Is The Upcoming Toyota MR2 A Budget Porsche 718 Slayer In The Making? - Storyboard

Toyota's upcoming MR-2 will be a high-performance mid-engine sports car

It will likely be considerably cheaper than the Porsche 718 which currently starts at $72,800

Initial reports that Toyota will co-develop the MR-2 with Suzuki and Daihatsu turned out to be false

Instead, the three car companies will cooperate to make a Mazda MX-5 competitor. Each marque will feature distinctive styling and name

Another rumor suggested that the 2026 Toyota MR-2 would share an engine with the GR Corolla which was also false

However, Toyota developed 2 new engines that will be widely featured in future models

One of them is a 2.0-liter, turbocharged, inline-four, which will make up to 400 horsepower

The MR-2 and Celica will share this new engine, where it will make the full 400 horsepower and 405 pound-feet

This puts the 2026 Toyota MR-2 in the same performance segment as the Porsche 718 GTS 4.0 and GT4

Rumor has it, the new MR-2 could be manual-only

Other likely transmission options are the 8-speed automatic or a new 7-speed DCT that would be available on the Supra GRMN

The design of Toyota FT Se Concept will still serve as the inspiration for the MR-2 styling

We'll have to wait and watch if Toyota's upcoming mid-engine sports car can get a slice of the 718 market. Watch this space.