The Toyota MR2 was an extraordinary vehicle, and was renown for its status as “a poor man's Ferrari.” Despite the backhanded compliment, the Toyota MR2 was more than capable enough to let its performance do the talking.

The MR2 was in production from 1984 to 2005, amassing a total of three generations for the coupe: The W10, W20, and W30. The MR2 was later discontinued by Toyota as more competitors arose, which lead to poor sales.

Clocking in just under 2,200 lbs, the MR2 proves to be one of the preferred model for performance and enthusiast purposes. With excellent power to weight ratio, the MR2 had everything it needed to succeed. Here’s more about the discontinued Toyota MR2.

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Why the Toyota MR2 Has Legendary Status

w10 mr2 image hc
Via: Flickr

The Toyota MR2 (W10) was released with the intent of grabbing people’s attention, and that’s what it did. The excellent performance and lack of safety features were what set this driving experience from the rest. Similar to other car manufacturers, Toyota had specific names for the MR2s based on their country of destination. They were known as the MR-S in Japan, MR2 Spyder in the United States, and MR2 Roadster in the European countries. Regardless of the different names for the Toyota, the performance capability of the platform didn't change.

The first-generation MR2 allowed Toyota to take a step in the performance world. The MR2 featured a few different types of engines: a 1.5L (AW10) and a 1.6L (AW11). The AW10 pushed 82 horsepower and the AW11 pushed approximately 120 horsepower depending on the country of destination.

In 1986, Toyota introduced another engine type: a supercharged 4-cylinder, capable of pushing 145 horsepower and 137ft-lbs of torque. It was labeled "SUPERCHARGER" on various parts of the car to identify the anomaly. The addition of the Roots-type supercharger made the MR2 significantly faster than its competitors at the time, courtesy of its ability to build more intake manifold pressure at lower engine speeds.

These cars came standard with 5-speed manual transmissions or with the option of a 4-speed automatic. With the help of a Lotus engineer, Roger Becker, the MR2's suspension components and handling characteristics were fine-tuned and dialed in.

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The Toyota MR2: Generational Differences

generations of the mr2
Via: Pinterest

During the MR2's years in production were three different body styles: the first, second, and third-generation MR2. The first generation is known for its pioneering efforts for the MR2 name. With a good balance of power and handling characteristics, the W10 MR2 fulfilled its purpose.

The second-generation MR2s, or the SW20s, are easily the more desired MR2 of the generation. With great performance and amazing body lines, it remains the enthusiasts' favorite. However, what plagued this great performance on the SW20s was the unbalanced mid-engine vehicle that was prone to spinning out from oversteer. This was the case as the MR2 had a light front end and heavy rear end, resulting in poor weight distribution.

Last but not least, the third generation MR2 was nothing extraordinary in comparison to its predecessors. It featured softer body lines and less power, which probably wasn't the best market move. Still, it was an MR2 and looked like one nonetheless.

The Toyota MR2's Performance (Stock and Aftermarket)

Boosted boiz mr2
Via: Instagram

One of the reasons why many enthusiasts continue to chase this platform is due to its ability to handle power well. The Toyota MR2 has a max curb weight of just under 3,000 lbs (regardless of the generation), so "peppy" would have been the least you could say about the platform.

The MR2 came in a variety of 4-cylinder variants, depending on the generation. With some models coming with the option of a supercharger or turbocharger, the Toyota MR2 truly had unique characteristics.

As time has progressed, many enthusiasts have sought out this platform more because of the chassis’ performance benefits. With weight reduction as a high priority on every racer’s checklist, the MR2 sure fits the build. Most commonly, many people choose to K-Swap (Honda K20 or K24) their MR2s, as the block easily handles the power you throw at it. Some car enthusiasts have made their MR2s so fast that they laugh at 10-second time slips.

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Why We Need A Modern MR2

In a world where sustainable energy and renewable energy are constantly being pushed every day, cars that are enjoyable to drive are slowly becoming extinct. Given the goals of the current administration, it seems as though the time petrol-based cars have on the road is limited, thus resulting in the need for a raw-feeling vehicle before the shift completes.

The Toyota MR2 was purely about the driving experience, and a newer rendition of it is what we need in a world of whirring electric motors.