The 2026 Tokyo Auto Salon will kick off on January 9, 2026, and Toyota Gazoo Racing is cooking up something special. Toyota’s performance and racing division took to X and shared a rather spirited conversation between the company’s chairman, Akio Toyoda, and his on-track persona, Morizo.
From what we could gather from the audio recordings, Morizo proclaimed that he has “obtained” a new mid-engined, two-seater that will be showcased at the auto show later this week. Another recording then disclosed that a second tuner could be involved in the project.
In 2025, it was reported that a mid-engined Celica was in development, though many were quick to call it the revived MR2. Whether it would be called the Celica or the MR2, at the heart of this rumor was the G20E 2.0-liter turbocharged engine.
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That engine is currently affixed in the middle of the GR Yaris M Concept—with M standing for Morizo and midship. Coincidentally, this particular GR Yaris also sparked rumors of a new MR2, as both vehicles would utilize a mid-engine layout and an all-wheel-drive system.
However, because the GR Yaris M Concept raced in the 2025 Super Taikyu Series, a production model of the hot hatch is likely in development.
Thankfully, we won’t need to wait too long to see what Toyota Gazoo Racing and Morizo have up their sleeve. What we can say with more certainty is that the incoming two-seater will likely pack a road-legal 395hp with the G20E engine. More as we get it.
