Toyota will fully redesign its new coupe-style sports car, the MR2, and release it around 2025. There is a high possibility that the MR2 will be revived under the GR brand.
Possibility of Toyota releasing the new “MR2”
A patent application for a new coupe model has already been filed with the Japanese Patent Office on September 7, 2018, and was registered on March 15, 2019. Design registration number 1628728. The concept model “La Coupe” that appeared at the “What is 2.5 LIFE? – Two people and something of the future daily life” event held at Ginza Sony Park from October 28 (Sun) to November 4 (Sun), 2018, is highly likely to be the MR2.
the couple
Reference: Japan Patent Office
Toyota held a briefing on its battery EV strategy and unveiled the “bZ” series of 16 BEV (battery electric vehicles) models, including Toyota and Lexus, on December 14, 2021. The company also announced a new compact two-seater BEV model , the “SPORTS EV . “
About Toyota’s “SPORTS EV”
The “SPORTS EV” is a compact two-seater BEV car released under the “GR” brand. The design concept is so similar that it has been called a revival of the “MR2” in overseas media. Toyota has previously announced the concept car ” La Coupe ” which hinted at the revival of the “MR2”, so it seems likely that it will be revived as a BEV car.
SPORTS EV
▼For more details, please refer to this article.
→ Toyota’s “SPORTS EV” may be the successor to the “MR2”
The next-generation “Copen” model is not a light car, but a “Vision Copen”
On October 6, 2023, Daihatsu announced the five concept cars that will be exhibited at the JAPAN MOBILITY SHOW 2023 (organized by the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association), which will be held at Tokyo Big Sight from October 26 to November 5, 2023. Among the cars in the lineup, the most notable will be the next-generation Copen, the VISION COPEN.
While inheriting the classic style reminiscent of the first-generation Copen and the electrically retractable roof “Active Top,” the car proposes a new compact open sports car that maximizes the fun of driving by combining a FR layout with an internal combustion engine that takes advantage of CN fuel. Its specifications are not even those of a kei car model, with a total length of 3,835mm, total width of 1,695mm, total height of 1,265mm, wheelbase of 2,415mm, and engine displacement of 1,300cc.
▼For more details, please refer to this article.
→ With the adoption of a 1.3L FR engine, the next-generation “Copen” model is not a light car, but a “Vision Copen” that uses CN fuel. A compact open sports car is proposed.
The relationship between the new Toyota “MR2” and the new “Copen”
Toyota’s new “MR2” and new “Copen” are both compact sports cars that are not kei cars. The move to increase the size of the “Copen,” which was previously a kei car, by installing a 1.3L engine is thought to be related to the “MR2.” The Copen can be used as an open-top car, while the MR2 can be used as a hardtop, so they can coexist.
Furthermore, Toyota’s subsidiary Daihatsu is selling the “Copen GR SPORT” from Toyota. This may be a trial run to revive the “MR2,” and it is thought that the “MR2” will be released under the GR brand as a sports model of the new “Copen.”
A rival model for the new MR2 is Mazda’s Roadster (MX-5). Because the Roadster is not a kei car, there are no restrictions on size or power output, making it a more authentic sports model that is gaining popularity both in Japan and overseas. If this proposal becomes a reality, it will undoubtedly become a hot topic.
▼For more details, please refer to this article.
→ Toyota New Copen GR SPORT Partially improved, released on May 10, 2021
Toyota may be equipped with a new, highly efficient engine
A multi-pathway workshop was held on May 28, 2024, where the development of a new engine suited to electrification was announced. The new engine, a 1.5L 4-cylinder turbo engine, is said to have almost the same engine output as the conventional 2.5L engine and 1.5L turbo engine, and to be able to clear strict emission regulations. It would be interesting if this compact, highly efficient, and powerful engine were installed in the new MR2!
About the MR2
The MR2 was Japan’s first commercially available mid-engine car, sold from 1984 to 1999.
First generation AW10/11 type
Development began with President Eiji Toyoda’s idea that “in the future, Toyota could have a car that is a little different, that goes beyond conventional wisdom.”
- June 1984 : Sales began. The aim was to create a mid-engine car that would be enjoyable for many users, with a focus on low cost and mass production. The suspension, engine, and transaxle were reused from the E80 Corolla, and it was equipped with a 1.5L or 1.6L inline 4-cylinder engine. Maximum output was 130ps. Later, a 1.6L supercharged version was added, increasing maximum output to 145ps.
- September 1989 : Production ended.
Second generation SW20 model
- October 1989 : First model change. The base car was enlarged from the Celica/Corona/Carina, and the engine was the same as the Celica’s, a 2000cc inline 4-cylinder with a turbocharger, the 3S-GTE, and its naturally aspirated sports twin-cam 3S-GE.
- December 1991 : First minor change.
- November 1993 : Second minor change.
- June 1996 : Some improvements.
- August 1999 : Production ended due to order cessation.
MR2 successor MR-S ZZW30 type
- Released in October 1999. A lightweight sports car that was the successor to the MR2, it was an open-top passenger car.
- August 2002 : Minor change.
- April 2007 : Production ended.
A word from the editorial department
We’ve talked about a lot of things, but Toyota has been hinting at the revival of the MR2 through the “La Coupe,” “SPORTS EV,” and the next-generation “Copen.” Regarding the all-important engine, a new 1.5L 4-cylinder turbo engine that is perfectly suited to the MR2 will be available. Combined with this engine, it will be a very attractive vehicle. We’ll let you know as soon as we have new information.
