A mysterious, heavily modified Toyota sports car prototype hit the tarmac at Japan’s Fuji Speedway on July 22. Filmed by a visitor sitting in the track’s Motorsport Museum cafe, the footage shows a low-slung test mule ripping down the straightaways. It gives us the first physical look at what is heavily rumored to be the revival of the MR2 or Celica nameplates.
The vehicle looks like a Frankenstein creation right now. Toyota engineers pieced it together using heavily modified GR Yaris body panels. But the underlying architecture is entirely new. It features an exceptionally low, wide stance with prominent box flares. A gaping front mesh intake dominates the nose. Massive side vents sit just behind the doors to feed air to a mid-mounted engine. A fixed swan-neck rear wing completes the aggressive aero package.
The real story is the sound. The video captures a deep, throaty exhaust note indicating a massive powertrain upgrade. This prototype appears to ditch the 1.6-liter three-cylinder engine used in earlier testing phases. Instead, Toyota seems to have dropped in its new G20E turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine. The road-going model should produce around 400 horsepower. That power will route through a new all-wheel-drive layout developed by Gazoo Racing. They are also taking things a step further. A specialized WRC variant pushing 600 horsepower is reportedly in development alongside the consumer model.
Toyota Finally Ends the Concept M Secrecy
Gazoo Racing has run a quiet, internal development program known as “Concept M” for years. This Fuji track session is the most tangible public progression of that mid-engine project since the original MR2 ceased production in 2007. The performance targets are completely intentional. Toyota wants to aggressively target the premium enthusiast market.
By aiming for a 400-horsepower benchmark with an all-wheel-drive mid-engine platform, this new vehicle is positioned to absorb market share straight from the Porsche 718 Cayman and Boxster segments. Toyota isn’t just building a nostalgia tribute car. They are testing a legitimate, high-performance track weapon.