Enthusiasts kept talking about a resurrected Toyota Supra, so Toyota made one. With BMW deciding to end production of the BMW Z4 in March 2026, we may have to wait until the end of 2025 to find out what Toyota plans to do with the sports car it’s building on top of the Z4 chassis. Enthusiasts also keep talking about the Toyota MR2. Chairman and ex-CEO Akio Toyota said he wanted a “three brother” sports car trio, with the Supra at the top, then the GR86 and then something small and light similar to the MR2. Last year, a rumor emerged from the Japanese magazine Best Car that Toyota was working on a mid-engine hybrid sports car with company partners Toyota and Suzuki. The latest rumor from Best car (translated), via Coachis that executives have approved the car for production.
However, when it comes to determining what kind of car it is, it seems Coach took a slightly different angle then Best car. The Japanese magazine’s report focuses on the S-FR concept from the 2015 Tokyo Auto Show. This was a small 2+2, about 10 inches shorter than the old Scion FR-S that has become the Toyota GR86. The automaker called it an example of what an even smaller sports car could look like, and we all considered it a potential competitor to the Mazda MX-5 Miata. The automaker didn’t outline mechanical details, but the S-FR featured a front-engine, rear-wheel drive layout with a spinal driveshaft, independent suspension, six-speed manual transmission and “optimal weight distribution.”
The point is, by the time the MR2 ended production in 2007, it was 3.7 inches shorter than the current GR86, about 10 inches longer than the current Mazda MX-5 Miata – meaning there were already over that size under the ‘three brothers’ is spoken. Best car gives a production S-FR dimensions of 157.5 inches long, 68 inches wide, 52 inches high, which is two inches longer than the Miata, the same width and 3.5 inches taller. If Toyota releases a new vehicle, the MR2, with S-FR specs, it will be comfortably smaller than the old MR2, which would upset those longing for a new MR2. By comparison, the GR Supra is within two inches of the MkIV Supra in every dimension.
Whatever it is called in the market – should it come to market within the predicted time frame of 2026 or 2027 – it is rumored that Toyota will supply the chassis and front suspension, Suzuki will supply a 1.3-litre turbo engine with around 148 hp, and Daihatsu’s Easily interchangeable body panels make it easier to create three different vehicles.
Honestly, those sound like specs for something that will be a Japanese and European special, like the GR Yaris. The Best car The story even discusses the creation of the S-FR as a side effect of Toyota and Daihatsu working on a new subcompact hatchback to compete in the Group Rally4 category of the World Rally Championship, similar to the new Lancia Ypsilon Rally4 HF. What we’ll be looking for is how this could all tie in with the Toyota FT-Se concept shown at last year’s Tokyo Motor Show, a GR-badged battery-electric concept widely regarded as a lightweight sports car that suits our taste.
