Toyota has filed new trademarks for GR MR2 and GR MR-S, suggesting Gazoo Racing may finally be preparing a follow-up to the relatively affordable mid-engine sports car that disappeared nearly twenty years ago.
A flurry of trademark activity across multiple continents could potentially point to Toyota planning to bring its compact, mid-engine sports car back to life.
In August, Toyota quietly secured rights to the MR2 name with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and then again last week when Japan’s Patent Office published Toyota’s filing for “GR MR2”. Where there’s smoke, there’s usually fire. Australia revealed a new claim for “GR MR-S”, making that three separate markets with fresh activity around variations of the same badge.
If Toyota really is circling a production program, the groundwork has been visible for a while. The FT-Se concept from the 2023 Japan Mobility Show had a mid-engine silhouette and MR2 proportions, even though Toyota pitched it as an EV, before the automaker decided it didn’t really want to make electric sports cars.
Since then, executives have hinted at a more traditional powertrain, and in early 2025, Toyota unveiled the GR Yaris M, a development prototype with its 400-horsepower, turbocharged 2.0-liter engine moved behind the seats. Engineers joked that it was an “MR-something,” which suddenly sounds like a huge hint rather than jest.
Gazoo Racing’s lineup has already been expanding at a breakneck pace. What started with the GR Yaris and GR Corolla hot hatches has grown to include the GR86, the outgoing GR Supra, and the incoming GR GT supercar. Adding a mid-engine model would bring another degree of diversity to the catalog. Toyota hasn’t offered a mid-engine, rear-drive coupe since the MR-S—known as the MR2 Spyder in North America—ended production in 2007.
If a next-generation MR2 really is taking shape behind the scenes, the earliest it would likely reach the road is 2027 or 2028. Early speculation pegs the price of entry somewhere in the $55,000-$65,000 window, placing it firmly in cost competition with the Ford Mustang and Nissan Z. Toyota will have to be careful with pricing here; get too close to the $70,000 mark, and a C8 Corvette becomes a very real rival.
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An experienced automotive storyteller and accomplished photographer known for engaging and insightful content. Michael also brings a wealth of technical knowledge—he was part of the Ford GT program at Multimatic, oversaw a fleet of Audi TCR race cars, ziptied Lamborghini Super Trofeo cars back together, been over the wall during the Rolex 24, and worked in the intense world of IndyCar.
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