Another step towards the return of the Toyota MR2 Sports Car was acquired after the automaker filed new trademark applications in Japan and Australia.
Toyota applied to protect the “GR MR2” and “GR MR-S” nameplates. The GR prefix stands for Gazoo Racing, the brand’s performance arm and an acronym also used for other sports cars including the GR86 and GR Supra.
Japanese title Creative trend reported the filing with the Japanese Patent Office, with the name GR MR-S registered with IP Australia late last month.
While earlier versions were called “MR2” in Australia, the sports car was sold in Japan as the MR-S.
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The name ‘MR2’ means ‘mid-engine, rear-wheel drive two-seater’, a formula it followed in three generations sold in Australia between 1987 and 2006, with global production spanning from 1984 to 2007.
Toyota presented an electric concept, the FT-Se, in 2023, whose mid-engine proportions led to speculation that it was a design study for an upcoming MR2.
Anticipation for a new MR2 increased after the GR Yaris M concept was unveiled at the 2025 Tokyo Auto Salon with a mid-engine (hence the “M”), again suggesting that it served as a test bed for an upcoming MR2.
General Motors famously used a modified Holden ute to help develop the current-generation C8 Corvette, which switched from a front-engine to a mid-engine and also featured rear-wheel drive.
The automaker hasn’t officially confirmed a fourth-generation MR2, although an executive accidentally revealed plans to revive the Celica sports car – last sold in 2006 – to compete with the new 2026 Honda Prelude.
Both the MR2 and Celica are rumored to use the same 2.0-liter engine from the automaker’s new generation of internal combustion engines. The Yaris Concept M used a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder gasoline engine – codenamed G20E – and all-wheel drive.
Japanese outlet Best car The engine will reportedly produce 221kW/400Nm in its entry-level version, with the power specification offering around 294kW/550Nm and a tracked version producing an even higher 441kW.
The news comes as Toyota expands its sports car range, unveiling a production version of its 200mph GR GT sports car.
The most powerful Toyota yet, whose 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 hybrid powertrain produces 478kW/850Nm, comes from the same ICE family as the rumored MR2/Celica engine. A production version of the GR GT is scheduled to appear in 2027.
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