We’ve been talking about the possible return of the legendary sportswoman for a long time MR2 on the side of Toyota. The rumors were possibly fueled by a desire to see the car again with no real basis to rely on. Now it looks like things are coming together a bit more. At least there is a more certain foundation.
The Japanese automotive website BestCarWeb suggests that Toyota could turn to two of its partners for the design of the MR2. The media suggests that Daihatsu and Suzuki would be part of the design or part of the design of what could well bear the name MR2. As is the case with Subaru, Toyota has large financial stakes in Daihatsu and Suzuki. The association is therefore natural.
A little over a year ago, in December 2021, Toyota unveiled a slew of concept vehicles without really putting them forward in any serious way. In the lot, there was a small yellow-gold 2-seater concept with Lotus tunes that caught the eye of Toyota sports enthusiasts. It’s all the more captivating that the concept carried the letters GR “Gazoo Racing” in its grille. Quite compact, it could very well serve as the basis for the next Toyota MR2. Also, like the previous three generations of the MR2, the concept clearly has a mid-engine mechanical setup.
In addition to the shared platform, the engine would come from Suzuki. Hybrid, the engine would consist of a 3-cylinder 1-litre engine that would develop a power of around 120 horsepower. In addition, to ensure a touch of dynamism, the engineers would add a form of hybridization. We can therefore afford to believe that the power would evolve between 150 and 200 horsepower. Technically, it’s not much, but like the Mazda MX-5, lightness will be the key. Still on the side of rumors, it seems that the car would have a mass of barely 1,000 kilos (2,200 pounds). That would make him a featherweight.
To reduce manufacturing costs, the three manufacturers would dip into their hardware of existing components. Moreover, by adopting an approach similar to what we already see on the Subaru BRZ and Toyota GR86, economies of scale in production are possible. At Suzuki, the rumor mentions the possible return of the small Cappucino roadster, whereas, on the side of Daihatsu, it is the Copen which would resurface. Of course, we can only hope that Toyota imports the MR2 to Canada, which the manufacturer did not do with the last generation from 2000 to 2007.
