The world was holding its collective breath for the Tokyo Auto Salon 2026. After a flurry of Toyota GR MR2 and GR MR-S trademark filings at the end of 2025, and a series of hints from the “Master Driver” himself, Akio Toyoda, everyone was certain the legendary mid-engine sports car was making its grand return. Instead, Toyoda proved he might deserve the title of “Great Troll”.
During the Gazoo Racing press conference, the tension was palpable. Toyoda began reminiscing about the mid-engine GR Yaris prototype that raced at the Nürburgring 24 Hours. The crowd leaned in, expecting a sleek, two-seater sports car. Instead, he dropped a bomb. The new mid-engine “toy” was the GR Hijet Morizo K-Trail, a heavily modified kei truck.
This pint-sized powerhouse is the result of a head-to-head challenge with Daihatsu. While the Daihatsu Hijet Jumbo Star Climber went for a mini-overlander vibe, the GR Hijet is pure racing absurdity. It features Bride racing bucket seats, a lift kit, rugged off-road tires, and a signature Morizo grey-and-yellow livery. It is peak Toyota humor. A mid-engine vehicle that is technically exactly what he promised, just not in the way anyone expected.
Despite the prank, the dream of a real GR MR2 is far from dead. Toyota’s strategy under Toyoda has always been to refine hardware on the track before bringing it to the streets. The fact that they are actively testing mid-engine configurations in motorsports is a massive indicator that a production sports car is coming. We’ve seen this play out before with the GR GT, where Toyoda kept the world guessing between a V8 biturbo or an electric Lexus until the very last second.
Akio Toyoda’s smile whenever pressed for details isn’t just a quirk. It’s a calculated part of his mission to reintroduce “fun” to a brand that was once synonymous with boredom. Let’s wait for the actual GR MR2 to move from the patent office to the pavement.
