Mazda and Toyota Will Reportedly Collaborate on a New Sports Car
With Mazda already using Toyota’s hybrid tech in the CX-50, further tie-ups could bring dividends for both companies.
2022 mazda mx5 miata club and 2022 toyota gr86 premiumView Photos
Michael Simari|Car and Driver
Toyota and Mazda could be collaborating on a small sports car, according to a report out of Japan.
Details are thinner than okonomiyaki pancakes, but a Mazda-infused GR86 could be wonderful.
Toyota already shares its hybrid tech with Mazda for the CX-50 compact SUV, so another project could be beneficial to both companies.
UPDATE 10/1/25: A representative for Toyota declined to confirm the report, stating, “We cannot comment about speculation about future product.”
There are really only two problems with the Mazda MX-5 Miata. The first is that it should really come in more colors by now. Soul Red Crystal Metallic is genuinely a gorgeous shade, perhaps the best offering from a mainstream automaker at present, but where’s the Solar Yellow or—more importantly—a proper British Racing Green?
The other, perhaps more pressing issue, is that the MX-5 only seats two people. This is no trouble at all when you’re childless and carefree, but what if Mazda offered a sort of 2+2 coupe version of the MX-5, all that delicately honed enjoyment with a little more practicality? The company’s done so before, sort of, with the RX-8 and NC MX-5 sharing some architecture, but what if this time around Mazda partnered with someone who could share some of the R&D costs to build two truly great cars?
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Michael Simari|Car and Driver
Well, according to rumors from Best Car magazine out of Japan, that might be the case. According to the mag, the next-generation GR86 and MX-5 will be developed in co-operation between Toyota and Mazda.
Now, if you’re someone who loves the ND MX-5 but has small children, you may currently be running around the room like Michael Scott on The Office, shouting, “It’s happening! Stay calm!” Let’s slow our roll a bit, as not only is Best Car sometimes a little optimistic in its predictions, but the manufacturing of niche sports cars is not something any automaker is really spending a lot of money on these days. This might just be a case of wishful thinking.
But if not, hoo-boy. The partnership between Subaru and Toyota deserves plenty of credit, as the current GR86 and BRZ are genuinely fun to drive and affordable (the Toyota more than the Subaru, though). However, the BRZ has never done big numbers for Subaru and does stand out in the company’s otherwise universally all-wheel-drive lineup as a bit of an oddity.
So, will Toyota City dollars plus Hiroshima engineering excellence pave the path to the affordable 2+2 sports car of your future? Dare to dream. In the meantime, Mazda, maybe the next special edition MX-5 could come in a lovely dark green.
Lettermark
Brendan McAleer
Contributing Editor
Brendan McAleer is a freelance writer and photographer based in North Vancouver, B.C., Canada. He grew up splitting his knuckles on British automobiles, came of age in the golden era of Japanese sport-compact performance, and began writing about cars and people in 2008. His particular interest is the intersection between humanity and machinery, whether it is the racing career of Walter Cronkite or Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki’s half-century obsession with the Citroën 2CV. He has taught both of his young daughters how to shift a manual transmission and is grateful for the excuse they provide to be perpetually buying Hot Wheels.