Toyota MR2

Toyota MR2

Specs Mentioned:

Make/ Model – Toyota MR2 (2003)

Engine – In-line 4-cylinders

Power – 138hp @ 6400rpm

Top speed – 131mph

0-100mph – 8 secs

Torque – 125 ft/lb @ 4400 rpm

The Mid-ship, Rear-drive, 2-seater MR2 – that’s how it got its name – was a game-changer for Toyota when it appeared in the mid-1980s. Until then, the automaker had restrained itself from offering a pure sports car for the U.S. and Canada. Instead, it preferred to hedge its bets with hotter versions of the Celica and Supra coupes to do battle with more focused rivals, like the Nissan ZX and Mitsubishi Starion.

The Mk2 MR2 was larger, heavier (ranging from roughly 2,600 to 3,000 lb) and more curvaceous than its predecessor, looking nearly as exotic as Ferrari’s then-new 348. Its powertrains increased in power to cope, with the standard car making 130 hp from a 2.2-liter, 16-valve inline-four borrowed from the Camry, while the MR2 Turbo made 200 hp with its 2.0-liter turbocharged 3S-GTE engine, as used in the rally-homologated Celica All-Trac Turbo.

The Toyota MR2 was a landmark car that’s as popular today as it was when it launched back in 1983. The MR2 was voted Japan’s ‘Car of the Year 1984-85’ ahead of stiff competition from the new Honda CR-X and latest Nissan Laurel, confirming the findings of contemporary road test reports that unanimously praised the MR2’s lithe athleticism and sense of fun.