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Small and Fun Toyota Battery EV Sports Car, Are You MR2's Spiritual Successor?

Rumors about a potential lightweight sports car revival of the MR2 series (1984-2007) have been swirling for years. And although Toyota was careful not to raise any hopes during its massive battery EV preview show, they might easily intensify.
Small and Fun Toyota Battery EV Sports Car preview 11 photos
Photo: Toyota Motor Corporation
Small and Fun Toyota Battery EV Sports Car previewSmall and Fun Toyota Battery EV Sports Car previewSmall and Fun Toyota Battery EV Sports Car previewSmall and Fun Toyota Battery EV Sports Car previewSmall and Fun Toyota Battery EV Sports Car previewSmall and Fun Toyota Battery EV Sports Car previewSmall and Fun Toyota Battery EV Sports Car previewSmall and Fun Toyota Battery EV Sports Car previewSmall and Fun Toyota Battery EV Sports Car previewSmall and Fun Toyota Battery EV Sports Car preview
Toyota and Lexus just uncovered a massive roster of upcoming zero-emission vehicles during a humongous preview. We now know they will have 30 battery electric vehicles by 2030, while Lexus aims for complete sustainability by 2035. And, even better, there’s something for everyone. From small city cars to commercial EVs, and from SUVs/pickup trucks to nimble sports cars.

Naturally, both Lexus and Toyota took center stage with their respective offerings. The luxury Japanese automaker promises its upcoming production version of the Lexus Electrified Sport concept will use some of the LFA’s “secret sauce.” And also deliver outstanding, hypercar-like performance. Such as accelerating in the low two-second gamut or delivering a cruising range of around 700 km (435 miles).

But here’s the thing. It’s probably going to take a long time before it hits the market, especially if the company seeks to equip the production series version with solid-state batteries from the get-go. Unlike Toyota’s Sports EV offering, which is going to come out in the “next few years,” just like most of the Toyota battery EVs introduced during the encompassing global event.

Oddly enough, the Toyota Sports EV is shrouded in even more mystery than Lexus’ Electrified Sport prototype, as the Japanese carmaker has been mum on sharing details. So, it’s virtually anyone’s guess if this is Toyota’s rumored MR2 reinvention or a completely separate model. Interestingly, the prototype does sport the proud Gazoo Racing badge on the front bumper's carbon fiber insert element. So, there’s that.

Presumably, it would join the current GR Yaris, GR86, and GR Supra with a focus on potentially affordable sports car sustainability. Unfortunately, at this point, it’s also anyone’s guess about the powertrain credentials. Hey, we don’t even know (for now) if we are dealing with an FWD, AWD, or RWD setup...

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Editor's note: Gallery includes official images of Lexus battery EV concepts.

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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