Toyota’s Mid-Engine Sports Car Spotted Testing at Fuji - And It Sounds Mean

Toyota has been dropping hints about a new MR2 for years, but a recent sighting at Fuji Speedway suggests the wait might finally be paying off. A test car, captured by X user @You_SuiKoyoAZ, shows a compact coupe with oversized vents behind the doors and bold fender flares. The headlights and taillights appear to be lifted from the GR Yaris, giving the whole thing a scrappy, home-built feel that somehow works perfectly.

If Toyota put this on sale tomorrow, you wouldn’t hear any complaints from us.

The real story, though, is under the hood. In the video, the exhaust note doesn’t come from the familiar three-cylinder found in the GR Yaris or GR Corolla. 0-liter four-cylinder engine, expected to push around 400 horsepower. This is the same powerplant Toyota has been testing in its so-called “Concept M”, a mid-engine GR Yaris development mule.

And like the company’s rally cars, the new MR2 is rumored to send that power to all four wheels.

Given Toyota’s recent track record, we’ll likely see this car competing on a circuit or rally stage before the final MR2 is unveiled. Expect a few camouflaged public appearances along the way. It’s been refreshing to watch Toyota develop these cars in the open, proving they’re not just concepts but real machines being refined through motorsport.

That’s exactly how it should be done.