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They didn't have a 3.5l 2gr v6 til 2005. Sw20 mr2 was 90 to 99. The 3sgte i4 made 260ish hp in 99. I believe the 1mz 3.0l v6 made 200hp. 3mz 3.3l v6 came out in 2004. So the v6s with more power didn't exist til 2004 2005ish. 3sgte i4 in sw20 you just turn up the boost and get more power. I have a 99 beams 3sge vvti non turbo i4 with 190 hp stock. Turbo i4 in 90s vs non turbo v6 in 90s. Boost.
Honestly, this sounds like a dream Mr2 setup. How Toyota did consider this and have the foresight is beyond me. It’s a great setup for what an enthusiast would enjoy, the sound is very tuneful and lively. If the horsepower was matched to say 330-350hp, what a bargain 355 competitor that Toyota really missed the mark on. I’ve always been perplexed by Toyota, they have shown to genius in engineering in the past and that they can make spectacular examples but not doing something like this just seems like they were asleep at the wheel. I do wish the Mr2 was always a tad larger, the design seems like it wants to be actually. Great content Jay, as always very insightful and informative.
The 3S-GTE is a legendary turbo engine that Toyota was already using in other cars and can be tuned to make a lot of power, so I think that's why they went with that one for most markets.
this engine only came after 2005 and this gen mr2 ended in 99 , before that toyota didnt have a v6 that came even close to 300hp neither they were full aluminium so in the end the car would just be more expensive and unbalanced. Europe never had the turbo version but that engine takes mods very well and nowadays can make way more power than this v6 could ever dream
IMO it's already a 355 competitor at 320 hp. That's about what I've estimated mine at (dyno was 265whp, with a ~17% transmission loss for the e153), and my best draggy times were 4.3s 0-6 (4.1s with a 1 foot rollout, like motortrend uses) and 12.89s 1/4 @ 106mph. (Per Motortrend) The 355 berlinetta was tested at 4.7s 0-60, and 12.8s 1/4 @ 110mph. Also, thr 3.5l v8 in the 355 may make 375hp, but it only made 275lb-ft tq, where even my mr2, which doesn't post the best 2gr mr2 numbers is ~300lb-ft tq at the crank (250 at the wheels). But I do agree with you about toyota never putting a v6 in it from the factory. It's dissapointing.
Mr2s are 30 yrs old now. You wouldn't be long spending 10k rebuilding a 3sgte for power If mine goes pop il be doing a 2gr. Its a perfectly realistic diy project with all the bits and information off the shelf Makes a much more exotic car than the gen2 turbo Frankenstein motorworks has the full build well documented on TH-cam. Love the content Jay👍
3 of the 4 engine mounts in an mr2 are on the gearbox. And thankfully the gearbox bolt pattern is the same as the v6. It's the perfect engine for an mr2 Pity you don't come across 2gr in ireland at all
One of my favorite cars ever. I got to ride in a near brand new 1994 Turbo Manual back when I was 10 or 11. My dad worked at a Toyota dealer. I'd often go hangout at the lot with him during the summer when out of school. One day, they needed to make a bank run. They usually chose to take something fun. Usually used when they did so. I'll never forget feeling boost for the first time lol. Always wanted one of these. I've owned 2 4G Preludes, very similar looking, but very different otherwise. Maybe one day.
I bought an 1991 MR2 as my first car back in 2019. It is a german version with the 156hp 3sge. Even though it has about 275000 kilometers on the odometer, it pushed 160hp and 190nm on the Dyno. I love to have the targa roofs off all summer long and I think even in near stock form it is a very delicate machine. I love it more and more every single day and I will never sell it. Great car btw👆🏻😍
They are so engaging and emotional things to own. Please watch for rust on the sills. Take the door cards out and remove the foam. That's what kills most MR2s.
@@ianedmonds9191 Thank you for mentioning. It’s very important to know the rust spots on these cars. By now I’m aware of pretty much all of them and they’ve ether been repaired or being watched and preserved with wax to prevent more damage. It’s also a garaged car and I never drove it with salt on the road and it rarely sees rain😌
Good lawwwwwd that sounds good! And Mk2 MR2s just seem to get better looking as time goes by. Not sure I could justify that sort of outlay, but I'm really glad this fella has. A seriously desirable car!
Great video. As an owner of one of these I can say, with confidence, that you can build a V6 SW20 for significantly less than this build. You can build yourself a fully driving and sorted 1MZ or 3VZ conversion for around £3.5k if you are willing to get your mits grubby. There are even Woodsport wiring harnesses and adapters which plug and play. You can get away with just a standard replacement clutch. Only one specific engine mount is needed for the MR2, the rest just bolt up. 1GR engines are not easy to come by in the UK and can be comparatively much dearer than other markets (US), so consider the cost to value when picking an engine. A BEAMS and 3SGTE conversion will cost similar money to a 2GR, all with their pros and cons.
That intro is both hilarious and alarming. 11/10. Also, boy that 2GR sounds so good. Sad Toyota never really made V6-powered MR2. But if the rumours are true and they will actually make GR MR2 in the future with GR Yaris 3-pots, that'll be the next best thing.
3 pots will always be half what they really need to be. The 2GR - FE is a motor, if serviced, that will outlive creation. Oh and that linear power build to from 1500 - 6,550 rpm is amazing. I love mine.
I was so close to building one of these myself. Had the engine, car.. then life got in the way. I will build one. I'm not giving up on this one. I will have my Toyota Evora one day.
My '93 hardtop has always been my favorite car. Till a pickup pull out in front of it, destroying it and leaving a hole in my heart the shape of the last Toyota worth owning.
@capn_shawn wounding, I've got a 91 hardtop with a 3rd gen 3sgte in so know how hard ghe tin tops are to find, has mine around 12 years now I bought it as a shell and have built every part myself (skyline brakes, celica front, active aero ect) I'd probably cry for years if someone hit mine like that sorry for your loss buddy....
Yes they give us the perfect blank canvas to build stuff very un-conservative. 86, supra, mr2, JZX platform most of them end up pretty bonkers. And than we have the GR Yaris.
The MR2 can easily handle a naturally aspirated V6 in the 240-300HP range and the added low-end torque and broader torque curve will actually make it a lot easier to drive in certain cases since you aren't needing to shift as frequently to ensure that you're in the power band, since the power band is considerably wider with more displacement and more cylinders. So a corner you'd have to downshift for and risk breaking traction due to the downshift, you can take in the same gear and just power through. No need to 3-2-3 a corner when you've got enough torque to just leave it in third. You'd still need to downshift for hairpins, though.
Why didn't Toyota do it at the time?...The V6s they had at the time (lets say, around 1994/1995 for the mid-model refresh were just not as powerful as the turbo, would've been a lot hard to maintain (i.e. rear cylinder bank spark plugs). The Toyota 3.0 VZ V6 had around 140KW, the later 3.0 MZ had around 150KW and 283Nm The 3S-GTE at this time had 180KW and 304Nm. It wasn't until the later GR V6s were released that they were comparable (at least in power and torque)...but again, by this stage the 3S-GTE had also grown in power and torque
You are the Top Gear presenteter we never got but should. So good at presenting the story of the car. That you first thought that the car couldn't handle the extra power but you were wrong. You are so balanced in your view of cars overall and great reviewer or cars here on TH-cam. Keep it up. Cheers from Sweden.
I have one in Australia, basically the same spec. Originally one of the few dozen Bathurst editions from '99. I spank it up and down the mountains near Healesville and Lake Eildon. With a free breathing exhaust it is incredibly loud, even on engine braking. , but if you just crack the throttle to stop that, it runs almost silently. I can tell the ECU reflash wasn't quite done on your example, it was bouncing off the limit far too easily (and no, there is no redline-by-gear. The ECU doesnt know what gear it's in). I could bore you all to tears with more details, but Jay got it as right as necessary. Take care of these cars, they are special. But use them. Please.
Did you do it yourself or pay a workshop? I'm interested to know how difficult it was to fabricate engine and gearbox mounts to suit. Always wanted one of these body styles, and the challange of turning the spanners myself would be a welcome mind clearing relaxation.
On a personal note I'd like commend you on your swearing free content. My young lads love your channel. They can watch it freely without the risk of them picking up bad language. Thank you. Well spoken,mature professionals are hard to come by . It's appreciated.
Fun fact: If you tap your screen to fast forward just as the “Dodo Juice” part of the intro comes up, it takes you straight to the start of the video …
Oh nice, Jay found the coolest Toyota swap. 93+ models like that are trick because you can fix the twitchyness completely by lowering the rear end 1 inch, offset with tire sizes to level (if wanted) and bam, super stable, actually even driftable if desired MR2. FR style handling with rear end bite of MR. Was found out and thoroughly tested to multiple championship victories stateside in Solo ii/Autocross.
@@paineu_9112 I thought i responded but may have not properly. If you look up XHEAD's old posts on MR2OC then you can read about it, this is the best route if you can find all his old posts the guy was a legend beyond his pay grade. If you want to see the car he built (which was a AW11 that he shared slightly less info on, instead he prefered to give all his best info for a car he wasn't racing or competing with, the SW20) then look up Steve Hoelscher, #27 DP class He only desired to make faster cars, but byproduct of his advice was he made super easy to drive MR2s by just adjusting the issues with the rear end, front doesn't really need much touching, if any. Its all very simple stuff and if you follow swing-axle car development like old porsche/vw, or by contrast drift setups (not his intention but half related and half true) its all similar stuff, you just want a rear end that doesn't go crazy with camber angles. With the MR2s the inside tire going vastly positive camber is most the issue. Why it was setup like this goes down a long route but the simple answer was it was early tech era solution to ride quality vs lateral g, the latest model car i can think that suffers this issue is the S2000 but before that in the 80s it was dozens, from C4s to specific model RX7s to even Mustangs at one point, it just becomes even more a problem on MR, but not a irreconcilable one.
You have to admire the passion to place money into a guaranteed no return, but listening to it is enough, what is fantastic noise, smiles per gallon or smile per Roi 😬
I just dropped a fair bit converting my 1990 to a 3SGE BEAMS, I should have gone the V6 route. I love that sound of that V6. I could probably pull the BEAMS motor as this would go a long way to a V6 but i just want to get her back on the road, been a couple years and I miss driving her.
@3:20 you could also send it back to Toyota for the technocraft TRD2000GT(jgtc body, but with all the street car comforts) upfitting , or send it to SARD for the MC4 GTII(information is extremely limited on power output, however it has significant aero updates) upfitting, which in some cases left SW20s with upwards of 500whp. This is very much the 90s equivalent of calling up Manthey Racing for a GT3 RS build; meaning expensive.
I had the MK2 MR2 GT T-Bar in 1998, fabulous car. A few years later I had a Ferrari 328 GTS. The Ferrari was a dream for me but I don't think I enjoyed driving the MR2 any less and it was much easier to pile the miles on.
That sound impressed me more than I thought it would. Cool little car. I wouldn’t mind having this or a souped up Miata. But I just look a bit dorky in smaller cars. I’m 6-2 so I always get bigger cars. Although I’m American. I’m not a truck guy. Nor do I care much for SUV’s. So that just leaves me with few options. American muscle cars or German muscle cars 😂. I have a couple Mercedes. Sadly I sold my AMG. So my E550 will have to keep me happy until my next AMG. Which it has 412hp, so it’s not too much of a slouch. And with AWD it’s almost as quick as my old AMG RWD to 60mph. But that MR-2 looks like fun. Cool video.
Jesus loves you mate. Hell is real, you don’t want to end up there. Jesus gave the ultimate sacrifice, so that all we had to do was profess faith in him, and we would be saved from an eternity in hell. God bless you More to the point of your comment, I love my AMG’s as well, particularly the older stuff. I’ve currently got a C36 AMG, had an e55 w210 for awhile, I can’t get away from straight sixes though..
Me too mate, for sure. Aussie car culture is good but you'll never see me in a pick-up or SUV or Ute. Current ride is BMW 335i sedan and next up will be a Merc 43 AMG ESTATE
I'm 6'4" and daily a Fiesta; don't worry about how you look in a smaller car. If someone has a problem with it they're always welcome to buy you a car they'd like (and pay the running costs).
Lovely video! Your 'consumer advice' about the power steering pump is spot on - I've had to do it a few times over the years. I have the same Enkeis on my '91 Turbo, but ABS and A/C were options on my original one (which I ticked), and the Cruise was standard. I don't know why the UK market was treated so poorly. My second one, which I've had for 10 years, did not come with ABS. It's original owner was cheaper than I was I suppose. These days the stock Turbo MR2 is "just a car", but it's still a lovely place to be on a nice twisty road. I agree with you about the chassis. I'm not confident that my car (or myself) could handle 300hp in it, so I think I'll just keep it as it is. Thank you for another excellent video.
Jay's videos have always been good, but your commentating style and "tone" recently have truly been great, It is A unique twist on the OG top gear review style with a bit more real-world down-to-earth car guy stuff. Loving the content Jay, Keep it up!
I know the owner of this car. I've driven a couple of 2GR-FE powered Mk2 MR2s. The effortless torque from low revs is the big difference compared with the 3S-GTE in the turbo version. Plus that fabulous V6 sound track. :>)
This would drive SO much better than a turbo! You would have way more power and torque from 1000rpm all the way to its red line (at a guess 6000+rpm?) There would be zero lag and instant healthy throttle response from the larger capacity, a flat torque curve giving a much more enjoyable and easier to control all round driving experience. Old School turbos are not exactly smooth or controllable. If you fitted a bigger turbo to hit 350bhp like this the car would be a laggy turd with boost coming on late in the rev range and then only giving you 1500-2000rpm of pull? Shite. Even if the turbo had another 50bhp on this I guarantee THIS would easily run rings round it on the road or track!
I always wanted to do this with my 3 previous Mister 2's. Never did though, could never afford the 4k, as it cost then, with Woodsport, 15 years ago, to do it.
It’s crazy how much the price of work has risen. I was so close to getting the 3vz in mine, I saved up and then crashed it a few days before I was going to book the conversion. I later found out mine had been in a front end crash before and badly repaired causing it to spin under braking in a straight line 😢
@@wrench8677 Me too until it one day it didn't wiggle as much as I needed it too and I slammed into a kerb. Thank god for eBay and a cheap new wheel. 😬
I had a grey import turbo tuned to the max. A complete handful, I couldn't keep it in a straight line and soon smashed it sideways into the arm rail doing over 120mph on a motorway (A9) near AMS Schiphol in the rain. Managed to bend every panel including the roof and chassis, without amazingly not breaking a single item of glass or light. Threw it in the bin and bought something more sensible.
The idea is cool and a good option if you can't get a turbo. I had a '93 turbo for 10 years with lots of upgrades and for me, that's the best option if you can find it.
Actually the turbo models can have both AC and cruise control. I own a very early Japanese market model with both. It even has fog lights that turn with the wheels like an old mercedes
This reminds me of my Rocketeer Mk1 Mx5 (which you'll be welcome to drive JayEmm!). It has cost me about the same money. Both are fairly unique, make a wonderful v6 noise and yes are not for everyone; no accountant in the world would sign off what ive spent on mine :D
"Picking your line without leaving your side of the road" - i, for one, regard this as not cheating! My imaginary tenner is going on Toyota knew they could do it, thought about it, and decided it wasn't allowed to be faster than a Supra. In exactly the way that someone at Lotus said the Esprit's V8 would fit in an Elise but they weren't going to do it.
.. and when they eventually put another engine to the MR2 (V8), it turned into a unicorn Le Mans homologation car called the SARD MC8. The race version may not be successful, but the road version? That thing just oozes cool all over.
That is it, another car in the lineup limiting the potential. Imagine if the Boxster/Cayman wasn't restricted by the 911, or if you could get a BRZ from factory with a turbocharged WRX engine, or a limited edition MX-5 Miata with a Rotary from an RX-7/RX-8...
I believe the main reason Toyota didn't put a V6 in the 2nd generation MR2 was the fact that they only had iron block V6's while the 2nd gen MR2 was being developed and none of those V6's made more power than the 3SGTE. the all aluminum 1MZ-FE didn't make it into production until 93 when it was offered in the 93 Camry and ES300...
That learner car at the start was already past the point where he could have given way to you- that one was your fault for just barrelling through thinking "my right of way"
doesn't surprise me it was never sold in Europe , but as cars usually get larger engine in the US than they do here the V6 version is one you would really expect to find in the US ( though likely often in auto form even in a car like the MR2)
The reason; The engine didn’t exist then. SW20 (MK2 MR2) built 1989-1999. 2GR engine; 2002-present. V6 of the time would’ve been the very anaemic 1988-2004 2VZ-FE , but with max 190hp from factory not sure would be worth them bothering. The 1993-2014 MZ series of 194bhp would’ve overlapped production, but again; is it worth it when the 3SGTE made more bhp with less weight and is far far more easily tuneable?
I have always said that cars like the FIAT X1-9, Lancia Beta Scorpion, and Toyota MR-2 should have been offered with at least a 2.5L V-6 engine. Look what a collector car the Porsche 914/6 became.
Lovely looking car. Love how owner has kept it looking pretty stock. If you said it left the factory looking like that with that engine I would have believed you, nice job 👍🏻
You have to remember the build was over many years, factor in the use the car has had and hopefully no finance and you have a win win. Who cares about what its resale value is if you enjoy it and can still afford to go out for a meal and fill it with fuel and smile,
most fun i have is in my v6 mr2.. 1ar swapped on coming soon. going to see how the GRs 4 cylinder brother propels one of these beauties with some light mods. (my v6 is also... very not stock, 320 wheel is a fun thing)
It's wild, i have driven the 3sgte and the us spec 5sfe.. and at no point did i think, man! this thing needs to be more scary.. 😂.. i have been in the 1mzfe swapped which is the 3.0 from the same generation, those were torquey engines, but it didn't feel as fast as the 3sgte.. Then at a car show i ran into a guy who K20 turbo swapped one, and that's when i immediately decided the balance was more fun in the 5sfe than the terror of 700whp in a k20 turbo powered version.. 😂
I remember when I was 17 passed my driving test and I was looking into doing one of these conversions but i ended up buying an mx5 nb a year later. Maybe one day I'll actually buy one after the many e36 projects I want to build
simple reason why they didn't. that version of the v6 was not made in that time, they just had the camry v6, and the smaller possibly light turbo variant pushed out more power than the v6. and of course you have the engine size laws in japan that dictate alot of choices. the mr2 weighs about 1000kg.
The MRT GT T bar is the only car I've ever bought new twice, I absolutely loved both of mine and I soooooo want to get another one when I've got 12k 🙏🙏🙏
The RHD markets always get the best Toyotas. Not to say we didnt get the MR2 in the states, but a lot of the better Toyota variants arent available here or in LHD.
Six weeks and 13k is wild. I guess if you have a lot of money and no interest in working with cars then yeah, go for it. But it is not that complicated and definitely something you can do on your own.
Yes since mk 2 mr was based on a Camry powertrain instead of the Corolla it would be a easy option to offer but since the price range was getting to close to Corvette territory it was voted down in favor of a larger market share price point..
@@bx16v some turbos will have a higher peak number at about 7500rpm that doesn’t mean they are faster than a 2GR that has more power over most of the rev range. Especially with 0-60 where there launch is crucial and the V6 has twice as much torque down low.
Just a correction, the Rev3 did have traction control and ABS in the UK as an option, back in the 90's I had a Rev 3 UK car which had both, it had every option available in the UK when it was new £25k if I remember correctly, if you looked under the bonnet the unit had plethora of pipes, something thats not even there on the non traction control/ABS cars, I believe the Rev4 got these as standard.
Great video :) a bit like my 1ZZ celica 7- it should have had 160-180bhp and the 2ZZ should have had 220bhp. Toyota massively undercooked power back in the day which was a shame as they made some incredible chassis 😮
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They didn't have a 3.5l 2gr v6 til 2005. Sw20 mr2 was 90 to 99. The 3sgte i4 made 260ish hp in 99. I believe the 1mz 3.0l v6 made 200hp. 3mz 3.3l v6 came out in 2004. So the v6s with more power didn't exist til 2004 2005ish. 3sgte i4 in sw20 you just turn up the boost and get more power. I have a 99 beams 3sge vvti non turbo i4 with 190 hp stock. Turbo i4 in 90s vs non turbo v6 in 90s. Boost.
Honestly, this sounds like a dream Mr2 setup. How Toyota did consider this and have the foresight is beyond me. It’s a great setup for what an enthusiast would enjoy, the sound is very tuneful and lively. If the horsepower was matched to say 330-350hp, what a bargain 355 competitor that Toyota really missed the mark on. I’ve always been perplexed by Toyota, they have shown to genius in engineering in the past and that they can make spectacular examples but not doing something like this just seems like they were asleep at the wheel.
I do wish the Mr2 was always a tad larger, the design seems like it wants to be actually.
Great content Jay, as always very insightful and informative.
The 3S-GTE is a legendary turbo engine that Toyota was already using in other cars and can be tuned to make a lot of power, so I think that's why they went with that one for most markets.
it would be faster then the higher priced Supra , like ford making a xr3 faster then a Sierra cossy .they wouldn't do it .
this engine only came after 2005 and this gen mr2 ended in 99 , before that toyota didnt have a v6 that came even close to 300hp neither they were full aluminium so in the end the car would just be more expensive and unbalanced.
Europe never had the turbo version but that engine takes mods very well and nowadays can make way more power than this v6 could ever dream
94" wheelbase it's ok. A 911 is less. A TVR griff is only 90"
IMO it's already a 355 competitor at 320 hp. That's about what I've estimated mine at (dyno was 265whp, with a ~17% transmission loss for the e153), and my best draggy times were 4.3s 0-6 (4.1s with a 1 foot rollout, like motortrend uses) and 12.89s 1/4 @ 106mph. (Per Motortrend) The 355 berlinetta was tested at 4.7s 0-60, and 12.8s 1/4 @ 110mph.
Also, thr 3.5l v8 in the 355 may make 375hp, but it only made 275lb-ft tq, where even my mr2, which doesn't post the best 2gr mr2 numbers is ~300lb-ft tq at the crank (250 at the wheels).
But I do agree with you about toyota never putting a v6 in it from the factory. It's dissapointing.
Mr2s are 30 yrs old now. You wouldn't be long spending 10k rebuilding a 3sgte for power
If mine goes pop il be doing a 2gr. Its a perfectly realistic diy project with all the bits and information off the shelf
Makes a much more exotic car than the gen2 turbo
Frankenstein motorworks has the full build well documented on TH-cam.
Love the content Jay👍
Who would have guessed the V6 would fit! The exhaust note is superb.
3 of the 4 engine mounts in an mr2 are on the gearbox. And thankfully the gearbox bolt pattern is the same as the v6.
It's the perfect engine for an mr2
Pity you don't come across 2gr in ireland at all
Just rebuilt a GEN2. I'm at $3800 for 540WHP, ready to last another 30 years, with enough cylinder wall left to do again in another 30 years.
a k20 is one engine mount away from dropping in btw. the gearbox linkage fits on the honda box too.
One of my favorite cars ever. I got to ride in a near brand new 1994 Turbo Manual back when I was 10 or 11. My dad worked at a Toyota dealer. I'd often go hangout at the lot with him during the summer when out of school. One day, they needed to make a bank run. They usually chose to take something fun. Usually used when they did so. I'll never forget feeling boost for the first time lol. Always wanted one of these. I've owned 2 4G Preludes, very similar looking, but very different otherwise. Maybe one day.
I bought an 1991 MR2 as my first car back in 2019. It is a german version with the 156hp 3sge. Even though it has about 275000 kilometers on the odometer, it pushed 160hp and 190nm on the Dyno.
I love to have the targa roofs off all summer long and I think even in near stock form it is a very delicate machine.
I love it more and more every single day and I will never sell it.
Great car btw👆🏻😍
They are so engaging and emotional things to own.
Please watch for rust on the sills. Take the door cards out and remove the foam. That's what kills most MR2s.
@@ianedmonds9191 Thank you for mentioning. It’s very important to know the rust spots on these cars.
By now I’m aware of pretty much all of them and they’ve ether been repaired or being watched and preserved with wax to prevent more damage. It’s also a garaged car and I never drove it with salt on the road and it rarely sees rain😌
Good lawwwwwd that sounds good! And Mk2 MR2s just seem to get better looking as time goes by. Not sure I could justify that sort of outlay, but I'm really glad this fella has. A seriously desirable car!
Great video. As an owner of one of these I can say, with confidence, that you can build a V6 SW20 for significantly less than this build. You can build yourself a fully driving and sorted 1MZ or 3VZ conversion for around £3.5k if you are willing to get your mits grubby. There are even Woodsport wiring harnesses and adapters which plug and play. You can get away with just a standard replacement clutch. Only one specific engine mount is needed for the MR2, the rest just bolt up. 1GR engines are not easy to come by in the UK and can be comparatively much dearer than other markets (US), so consider the cost to value when picking an engine. A BEAMS and 3SGTE conversion will cost similar money to a 2GR, all with their pros and cons.
That intro is both hilarious and alarming. 11/10.
Also, boy that 2GR sounds so good. Sad Toyota never really made V6-powered MR2. But if the rumours are true and they will actually make GR MR2 in the future with GR Yaris 3-pots, that'll be the next best thing.
3 pots will always be half what they really need to be. The 2GR - FE is a motor, if serviced, that will outlive creation. Oh and that linear power build to from 1500 - 6,550 rpm is amazing. I love mine.
3 pots ? No thanks and yes I know they are very powerful,but a V6 is a proper engine.(well 3/4).
I was so close to building one of these myself. Had the engine, car.. then life got in the way.
I will build one. I'm not giving up on this one. I will have my Toyota Evora one day.
Glass panels store behind the seats. I owned one and it's a super fun vehicle to daily, even with the stock 3S-GE engine.
My '93 hardtop has always been my favorite car.
Till a pickup pull out in front of it, destroying it and leaving a hole in my heart the shape of the last Toyota worth owning.
@capn_shawn wounding, I've got a 91 hardtop with a 3rd gen 3sgte in so know how hard ghe tin tops are to find, has mine around 12 years now I bought it as a shell and have built every part myself (skyline brakes, celica front, active aero ect) I'd probably cry for years if someone hit mine like that sorry for your loss buddy....
This car sounds really lovely, I'm seriously tempted to build one of these.
0:15 that gobsmacking moment coupled with the background music was hilarious! You should do more pieces like this.
Toyota has always been a notoriously conservative car-maker.
They over engineer things for sure. This makes them brilliant tuner vehicles
true, but that’s not why
Yes they give us the perfect blank canvas to build stuff very un-conservative.
86, supra, mr2, JZX platform most of them end up pretty bonkers.
And than we have the GR Yaris.
By "conservative," you mean "boring."
Mid engine is not exactly a conservative move
The MR2 can easily handle a naturally aspirated V6 in the 240-300HP range and the added low-end torque and broader torque curve will actually make it a lot easier to drive in certain cases since you aren't needing to shift as frequently to ensure that you're in the power band, since the power band is considerably wider with more displacement and more cylinders. So a corner you'd have to downshift for and risk breaking traction due to the downshift, you can take in the same gear and just power through. No need to 3-2-3 a corner when you've got enough torque to just leave it in third. You'd still need to downshift for hairpins, though.
I'd love to see jayemm do a Fifth Gear episode with Tiff Needell, Vikki Butler Henderson and Johnny Smith 😂❤
Why didn't Toyota do it at the time?...The V6s they had at the time (lets say, around 1994/1995 for the mid-model refresh were just not as powerful as the turbo, would've been a lot hard to maintain (i.e. rear cylinder bank spark plugs). The Toyota 3.0 VZ V6 had around 140KW, the later 3.0 MZ had around 150KW and 283Nm The 3S-GTE at this time had 180KW and 304Nm.
It wasn't until the later GR V6s were released that they were comparable (at least in power and torque)...but again, by this stage the 3S-GTE had also grown in power and torque
You are the Top Gear presenteter we never got but should. So good at presenting the story of the car. That you first thought that the car couldn't handle the extra power but you were wrong. You are so balanced in your view of cars overall and great reviewer or cars here on TH-cam. Keep it up. Cheers from Sweden.
The owner made an already cool car even cooler. Thank you and him for sharing, and cheers!
I have one in Australia, basically the same spec. Originally one of the few dozen Bathurst editions from '99.
I spank it up and down the mountains near Healesville and Lake Eildon.
With a free breathing exhaust it is incredibly loud, even on engine braking.
, but if you just crack the throttle to stop that, it runs almost silently.
I can tell the ECU reflash wasn't quite done on your example, it was bouncing off the limit far too easily (and no, there is no redline-by-gear. The ECU doesnt know what gear it's in).
I could bore you all to tears with more details, but Jay got it as right as necessary. Take care of these cars, they are special. But use them. Please.
Did you do it yourself or pay a workshop? I'm interested to know how difficult it was to fabricate engine and gearbox mounts to suit. Always wanted one of these body styles, and the challange of turning the spanners myself would be a welcome mind clearing relaxation.
@@PiDsPagePrototypesthe 3s mounts in later camrys so I'd imagine the opposite works
On a personal note I'd like commend you on your swearing free content. My young lads love your channel. They can watch it freely without the risk of them picking up bad language. Thank you. Well spoken,mature professionals are hard to come by . It's appreciated.
I can't get over just how good this sounds!
Being pedantic - the t-bar panels don’t store in the boot. The gen2 SW20 was also available as a Spider, albeit in very very small numbers 😊
I had a 1993 MR2 Turbo back in High School and indeed I was the coolest kid on the block. Really loved that csr.
Sarah n Tuned has a lovely Turbo Resto.
@@seanweirdbeard Mr Dos. An incredible example if an MR2 and Sarah us excellent. Great series to watch with that resto mr2
Her ‘91 is way more enjoyable to look at. This one is fugly by comparison. Still an interesting (yet expensive) swap.
Resto? You talking about "Sarah" or the mr2?
Sara n tuned is a guy. Look at the knees and dude hands and hips. Bruce Jenner working on cars.
Fun fact: If you tap your screen to fast forward just as the “Dodo Juice” part of the intro comes up, it takes you straight to the start of the video …
Must not skip the awesome intro music!
@@jamesengland7461 I do a little dance almost every time 🕺
@@lorddoobsworth144 Listen to the music Jay used on the Countach video! It’s soooo good!
@@jamesengland7461 😬
It has to be said, having had some dealings with V6 SW20 MR2s over the years, that is an exceptionally well done example of it.
I’d argue that the NSX is everyone’s favourite Japanese budget Ferrari.
Not so budget anymore lol
@@markmcgrath9098 worth more than some Ferraris now
Oh nice, Jay found the coolest Toyota swap. 93+ models like that are trick because you can fix the twitchyness completely by lowering the rear end 1 inch, offset with tire sizes to level (if wanted) and bam, super stable, actually even driftable if desired MR2. FR style handling with rear end bite of MR. Was found out and thoroughly tested to multiple championship victories stateside in Solo ii/Autocross.
@@Ottobon any more information or videos on this?
@@paineu_9112 Look up XHEADs old posts on mr2oc, if the website is still around
@@paineu_9112 I thought i responded but may have not properly. If you look up XHEAD's old posts on MR2OC then you can read about it, this is the best route if you can find all his old posts the guy was a legend beyond his pay grade. If you want to see the car he built (which was a AW11 that he shared slightly less info on, instead he prefered to give all his best info for a car he wasn't racing or competing with, the SW20) then look up Steve Hoelscher, #27 DP class
He only desired to make faster cars, but byproduct of his advice was he made super easy to drive MR2s by just adjusting the issues with the rear end, front doesn't really need much touching, if any. Its all very simple stuff and if you follow swing-axle car development like old porsche/vw, or by contrast drift setups (not his intention but half related and half true) its all similar stuff, you just want a rear end that doesn't go crazy with camber angles. With the MR2s the inside tire going vastly positive camber is most the issue. Why it was setup like this goes down a long route but the simple answer was it was early tech era solution to ride quality vs lateral g, the latest model car i can think that suffers this issue is the S2000 but before that in the 80s it was dozens, from C4s to specific model RX7s to even Mustangs at one point, it just becomes even more a problem on MR, but not a irreconcilable one.
MR2 was the grown up X1/9.
For a sports car what Jay has there is as perfect as anyone could reasonably expect, short of a Noble
You have to admire the passion to place money into a guaranteed no return, but listening to it is enough, what is fantastic noise, smiles per gallon or smile per Roi 😬
I just dropped a fair bit converting my 1990 to a 3SGE BEAMS, I should have gone the V6 route. I love that sound of that V6. I could probably pull the BEAMS motor as this would go a long way to a V6 but i just want to get her back on the road, been a couple years and I miss driving her.
Wow, that sounds amazing!! It’s not a conversion I even thought about before this video, but totally makes sense!! Brilliant.
People pleasantly surprised by the sound need to check out some Lotus products 😉 really interesting prospect this one
@3:20 you could also send it back to Toyota for the technocraft TRD2000GT(jgtc body, but with all the street car comforts) upfitting , or send it to SARD for the MC4 GTII(information is extremely limited on power output, however it has significant aero updates) upfitting, which in some cases left SW20s with upwards of 500whp. This is very much the 90s equivalent of calling up Manthey Racing for a GT3 RS build; meaning expensive.
I had the MK2 MR2 GT T-Bar in 1998, fabulous car. A few years later I had a Ferrari 328 GTS. The Ferrari was a dream for me but I don't think I enjoyed driving the MR2 any less and it was much easier to pile the miles on.
That sound impressed me more than I thought it would. Cool little car. I wouldn’t mind having this or a souped up Miata. But I just look a bit dorky in smaller cars. I’m 6-2 so I always get bigger cars. Although I’m American. I’m not a truck guy. Nor do I care much for SUV’s. So that just leaves me with few options. American muscle cars or German muscle cars 😂. I have a couple Mercedes. Sadly I sold my AMG. So my E550 will have to keep me happy until my next AMG. Which it has 412hp, so it’s not too much of a slouch. And with AWD it’s almost as quick as my old AMG RWD to 60mph. But that MR-2 looks like fun. Cool video.
Jesus loves you mate. Hell is real, you don’t want to end up there.
Jesus gave the ultimate sacrifice, so that all we had to do was profess faith in him, and we would be saved from an eternity in hell.
God bless you
More to the point of your comment, I love my AMG’s as well, particularly the older stuff. I’ve currently got a C36 AMG, had an e55 w210 for awhile, I can’t get away from straight sixes though..
Me too mate, for sure. Aussie car culture is good but you'll never see me in a pick-up or SUV or Ute. Current ride is BMW 335i sedan and next up will be a Merc 43 AMG ESTATE
I'm 6'4" and daily a Fiesta; don't worry about how you look in a smaller car. If someone has a problem with it they're always welcome to buy you a car they'd like (and pay the running costs).
I bought a MR2 yesterday thanks to this video
Lovely video! Your 'consumer advice' about the power steering pump is spot on - I've had to do it a few times over the years.
I have the same Enkeis on my '91 Turbo, but ABS and A/C were options on my original one (which I ticked), and the Cruise was standard. I don't know why the UK market was treated so poorly.
My second one, which I've had for 10 years, did not come with ABS. It's original owner was cheaper than I was I suppose.
These days the stock Turbo MR2 is "just a car", but it's still a lovely place to be on a nice twisty road. I agree with you about the chassis. I'm not confident that my car (or myself) could handle 300hp in it, so I think I'll just keep it as it is.
Thank you for another excellent video.
Good timing with Number 27’s review of a Gen 2 MR2.
Jay's videos have always been good, but your commentating style and "tone" recently have truly been great, It is A unique twist on the OG top gear review style with a bit more real-world down-to-earth car guy stuff. Loving the content Jay, Keep it up!
I know the owner of this car. I've driven a couple of 2GR-FE powered Mk2 MR2s. The effortless torque from low revs is the big difference compared with the 3S-GTE in the turbo version. Plus that fabulous V6 sound track. :>)
This is what people do when they A haven’t got a turbo and want it to be quick or B blew the 3SGTE up and can’t afford another
Or want more sound
Yup defo way, WAY better soundtrack, way more power, way more torque, way more driveability.
Or want less moving parts = more reliability, Better throttle response, way better sound (imho), more "grown up" feel of the car etc
This would drive SO much better than a turbo! You would have way more power and torque from 1000rpm all the way to its red line (at a guess 6000+rpm?) There would be zero lag and instant healthy throttle response from the larger capacity, a flat torque curve giving a much more enjoyable and easier to control all round driving experience. Old School turbos are not exactly smooth or controllable. If you fitted a bigger turbo to hit 350bhp like this the car would be a laggy turd with boost coming on late in the rev range and then only giving you 1500-2000rpm of pull? Shite. Even if the turbo had another 50bhp on this I guarantee THIS would easily run rings round it on the road or track!
Perhaps. Although I had a perfectly fine 3SGTE and swapped in the 2GR. I did it because I track the car and I prefer the 2GR for that purpose.
I used to own a V6 Xantia (3.0) and it was a real wolf in sheep's clothing.....
I always wanted to do this with my 3 previous Mister 2's. Never did though, could never afford the 4k, as it cost then, with Woodsport, 15 years ago, to do it.
It’s crazy how much the price of work has risen.
I was so close to getting the 3vz in mine, I saved up and then crashed it a few days before I was going to book the conversion.
I later found out mine had been in a front end crash before and badly repaired causing it to spin under braking in a straight line 😢
@@wrench8677 Most just spun if you gave it the beans around corners. 😁
@@mickstereftb I used to love the way the back end kicked out and then wiggled back into line when you put your foot down on a slow 90 turn
@@wrench8677 Me too until it one day it didn't wiggle as much as I needed it too and I slammed into a kerb. Thank god for eBay and a cheap new wheel. 😬
That V6 just sounds so good, and proper for that car.
i guess toyota never really saw any of their V6's as performance engines,the 3VZ-Fe had forged crank and rods so there was a base to work from i guess
Yep. Someone should supercharge one :)
That's what the MR2 should have had.
The MR2 is a great car and I'd like to own one with this swap. 😊
I had a grey import turbo tuned to the max. A complete handful, I couldn't keep it in a straight line and soon smashed it sideways into the arm rail doing over 120mph on a motorway (A9) near AMS Schiphol in the rain. Managed to bend every panel including the roof and chassis, without amazingly not breaking a single item of glass or light. Threw it in the bin and bought something more sensible.
The idea is cool and a good option if you can't get a turbo. I had a '93 turbo for 10 years with lots of upgrades and for me, that's the best option if you can find it.
Actually the turbo models can have both AC and cruise control. I own a very early Japanese market model with both. It even has fog lights that turn with the wheels like an old mercedes
I love cars like that. High mileage and cared for, and also a bit different. Nice one Nick.
TRD also sells a supercharger that bolts right on ... 400+ whp in an MR2 will surprise even modern sports cars
This reminds me of my Rocketeer Mk1 Mx5 (which you'll be welcome to drive JayEmm!). It has cost me about the same money. Both are fairly unique, make a wonderful v6 noise and yes are not for everyone; no accountant in the world would sign off what ive spent on mine :D
Ooh. An owner after my own heart. As much as it makes no financial sense, I still aim to Rocketeer swap my Mk1 MX-5. 🙂
Oh James, loving the howl of that V6!
Wouldn't mind an MR2 like that for the weekends.
Thanks for sharing!👍👏👏👏♥️
"Picking your line without leaving your side of the road" - i, for one, regard this as not cheating!
My imaginary tenner is going on Toyota knew they could do it, thought about it, and decided it wasn't allowed to be faster than a Supra. In exactly the way that someone at Lotus said the Esprit's V8 would fit in an Elise but they weren't going to do it.
lets not forget that the 2gr didn't exist until well after the mk2 mr2 finished production
Like the bmw 1m not being delivered with the V8...coz y'know...M3 sales.
.. and when they eventually put another engine to the MR2 (V8), it turned into a unicorn Le Mans homologation car called the SARD MC8.
The race version may not be successful, but the road version? That thing just oozes cool all over.
@@LukeAnthony-v3ri hadn’t actually checked anything like that 😂
That is it, another car in the lineup limiting the potential.
Imagine if the Boxster/Cayman wasn't restricted by the 911, or if you could get a BRZ from factory with a turbocharged WRX engine, or a limited edition MX-5 Miata with a Rotary from an RX-7/RX-8...
I believe the main reason Toyota didn't put a V6 in the 2nd generation MR2 was the fact that they only had iron block V6's while the 2nd gen MR2 was being developed and none of those V6's made more power than the 3SGTE. the all aluminum 1MZ-FE didn't make it into production until 93 when it was offered in the 93 Camry and ES300...
It's a labour of love. You can't put a price on that.
Maybe should have paid for some spelling lessons.
Look everyone, an American is here!
I'm a Honda guy, but damn that MR2 looks and sounds good.
Don’t forget to Hoover up the piece of biscuit off the carpet before you give it back mate
it just sounds so good
One of my dream cars is an AW11 MR2. This one is really clean though.
That learner car at the start was already past the point where he could have given way to you- that one was your fault for just barrelling through thinking "my right of way"
doesn't surprise me it was never sold in Europe , but as cars usually get larger engine in the US than they do here the V6 version is one you would really expect to find in the US ( though likely often in auto form even in a car like the MR2)
The Mister Two is still a fantastic looking car.
Love the driving tip!
The reason; The engine didn’t exist then.
SW20 (MK2 MR2) built 1989-1999. 2GR engine; 2002-present.
V6 of the time would’ve been the very anaemic 1988-2004 2VZ-FE , but with max 190hp from factory not sure would be worth them bothering.
The 1993-2014 MZ series of 194bhp would’ve overlapped production, but again; is it worth it when the 3SGTE made more bhp with less weight and is far far more easily tuneable?
Bot city in the comments wowza!
Edit: love love love these MR2s. Been my dream car since childhood! SW20 ftw!
I have always said that cars like the FIAT X1-9, Lancia Beta Scorpion, and Toyota MR-2 should have been offered with at least a 2.5L V-6 engine. Look what a collector car the Porsche 914/6 became.
That just might be my favourite car so far. It sounds great, is plenty quick and an evora looks half as good.
Yup sounds just like my 08 Lexus IS350. It’s a quick motor in my 3500lbs car. 5sec 0-60 times. 13 sec 1/4 mile. I could only imagine in an mr2
I have an Estima with this engine and it is actually bloody fast. So 500 Kg less weight give or take can only yield a stupendous result.!
I swear to god, RPF1's on MR2's has to be the perfect spec 🫠
Lovely looking car. Love how owner has kept it looking pretty stock. If you said it left the factory looking like that with that engine I would have believed you, nice job 👍🏻
Check out Sarah'n'Tuned currently fitting a V8 into a gorgeous 70s Celica. She also has a nut and bolt resto MK2 MR2. She's awesome.
You have to remember the build was over many years, factor in the use the car has had and hopefully no finance and you have a win win. Who cares about what its resale value is if you enjoy it and can still afford to go out for a meal and fill it with fuel and smile,
13k sound like a bargain, considering how much work it is.
The 2gr completes the car imo. Give the looks the sound to complement. Once I have the money I’ll be doing this to my SW20.
Had an MR2 Turbo/GTS around 1999, brilliant car. Head gasket blew which I think is common on these due to engine location and airflow.
most fun i have is in my v6 mr2.. 1ar swapped on coming soon. going to see how the GRs 4 cylinder brother propels one of these beauties with some light mods. (my v6 is also... very not stock, 320 wheel is a fun thing)
Sounds phenomenal and i love the intro! Thanks!
It's wild, i have driven the 3sgte and the us spec 5sfe.. and at no point did i think, man! this thing needs to be more scary.. 😂.. i have been in the 1mzfe swapped which is the 3.0 from the same generation, those were torquey engines, but it didn't feel as fast as the 3sgte.. Then at a car show i ran into a guy who K20 turbo swapped one, and that's when i immediately decided the balance was more fun in the 5sfe than the terror of 700whp in a k20 turbo powered version.. 😂
That is the right sound for the MR2! Most definitely should've come with a V6!
I remember when I was 17 passed my driving test and I was looking into doing one of these conversions but i ended up buying an mx5 nb a year later. Maybe one day I'll actually buy one after the many e36 projects I want to build
simple reason why they didn't. that version of the v6 was not made in that time, they just had the camry v6, and the smaller possibly light turbo variant pushed out more power than the v6.
and of course you have the engine size laws in japan that dictate alot of choices.
the mr2 weighs about 1000kg.
The MRT GT T bar is the only car I've ever bought new twice, I absolutely loved both of mine and I soooooo want to get another one when I've got 12k 🙏🙏🙏
The RHD markets always get the best Toyotas. Not to say we didnt get the MR2 in the states, but a lot of the better Toyota variants arent available here or in LHD.
Six weeks and 13k is wild. I guess if you have a lot of money and no interest in working with cars then yeah, go for it. But it is not that complicated and definitely something you can do on your own.
That thing would probably make Misha giggle. 😄
Ring it!
Yes since mk 2 mr was based on a Camry powertrain instead of the Corolla it would be a easy option to offer but since the price range was getting to close to Corvette territory it was voted down in favor of a larger market share price point..
TY J! 🙏🙏 A great project, but as you say, an Evora would be tempting to!
As a former RX350 owner, I am astounded about how good this engine can sound!
I've been waiting for you to get in to a 2GR SW20!
This vehicle is superb and I would love to own one
that thing is perfect
Those with V6 converted MR2s always cry 'throttle response' - those with turbos just say 'Still slower'
@@bx16v some turbos will have a higher peak number at about 7500rpm that doesn’t mean they are faster than a 2GR that has more power over most of the rev range. Especially with 0-60 where there launch is crucial and the V6 has twice as much torque down low.
Just a correction, the Rev3 did have traction control and ABS in the UK as an option, back in the 90's I had a Rev 3 UK car which had both, it had every option available in the UK when it was new £25k if I remember correctly, if you looked under the bonnet the unit had plethora of pipes, something thats not even there on the non traction control/ABS cars, I believe the Rev4 got these as standard.
Great video :) a bit like my 1ZZ celica 7- it should have had 160-180bhp and the 2ZZ should have had 220bhp.
Toyota massively undercooked power back in the day which was a shame as they made some incredible chassis 😮
Sounds like a first gen NSX! Niice