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Digital Toyota MR2 Revival Includes Coupes and a Spyder, but There’s an AI Catch

Toyota is currently on a collision course with some of its most iconic nameplates. Cue the recent North American reintroduction of the all-new sixteenth gen Crown (as a crossover sedan), or the Prius ‘Hybrid Reborn.’
Toyota MR2 Spyder CGI revival by automotive.diffusion 10 photos
Photo: automotive.diffusion / Instagram
Toyota MR2 Spyder CGI revival by automotive.diffusionToyota MR2 Spyder CGI revival by automotive.diffusionToyota MR2 Spyder CGI revival by automotive.diffusionToyota MR2 Spyder CGI revival by automotive.diffusionToyota MR2 Spyder CGI revival by automotive.diffusionToyota MR2 Spyder CGI revival by automotive.diffusionToyota MR2 Spyder CGI revival by automotive.diffusionToyota MR2 Spyder CGI revival by automotive.diffusionToyota MR2 Spyder CGI revival by automotive.diffusion
But, of course, that is not all. There is also a ‘Grand Highlander’ coming to do proper battle with the Honda Pilot, as well as the potential reveal of the next Camry iteration – also to mitigate the impending attack from the eleventh gen Honda Accord. So, how about something that could serve as a preemptive strike where Honda has nothing to show for it?

As such, we circle back to the seemingly eternal rumors about Toyota’s desire to reinvent the MR2 nameplate with a proper successor for the little mid-engined RWD two-seater that lived between 1984 and 2007 across just three quirky generations. Oh yeah, and never mind that Toyota executives claim the company is not planning any new standalone GR models, this would fight right into the GR Sport series, frankly.

Anyway, that is valid at least as far as the imaginative realm of virtual automotive artists – albeit with a little caveat. As such, the pixel master acting from behind the AI covers of the automotive.diffusion account on social media continues his digital JDM icon quest. So, after we have seen AI-aided stuff like an FWD Mitsubishi Eclipse Coupe return, a sleek series of Honda Integra Coupe concepts, plus virtual Nissan Silvia ‘S16’ prototype Coupes with R35 GT-R DNA, now is also the time to check out a Spyder alongside the two-door hardtops.

This is because among the bunch of possible coupe designs for the revived Toyota MR2 we also seem to catch a hint of Spyder enjoying a nice little sunbath on the side of a calm lake. That certainly reminds us of summer, so we are just going to pick it up as our CGI favorite if our two cents are allowed on the matter. The rest of them are still up for debate – and we really need to decide if they should also get our digital hall pass, or not.

Frankly, I am not so sure what to say, since they all seem to adhere to classic two-door compact coupe proportions – meaning the long hood and short overhangs do not leave much room to imagine that behind the two seats resides a midship engine hoot. Or, without the sporty mill’s placement, an MR2 revival would not make too much sense as it would easily clash with the Toyota GR86 and Subaru BRZ twins.

And there is not a lot of space left across the shrinking sports car market for that, unfortunately. However, it could still work in an even smaller format as a rival for Mazda’s MX-5 Miata, right?


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About the author: Aurel Niculescu
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Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution.
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