New Toyota GR Sports Car Might Be The MR2's Electric Replacement

Toyota is working on a two-seat electric sports vehicle under its Gazoo Racing performance brand, which might be the first of its kind. The unidentified coupé, which was shown among 14 other Toyota and Lexus concepts, is similar in size to Toyota's MR2 sports vehicle, which debuted in 2007.

Following the introduction of the GR Supra in 2018, Toyota was considering bringing the MR2 back to life, with an electric powertrain in mind. Matt Harrison, the company's sales and marketing head, stated at the time that preparations for a resurrected MR2 were in the discussion stage. The small S-FR concept, which never became a production vehicle, gave the first hints to a resurrected MR2 in 2015.

This latest project appears to be slightly bigger, with far more forceful stylistic elements than anything seen on a Toyota production vehicle. Its cab-forward shape suggests a return to the MR2's iconic mid-engined layout, which might indicate that Toyota is contemplating a stacked-battery setup akin to other future electric sports cars. 

It's unclear if Toyota's e-TNGA EV platform, which is utilized in the bZ4X SUV, could fit such a configuration. That platform has only been used in four- and front-wheel-drive configurations so far, and Toyota would almost certainly choose for a rear-drive arrangement in a low-cost electric sports car.