Toyota MR2 spotting testing

Toyota’s high-performance Gazoo Racing (GR) division has been on a bit of a high. It has churned out hits such as the Supra, GR86 and hot hatch twins: GR Yaris and Corolla. But the Japanese automaker isn’t resting on its laurels. It has already confirmed that there is a new-gen Celica and MR2 in the works. The latter is quite likely the test mule spied in the images and video here.

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Open Secret

GR has been testing a mid-engined version of its popular GR Yaris for some time now. The car, known as Concept M racer, has been shown to the media and even entered in race events in Japan. Midship layout aside, the engine in the Concept M test mule is Toyota’s new G20E 2,0-litre turbocharged, four-cylinder. It will replace the 1,6-litre turbocharged triple that is used in the GR Yaris and GR Corolla. This new engine is expected to debut in the new MR2 and Celica. Reports suggest that this engine is good for about 295 kW (or 400 hp in old money).

We are guessing the engine will be mated with either a six-speed manual or an eight-speed automatic, as we have seen with the hot Yaris and Corolla. In addition, it has widely expected that torque will be fed to all four wheels.

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A New Look

An X (formerly twitter) user named “You_SuiKoyoAZ” spotted this prototype being driven at a Japanese racetrack. This is quite a departure from the Yaris that has been housing the new engine to date. And it is also the first confirmation that there is, indeed, a new small mid-engined sportscar in the works from GR.

Eagle-eyed car fans may have noticed that the lights at both ends are taken from Toyota’s parts bin. The car pictured has a pretty racy look with a deep splitter, wide stance, massive air intakes on the flanks and a fixed rear wing with gooseneck mounts. And how cool is it that test mule rides on TE37 alloys.

From the video below we can hear a throaty exhaust note, note a revvy engine, and we are pretty sure those gearshifts are too long to be an automatic transmission. At any rate, it’s exciting times when an automaker is making yet more driver-focused/sportcars for the market when most of motoringdom seems to leaning towards the centre.