Reports about a new Celica and MR2 suggest that Toyota may bring back some hits from the 1990s. It’s likely that both cars will be powered by the company’s new G20E turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine. Toyota’s mid-engined GR Yaris M prototype looks a lot like an MR2 test vehicle, and the Celica is said to be official. A lot of people were shocked when Toyota showed off a brand-new turbocharged four-cylinder engine at this year’s Tokyo Auto Salon. For a reputable company like Toyota, putting a turbo four with up to 400 horsepower into a small Yaris seems like going over the top. This is especially true now that electric cars are all the rage and SUVs are the best-selling cars. They put it in the middle, right? What are the experts at ‘Yota doing? It looks like someone at Toyota’s offices built a time machine because two of its biggest hits are set to come out in the 1990s. In November of last year, the first episode of Toyota’s cartoon show Grip hinted that the Celica and MR2 names would be coming back. The executive vice president of Toyota, Yuki Nakajima, told the Japanese magazine Best Car that the Celica was in the company’s plans a few weeks after it came out. Based on the mid-engined GR Yaris M design (shown below), the MR2 may also be coming back to life. A fast two-seater could be a great addition to Toyota’s range as a “halo” car since the Supra is leaving the company and a new one won’t come out until later this decade. A top engineer at Gazoo Racing named Naohiko Saito told AutoExpress that all-wheel drive was planned for the setup. But we don’t know much about the engine yet because the car hasn’t been officially added to the Celica. Because the GR Corolla is so fun to drive, a smaller, two-seater version with a mid-mounted engine would be great. There is also a good chance that it will look great. Toyota’s FT-Se concept was first shown at the 2023 Tokyo car show as a possible EV platform, even though its packaging would work well for a midship layout. This car’s turbocharged engine and all-wheel drive make it look like an updated All-Trac from the 1990s. Since the rules for the WRC have been slightly loosened up, Toyota may enter a rally version of this car. If the Sega Rally theme music is now playing in your head, that’s a good sign. Even though Toyota depends a lot on selling a lot of RAV4s and Camrys, it’s good to see that there is still time for fun things. A little Yaris with a mid-engine is speeding around a test track in Aichi prefecture right now while its Pokemon changes into a new MR2.
