Toyota hints at new Celica, MR2, Supra, and other future sports cars
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Buried in a few frames of an online anime series created by Toyota are the names of several sports cars that don’t yet exist, sparking interest across the internet.
For fans of drifting – the art of maneuvering a car in a sideways slide – the relationship between the discipline and Japanese cartoons has always been a close one.
While drifting began as an underground subculture, emerging on mountain roads throughout Japan, it didn’t rise to prominence until the ‘manga’ comic book Initial D was released.
It told the story of a boy who secretly learned to drift while delivering tofu in his father’s Toyota AE86 Corolla – sold in Australia as a Sprinter.
Initial D has spawned several television series – cartoons known as ‘anime’ – and live-action films, but it also led Toyota USA to commission its own online anime called Grip.
Now it appears as if Grip may be hinting at some bigger things to come from the brand.
MORE: Fast & Furious actor to direct new Initial D film
First spotted by website CarBuzz, a recent episode of Grip – titled Who’s Next – shows a whiteboard in the background with a few curious model names written on it.
Scribbled on the board at the 48-second mark are the words “Supra Mk6, Celica Mk8, MR2 Mk4, GR 86 Mk3,” and “GR GT3”.
While the GR GT3 is a reference to the supercar concept – said to be an upcoming Lexus LFA successor, badged as the LFR – the others are all theoretical future generations of current or previous models.
Drive has been reporting on rumours out of Japan for several years hinting at the possibility of a return of both the MR2 and Celica to the brand’s sports car line-up.
While the ‘easter egg’ is anything but confirmation from the brand, as a production created by Toyota USA, it’s the closest thing to official word from the Japanese car maker we’ve seen yet.
The post Toyota hints at new Celica, MR2, Supra, and other future sports cars appeared first on Drive.
