New Toyota Celica, MR2, And Lexus Supercar To Launch Soon, Featuring Mid-Engined MR2 and 4WD Celica
The Japanese automaker is now developing three new sports cars, two of which will feature legendary badges, after reviving the Toyota Supra and Toyota 86 nameplates. In addition to constructing a new flagship model that will serve as the Lexus LFA’s replacement, Toyota and its performance branch Gazoo Racing are considering bringing back the iconic Celica and MR2 nameplate.
Following the GR Supra, the Celica and MR2 nameplates were brought back, fulfilling Toyota chairman Akio Toyoda’s goal of reviving the “three brothers.” The new vehicles are part of the brand’s intentions to launch more sports cars, along with the GR Yaris and the GR Supra, which are expected to debut in next-generation form in the upcoming years.
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It is anticipated that a new 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder gasoline engine will power the Celica and MR2. At the 2025 Tokyo Auto Salon, the new engine, codenamed G20E, was unveiled. Rumor has it that the road-going version will generate more than 400 horsepower and 500 Nm. The G20E engine is intended to produce more than 600 horsepower in race applications.
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At the Tokyo Auto Salon, a significantly modified GR Yaris—dubbed the M Concept by Toyota—was used to showcase the G20E engine. It’s interesting to note that the design kept its four-wheel drive system and placed the engine behind the back seats, creating a mid-engine layout. Given the expense of creating a mid-engine, four-wheel-drive vehicle, even though Toyota claims that the M Concept is only a test bed for the new powertrain, four-wheel-drive configuration, it is likely to enter production.
It is anticipated that the idea would develop into the resurrected MR2, which was always distinguished by its mid-engined design. Its design might be influenced by the FT-Se concept, which was unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show in 2023. The FT-Se possessed the classic cab-forward shape and small overhangs of a mid-engined sports vehicle, despite being an electrically powered concept. Based on a normal development cycle of four years, the redesigned MR2 should be ready for production by 2028.
Strangely, the redesigned Toyota Celica is anticipated to come before the MR2, and although it will likely employ the same G20E engine, it will have four-wheel drive and be positioned under the bonnet. According to reports from the Japanese magazine Best Car, the GT-Four suffix might also be utilized because it was used on the homologation special versions of the Celica used for the World Rally Championship in the 1980s and 1990s.
As we previously reported in June of last year, the model may be referred to as the LFR and has a V8 turbocharged engine that produces 500–600 horsepower when used for racing.
