Whether the new EV will stay true to the ‘R’ part of the MR2’s name is unclear. The earlier sports car’s rear-drive layout and optimized weight distribution were central to its charismatic dynamics, but so far the E-TNGA platform has been used only for front and rear-wheel-drive cars, so it would be more likely to provide the basis for a dedicated sports EV platform, rather than being carried over wholesale or with lightly repackaged drive systems.
Why Toyota can pull it off – Opinion
Given Toyota’s sporting car legacy over the decades, from the original MR2 to the GT86 and the GR Yaris (and not forgetting the short-lived GR86, the 2.4-liter replacement for the GT86), it’s a car maker that we’re willing to give new life to sports cars.
Those cars offered the enjoyment of driving in its purest, rawest form, and we love them for it.
Skeptics will argue that can’t be emulated without a combustion engine, but let’s give Toyota its due.
Plenty of others have shunned performance sub-brands in recent years, but the Japanese maker has demonstrated not only its commitment with the GR brand but also its excellent engineering. If anyone can make a success of an electric sports car, Toyota can.