Toyota cartoon hints at new MR2, Celica and Supra plus next-generation GR86
The electric sports car market could be about to gain some fresh competition
Toyota has made some great sports cars over the decades, and while the Supra lives on, names like the MR2 and Celica have fallen by the wayside. However, a recent cartoon hints that those two cars, along with new generations of the Supra and GR86, could be on the way.
During an episode of Toyota’s ‘Grip’ anime-style cartoon, there’s a clip of a whiteboard with a list that includes ‘Supra Mk6’, ‘Celica Mk8’, ‘MR2 Mk4’, ‘GR86 Mk3’ and the GR GT3. The last of these has already been spotted testing, so it’s possible that the other cars in that list might also see the light of day at some stage.
Toyota’s current range of GR-badged products includes the Supra, GR86, GR Yaris and in other markets, the GR Corolla. If the likes of the Celica and MR2 were to be revisited, we would expect them to sit under the same performance umbrella as those cars.
The closest thing we’ve seen to an all-new MR2 came in the shape of last year’s FT-Se concept. This all-electric sports car sits on a completely new architecture and would presumably make use of Toyota’s new, thinner battery unit in order to achieve a low-slung, cab-forward profile similar to the old MR2’s.
The Celica has a longer history than the MR2, with production lasting from 1971 to 2006. Akio Toyoda, chairman of Toyota, has previously declared his fondness for the Celica and expressed a desire to bring the nameplate back. Still, it’s difficult to see how the Celica would slot into Toyota’s line-up alongside its fellow compact coupe, the GR86 - especially if the two share the same electric architecture.
The Supra will be due a replacement sooner than the GR86, given that the current fifth-generation model arrived in 2019. The GR86 was launched in 2022, although a limited production run meant the UK allocation was swiftly accounted for. If pure-electric versions of the Supra and GR86 were put into production, they may well make use of Toyota’s three new batteries - ‘popularisation’, ‘performance’ and ‘high-performance’, which are due on the market by 2026.
Do you think Toyota should bring back the Celica or MR2 nameplates? Let us know in the comments...
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