If you’ve kept a close eye on the rumor mill, you know that evidence of a possible Toyota MR2 revival has been brewing for some time now. It’s been tipped to carry a 400-horsepower, 2.0-liter four-cylinder—you know, the same one Toyota’s been testing in the back of a GR Yaris. And building on this speculation most recently is a plurality of trademark updates around the world, all involving the MR2 name.
Here in the States, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office granted Toyota the “MR2” moniker in late August of this year. But just last week, Japan’s Patent Office published Toyota’s application for the name “GR MR2,” and shortly before that, “GR MR-S” was filed in Australia.
A single trademark application, honestly, wouldn’t raise an eyebrow; companies have to maintain their claims to their IP, or risk losing them. But multiple, all around the world and at the same time, with slight variations for different markets, does get our attention.
It’s very plausible that this car will be called the GR MR2; after all, GR has become the prefix for Toyota’s modern enthusiast vehicles. And longtime MR2 fans will know that the underrated, third-generation version of the mid-engine sports car was called the MR-S in overseas markets, perhaps to distinguish it from its more powerful predecessors.
In North America, though, MR2 is the name people expect and want. And from what we’ve heard, this prospective revival will carry on the legacy of those earlier models, with considerable power and performance for the price, rather than being more of a lightweight Miata competitor like the last-gen car was. This has been a long time brewing, and now that the GR GT is finally out in the open, all eyes are naturally moving to whatever Toyota has waiting in the wings next. Now, who wants to take bets on whether we see this or the new Celica first?
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