exclaimed Tetsuya Tada. We believe this would indeed be the perfect partner for developing a compact mid-engined sports car.

The Japanese carmaker teamed up with Subaru to bring its Toyota GT86 to life, and later with BMW to build the fifth-generation Toyota Supra.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hd16S2aoC9U

Will the brand revive its beloved Toyota MR2?

As the sports car market has slowly declined in recent years, Toyota has shown that one way to produce such vehicles is to collaborate with another carmaker to share the costs of research, development and production. In theory, it could do that with Porsche to create a new Toyota MR2.

Tada did not say anything more about a new Toyota MR2, but it got us thinking. The previous model featured a mid-engine layout, just like the Porsche Boxster and the Porsche Cayman. It would therefore be an ideal pairing, but we don’t know what Weissach thinks about that, so for now, it’s all speculation.

The Japanese brand had previously stated that it intended to offer an electrified version of all its models by 2025, and given this, it is very likely that the Toyota MR2 will be offered with at least a hybrid powertrain. Of course, there is also the possibility of a conventional-powered variant and even the chance that the car could be fully electric.

If the model finally reaches production and uses its real name, it will probably carry over some of the things that made the original so great. Moreover, it has every chance of being a very lightweight new-generation sports car, with sporty handling and elegant design.

Electric cars are not known for being particularly light, and that would certainly be a challenge if Toyota decided to take that route. However, the publication seemed to suggest this is the most likely option and even mentioned the possibility that the new Toyota MR2 could be positioned against a future electric Porsche Boxster or even an electric Porsche Cayman.

The Toyota MR2 is a sports car that arrived on the market in 1985 and was available until 2005. Three generations of Japanese sportiness have not been enough for fans of this type of vehicle. Akio Toyoda has always spoken of his wish for the “three brothers” to replicate the brand’s sports car trio from the eighties. In this way, the Toyota Supra would already be occupying its place, then there would be the Toyota GT86 in the position of the legendary Toyota Celica, and the third spot would be missing…