New G20E engine was originally claimed to make 395 hp but Toyota now says the engine can be pushed much harder
June 30, 2025 at 12:30
- Toyota’s new G20E turbocharged engine has the potential to produce huge power.
- The 395-hp 2.0-liter 4-cylinder could make as much as 600 hp with a bigger turbo.
- Toyota showed off the G20E at the back end of the GR Yaris M Concept in January.
Even as the automotive industry pivots to electric vehicles, some brands are quietly doubling down on internal combustion with fresh engineering and serious performance ambitions.
Mercedes is reportedly killing off its powerful M139 four-cylinder engine, but Toyota is ready to take up the slack. The Japanese brand is working on a new family of engines, and engineers say the 2.0-liter G20E has the potential to push out 592 hp (600 PS) – almost 300 hp (304 PS) per liter.
More: Toyota Hints At ‘MR-Something’ Mid-Engine Sports Car With 2.0 Turbo And AWD
“With a larger turbocharger, more than 600 PS is easily possible,” Toyota tech heads told journalists from German magazine Auto Motor und Sport. That’s a hefty 50 percent increase in power versus the 395 hp (400 PS) the G20E is alleged to make in stock form, and achievable without any hybrid assistance.
Possible, Yes. Practical? That’s Still Unclear
The report doesn’t make it clear whether it would be possible to make the resulting engine emissions-compliant, which seems like a big ask. Japanese media previously suggested the G20E could make 600 PS in stories published late last year, but said the tune was restricted to racing applications.
Toyota’s G20E is part of a new family of naturally aspirated and turbocharged 1.5- and 2.0-liter engines it will launch in the next few years. The bigger engine was first shown in the back of the GR Yaris M Concept at this year’s Tokyo Auto Salon, which some people suggested could function as a testbed for the revival of the MR2 roadster. The same engine is also certain to end up in the Celica coupe Toyota also keeps dropping hints about resurrecting.
MR2 and Celica Revival Could Carry the Torch
Given Toyota chairman Akio Toyoda’s reputation as a champion of driving enthusiasts, we’d expect both the MR2 and Celica to offer the G20E backed by a choice of six-speed manual and eight-speed dual-clutch transmissions. And we also expect some buyers to go to town on their engines in the way tuners found huge power out of the legendary 2JZ straight-6 unit.
Because even if Toyota won’t put a 600-hp version of the G20E in a production car, you can bet the aftermarket will make it a reality. Toyota engineers told reporters the new engine has wide-set bores, giving plenty of scope for increasing the capacity.
While Toyota has kept many of the tech details of its new ICE powertrains to itself till now, it has confirmed that they’ll be compatible with carbon-neutral fuels, meaning they could live on even after countries or states introduce bans on traditional petrol engines.
