Toyota is diving into its sports division headfirst. Not only is Toyota Gazoo Racing the title sponsor of the Haas Formula One team, but according to a report from Automotive News, TGR president Tomoya Takahashi has confirmed that the marque is working on a mid-engine sports car.
The MR2 was, for a long time, one of Toyota’s most beloved models and is still a popular used choice, especially for those who like to tinker with their cars. But production of the model finished in 2007 after three generations. While there’s been a few rumors here and there, nothing concrete has been said. Until now, of course.
According to the racing department president, a mid-engine sports car is in its first of four development stages. Unfortunately for those of you whose hearts just started beating a little faster, this is a five-year process, so it’s highly unlikely we’ll see anything of it in dealerships in the 2020s.
“At the highest level, the chairman is determined to continue manufacturing internal combustion engines,” he said via the outlet, before revealing the big news. “And when we had this new 2.0-liter engine, we decided to mount it to a midship car.”
Sound the bells and wake up the neighbors, that’s the confirmation we all wanted to be reading: a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine will be mounted behind the seats of a Toyota sports car. And while the engine is, of course, going to be built with Euro 7 emission regulations in mind, it’s reportedly going to produce more power than the current 2.4-liter turbocharged engine the marque is currently pushing.
“If we are going to mount this engine on many different vehicles, it’s almost mandatory to be able to combine it with hybrid technology,” he continued, without stating if this will include the sports car the company is currently testing prototypes of.
The interest in adding performance cars to its lineup is currently strong within the Japanese organization, proven by its confidence in its learnings from F1 and other motorsports, as well as the new Lexus LFA which was driven up the iconic hill climb of Goodwood last year by Esteban Ocon and Oliver Bearman.
“You need to have a midship to master the next stage,” said Toyota chairman Akio Toyoda.
The GR Yaris will be the first car to enjoy the new engine, but will be found in other vehicles moving forward.