Toyota Celica, MR2 and GR GT3: no more boring cars

Do you remember when, in January 2017, Akio Toyoda declared that Toyota would stop making boring cars? Since then, we have been given machines such as the GR Supra and GR Yaris, and we are now about to see a new generation of Toyota sports cars.

This developing line-up features two names that are already deeply familiar in motoring and the brand’s own history: Celica and MR2. There is also a major newcomer which, for the time being, is known only as the GR GT3. All of them will share Gazoo Racing’s input in their development.

Celica and MR2

A new GR Celica is more than confirmed, with its name already registered, and it is expected to reach the market as early as 2026.

Alongside it, there will also be a two-seat sports car with a mid-rear-mounted engine which, in keeping with tradition, could carry the MR2 name.

Toyota sports cars and the new turbo engine

Although there has been no official confirmation, every indication suggests that both Toyota sports cars will use the manufacturer’s new turbocharged four-cylinder engine, paired with an electric hybrid system, which is currently under development.

Toyota’s new engine will be offered in two capacities - 1.5 litres and 2.0 litres. In its two-litre G20E form, it could produce 400 bhp in road cars and 600 bhp in competition models.

In the GR Celica, this new engine will sit beneath the front bonnet. In the potential GR MR2 - expected to arrive in 2027-28 - it will be positioned behind the two occupants.

Our most recent glimpse of this engine came in a GR Yaris, although it was mounted behind the front seats (!) - you need to see the GR Yaris M Concept - and was still linked to an all-wheel-drive system.

The rear-mid-engine layout used by this GR Yaris test mule is the strongest indication yet that the engine will also appear in the future GR MR2. That could make this sports car a far more ambitious performance proposition than any previous MR2 generation.

Toyota, Lexus or GR?

While the Celica and MR2 sports cars are already attracting considerable attention, Toyota Gazoo Racing is aiming even higher with the GR GT3. Unveiled in 2022 as the Toyota GR GT3 Concept, test prototypes - for both road and racing use - have more recently been seen at several circuits, including the Nürburgring.

GR GT3 hybrid V8 and racing debut

Everything points towards a twin-turbo V8 forming part of a hybrid system. Spy photographers have reinforced this idea, reporting that the prototypes move off silently before their combustion engine starts a few metres later.

The latest rumours claim production could begin as soon as next summer, with this Japanese supercar potentially delivering 900 bhp (!). Reportedly, we will first see the competition version - intended for endurance championships in 2026 - followed only afterwards by the road-going model.

However, the biggest unresolved question remains the badge this supercar will wear. It may have been revealed as the Toyota GR GT3, but there are strong signs it will reach the market as the Lexus LFR - the name under which we identified it in the article dedicated to the model - taking the place once occupied by the LFA.

The most intriguing rumour is that it will be neither a Toyota nor a Lexus, but could instead become the first standalone model from the GR (Gazoo Racing) brand.

What is certain is that this supercar, together with the Celica and MR2 - with a new Supra generation also planned for 2027 - fulfils Akio Toyoda’s 2017 promise: “no more boring cars”.

These three cars go straight onto our list of the most eagerly anticipated vehicles to drive over the coming years.

What is already clear is that none of these models will be boring, exactly as Akio Toyoda promised. They are also three cars that immediately earn a place on our list of the most eagerly awaited cars to drive in the years ahead.