Toyota might have the GR86 and the Supra, but it’s not quite done reviving its glorious sports car past. According to a fresh report, we could have a successor to the MR2 built in partnership with Daihatsu and Suzuki. It’s supposed to be super cheap, but power will come from a 1.0-liter turbo engine, meaning they might not be selling it Stateside.
Forbes ran this story on July 25, but it’s actually based on a story from the Japanese scoop website Best Car Web. They’re the guys reporting on the Celica and RX-7 coming back as well. Thankfully, the story isn’t just speculation, as there are many tangible elements and a timeline: 2025.
Daihatsu and Suzuki are involved because Toyota wants to save money, much like it did with the Supra/Z4 and GR86/BRZ. Reportedly, Toyota will offer the GA-B platform while Suzuki will offer up its 3-cylinder 1.0-liter gasoline engine.
The GA-B is used by the GR Yaris, which is a homologation hot-hatch with a trick AWD system. Hopefully, they’ll find a cost-effective way to put the engine in the back of this, which would be a requirement for a true MR2 successor. Otherwise, it’s just a small car with a small engine, and we’ve got plenty of those.
Daihatsu is a subsidiary of Toyota and they don’t sell cars in America. Right now, they do have a small sports car that looks like the MR2 Roadster, the Daihatsu Copen, and they’re probably looking to replace that. Suzuki isn’t sold in America either, but its 1.0-liter turbo engine is already offered in many of its models.
Currently, the 3-cylinder turbo makes almost 110 hp, but engineers have been tasked with boosting the output to around 150 for the sports car project. Suzuki will also donate its 6-speed torque converter automatic to the project. The fact that it’s auto also supports the JDM-only theory for this MR2 successor.
They are saying this project will be completed around 2025, coinciding with two events. Firstly, the first MR2 was a 1985 model year. And secondly, 2005 was the last model year of the MR2 Spyder in the US. Hopefully, somebody can start a petition to get this imported because they’re saying it will cost about $25,000. For the record, they sold 28,000 MR2 Spyders Stateside for that last year, which isn’t bad.
A bit of MR2 history
As early as 1976, Toyota wanted a small car that was economical and fun at the same time. By the 1980s, engineers had developed this mini Ferrari. The Mk1 was very square, had pop-up headlights, a trunk for golf clubs right behind the engine, and a cabin like a jet cockpit.
It too had an automatic, a 4-speed, together with a 5-speed manual. Its most famous engine is the 1.6-liter AW11 which in America you could get with a supercharger, and that produced 145 horsepower, good for 62 mph in about 7 seconds. However, the Japanese models only had a 1.5-liter 3-cylinder with 82 hp.
The 2nd-generation MR2 arrived in 1989 and was larger. Although it had lost its angular design, it was still seen as a “poor man’s Ferrari.” The W20 had grown heavier by up to 400 lbs and needed bigger engines. The standard MR2 had a Camry 2.2-liter, but buyers could step up to the MR2 Turbo with a race-ready 2.0-liter producing 200 hp and 200 lb-ft of torque, although models sold in Japan went as high as 240 hp.
The 3rd-generation MR2 came in 1999 and lasted in production until 2007. It was designed purely as a roadster to compete with the Miata and had lost its racing punch. Only the 1.8-liter was offered, slower and less fun than its “Turbo” predecessor. Despite this, the W30 was a lightweight and fun little sports car and still has a following.
