Toyota’s Gazoo Racing division put out a teaser on social media earlier this week that claimed a “two-seat, mid-ship” car was going to be unveiled at the Tokyo Auto Salon. That led to a firestorm of MR2-related speculation. After a bizarre, boxing-themed press conference, the GR division unveiled a two-seat, mid-ship car that was definitely not an MR2.
Rather than a mid-engined sports car concept, the Toyota sub-brand unveiled a customized Daihatsu Kei truck. It was one of two builds, “fighting” a separate build from Daihatsu, part of a booth themed around inter-Toyota rivalries.
The Gazoo Racing build, on the left of the screenshot pictured above, is a four-seater that was described by executives as more like a rally car, while the Daihatsu build on the right was said to be more of an off-roader that stretches the limits of Kei truck capability. Neither is exactly a new production sports car, but both builds are fun takes on a utilitarian microcar.
Toyota Gazoo Racing / YouTube
While the Kei trucks are not exactly the MR2 successor of our dreams, they are not the only reveals that Toyota’s performance division has set for the Tokyo Auto Salon. Gazoo Racing boss Akio Toyoda called the event a “three-round fight,” with rounds one and two consisting of the Kei truck build-off and the new division of Toyota racing team names announced earlier this week. A third “round” remains to be revealed in another live stream later today, leaving the faintest hopes of an MR2 reveal alive for a few more hours. Unfortunately for the most optimistic mid-ship fans among us, the silhouette teased alongside that reveal looks more like a NASCAR Camry than any road car.
Whether or not Toyota actually shows off something like an MR2 successor today, the brand made its interest in a mid-ship performance car clear when it unveiled a mid-engined GR Yaris concept at this very show last year. The MR2 name also recently appeared in trademark filings, although that does not necessarily suggest that the brand has imminent plans to revive the badge.
Fred Smith’s love of cars comes from his fascination with auto racing. Unfortunately, that passion led him to daily drive a high-mileage, first-year Porsche Panamera. He is still thinking about the last lap of the 2011 Indianapolis 500.
AloJapan.com