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Toyota MR2: 86 chief hints at spiritual successor

A successor, of sorts, to the Toyota MR2 could soon be in the works according to Tetsuya Tada, chief engineer of the Toyota 86 and now head of Gazoo Racing.


Tada-san told Evo that Toyota wants to complete a three-part sports car range "as soon as possible". When, or if, the MR2's spiritual successor surfaces, it will form the last part of a revived "three brothers" strategy that includes the larger 86 coupe and the upcoming Supra.

Back in the 1980s and 1990s, the three brothers were the mid-engine MR2, front-wheel drive Celica, and rear-wheel drive Supra.

It's still not clear when the new sports car might pop up or what form the MR2's spiritual successor would take, but the car should be light, small and simple.

The new car might build upon 2015's S-FR concept (above), which was a small two-seat rear-wheel drive coupe with a front-mounted 1.5-litre engine. That, obviously, might leave purists pining for a return of the MR2's mid-engine layout a little disappointed.

In his chat with the magazine, Tada-san also said that Toyota was "working very hard" to come up with a hybrid sports car. This could be confirmation of rumours that the upcoming Supra, co-developed alongside the new BMW Z5, will indeed feature, at the very least, a hybrid option.

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