--- title: "Toyotaโ€™s Debuting a Mid-Engine Two-Seater on Friday: TDS" date: "2026-01-07" modified: "2026-01-07" authors: - name: "Joel Feder" job_title: "Director of Content and Product" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/joel-feder" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/toyotas-debuting-a-mid-engine-two-seater-on-friday-tds" categories: - "News" - "The Downshift" --- # Toyotaโ€™s Debuting a Mid-Engine Two-Seater on Friday: TDS ![Hybrid Toyota MR2 patent]() *\Toyota\* Good morning and welcome to *The Downshift*, or *TDS* for short. Tight, snappy, and long on info and short on fluff, *TDS* gathers the latest headlines from around the globe and puts them in one place. Stories are summarized in a single sentence accompanied by a link for those seeking more information. ๐ŸšจA heads up that our daily email newsletter that fires each afternoon, currently named The Daily Drive, will morph today. We're pulling the covers off our next-generation daily newsletter with a fresh design and new name: the Daily Brief. Change is hard, but it's time to usher in a new era for *The Drive*. Feedback is welcome and can be provided by simply replying to the email itself. No complaint or critique is too small. We'll read them all! Adjustments will be made based on your feedback as we want to get this right. Not signed up for the daily email newsletter? It's free! Sign up above in the box just below the lead image of this story and you'll be all set to start with the Daily Brief later today. The first cup of coffee is gone, it's definitely time for a second so let's get into it. ๐Ÿš˜ What Iโ€™m driving: Spending time in the 2026 Polestar 4 and really feeling mixed about the no rear window situation and only being able to rely on a rearview mirror that's displaying a video feed. Overall, the system is well done, but the cabin's ambient lighting has a strip that runs around the cabin, lights up by the windshield, and reflects into the screen when it's dark outside. ๐Ÿ”ฅ Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda used his racing alter ego known as Morizo to confirm the Japanese automaker will [debut a mid-engine two-seat vehicle Friday]() at the 2026 Tokyo Auto Salon; money says the car will be a GR-badged MR2 revival that likely features a hybrid powertrain, but we won't have to wait long to find out. ๐Ÿ“œ A US lawmaker [introduced legislation]() that would require new motor vehicles that feature electronic door releases to include a mechanical latch that is "intuitive to use and readily accessible for the occupant." The legislation, called the Securing Accessible Functional Emergency Exit Act, will be heard on January 13. ๐Ÿคจ A U.S. Senate committee hearing on vehicle affordability that was set to feature the Detroit 3 CEOs and a top Tesla executive [has been postponed]() after Ford CEO Jim Farley pushed back, noting Tesla CEO Elon Musk was not called to testify. ๐Ÿ‘จโ€๐Ÿ’ผ After four months on the job, Michael Soutter [resigned as Senior Vice President of U.S. Marketing and Sales for Nissan](); Tiago Castro, a 23-year veteran of Nissan currently serving as Infiniti's VP, will take over Soutter's position at Nissan. ๐Ÿ Ram [extended its 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty]() to 2026 models. โ›ฝ๏ธ Outgoing Porsche CEO Oliver Blume [said killing the gas-powered Macan without a direct replacement was a mistake](); the executive noted the decision made sense at the time, but the strategy didn't end up working out. ๐Ÿ“Œ Toyota [officially spun Gazoo Racing off ]()as a standalone brand. ๐Ÿš A new RV trailer dubbed the [Evotrex-PG5 debuted]() with a built-in LFP battery pack and electric motor to drive the wheels and act as a generator for off-grid camping. ๐Ÿ‘จโ€๐Ÿ’ผ Ex-Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath has [returned to his previous role as chief designer at Volvo](); Ingenlath was responsible for designing the second-generation XC90, V90, and XC40. ๐Ÿ [NASCAR commissioner Steve Phelps resigned]() after inflammatory texts were revealed in a trial. *Have feedback on the formatting of TDS? Send us a note: tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Overseeing what you see, read, touch, hear, and interact with from the vast lakes of Minnesota, Joel Feder shapes how The Drive looks and operates as the head of content and product initiatives. On a daily basis, Joel leads the newsroom and editorial staff playing point on both short-term coverage and long-term strategic plans. His mission is to help ensure The Drive shapes the future of automotive media by helping the team execute original reporting, breaking news, and exclusive opportunities. Regarded as an industry insider and recognized by colleagues, fellow journalists, and manufacturers as a point-person and leader in the industry, Joel owns and runs the largest automotive professionals group on Facebook in an effort to serve and help others. Joel serves as a juror for the World Car Awards. In addition, he is the board chair and chair of the governance and nominating committee for Move Forward MN, a local non-profit that helps at-risk youth with barrier-free mental health and housing services. While youโ€™re reading this heโ€™s either on his computer or iPhone chasing the latest news or drafting a story. ### Author social links [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]() [Bluesky]() [Email]()