Is Toyota testing a new MR2 or Celica?

Toyota’s Gazoo Racing (GR) family expansion is set to continue, after its latest test mule was spied testing at the brand’s home track, Fuji Speedway.

Captured by X (formerly Twitter) user @You_SuiKoyoAZ, the test car was seen lapping the circuit, wearing no camouflage and an all-black body, with the unmistakable sound of a four-cylinder engine emanating from its exhaust.

While the engine itself is almost certainly Toyota’s new ‘G20E’ turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine – expected to succeed the 1.6-litre three-cylinder which powers the GR Yaris and GR Corolla for its performance products – little more is known about the car itself.

Since last year, Toyota has been racing a GR Yaris which has been converted to be mid-engined in Japan’s Super Taikyu racing series, with the M Concept believed to be a testbed for the upcoming MR2 revival.

The tail lights on the unknown prototype are from the GR Yaris, though it’s unclear where the headlights are borrowed from. Its roll cage inside as well as a spike for an airjack and a racing-style fuel delivery system suggest this is being prepared to race, rather than be a road car.

The biggest question however is what’s under the skin, as it’s unclear whether the four-cylinder engine is located under the bonnet or the rear bodywork, however it doesn’t appear to be a hatchback, which would lead to restricted access in the case of the latter.

In addition to the upcoming return of the MR2, it has also long been rumoured that the Celica nameplate will come back, with some reports from Japan claiming the pair will both be powered by the same G20E engine, but differ in their designs and powertrain configurations.

Back in February, Toyota was spied testing its new WRC car for 2027, with many linking it to the revived Celica, thanks to its coupe design.

It appears that in both – or either – case, Toyota is wanting its new cars to be based around competition, potentially coming as the homologation bases for its road-going performance offerings.

Toyota Celica return imminent after rally car spied testing

Rumours of the Toyota Celica’s revival are only set to heat up, after the carmaker was spied testing a new two-door coupe rally car.

TorquecafeJordan Mulach

Most recently, in March UK publication Autocar reported the Celica will come back as the Celica Sport, and potentially be offered with all-wheel drive and a hybrid system to keep its emissions levels down.

Likewise, for the first time the Toyota MR2 will be all-wheel drive, based on learnings from the GR Yaris M Concept.

“This layout is new for us, but we have found in our initial testing that the combination of an all-wheel-drive mid-ship layout offers the best layout for high-performance driving,” Naohiko Saito, Toyota GR’s chief engineer, told Auto Express.

New Toyota MR2 details uncovered

The potential return of the Toyota MR2 will see the sports car stay true to its mid-engined roots, but with the added bonus of all-wheel drive.

TorquecafeJordan Mulach