Watch and listen to the newest Toyota MR2 development car go testing at Fuji Speedway

• A new set of photos and a video posted to Twitter show what appears to be a Toyota MR2 test mule lapping Fuji Speedway in Japan.
• The mule appears to be based on the GR Yaris hatchback, and we think it's the seventh of at least 20 iterations of MR2 development cars.
• The MR2 prototype in the social media post wears mismatched bodywork and hides a mid-engine setup.

The Toyota MR2's return continues to march closer. A new set of spy photos along with a video showing an MR2 development mule were posted to Twitter by a user who happened to stop by the Fuji Speedway Motorsport Museum in Japan at exactly the right time.

The photos show a prototype that appears to be based on the GR Yaris hatchback. It wears an eclectic assortment of bodywork, with a huge radiator up front and massive vents behind the doors.

We got the chance to drive a different Toyota test mule earlier this year. While Toyota wouldn't confirm that the mid-engine "M Concept" (pictured at the top) was bound to one day turn into a production MR2, the clues were there. Along with our drive, we got the chance to speak with GR chief engineer Naohiko Saito, who told us at the time that there were six iterations of test mules in existence, with at least 14 more planned. That makes us think that this new version is a seventh-generation mule.

While each iteration is different, all of the MR2 development mules share a few common traits. They all have a mid-engine layout, they all sport all-wheel drive, and they're all works in progress. The mule we drove housed the G16E-GTS turbocharged 1.6-liter three-cylinder found in the Yaris, but the throaty exhaust from the spy video sounds more like the newer G20E turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four to our ears.

Even after three years of development, we're nowhere close to seeing a production MR2. Still, it's good to see Toyota continuing to experiment and push the envelope on what should be an incredibly exciting return for the brand.

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