Success to Failure? - The Toyota MR2 Story
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Toyota MR2: The Complete Story - Nigel Burton. ASIN: B00V2JYWMU
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Bought a 2003 MR2 Spyder 5 speed new. It's still in the garage 20 years later and is still a blast to drive.
NEVER sell it. I had an 86, and I still miss her to this day 😢.
Ever driven one with a 2ZZ and 6 speed lsd swap? Its what ive done and it transforms it into a more practical and affordable lotus elise.
I just bought one from my friends uncle with 70k miles on it.. I love this car. (2003)
This car was so famous that it actually made it beyond the iron curtain and into the official magazine of the East German youth organization, the Pioneers. The "Trommel" aka "the drum" had a picture and a description of it in a small article. The space war otherwise reserves for legends like a Romanian jeep or the Wartburg Pickup. I have a vague feeling that the cut out article is still somewhere in my household... Oh, but where?
e
Would be great to see it. I always wondered if it made it there.
the only car I cried when I sold it... MkII NA ... I was in love with the hump in the middle, the gearstick was so accessible and the car was just so responsive, it felt like an extension of my body when pushed to limits. I still remember staring at it in admiration before getting in every morning on the way to work, not easy to keep the passion for a daily driver car after several years of owning it . I still dearly miss mine :) thanks a lot for the work put in this video. I hope mine is in good hands and still running, which I'm pretty sure it still is.... :)
you shouldve driven an aw11 it is way better as far as feel and transmission and responsiveness the only benefit of the sw20 is if its turbo'd but NA the aw11 takes the cake
@@jesuscruz2068 the trans on an aw11 is alot crunchier
I've had 4 mk2 Mr2s so far and they've all been fantastic fun to drive. My modified Turbo was quicker than my F355 and that's no joke!
I loved my 85 MR2. Very quick and a blast to drive. Handled like a go cart.
My 87 scared the hell out of me. Crashed 4 2nd gens. After I sent 1st gen off Cliff with my date
@@derekholmes4792 4 2nd gens ??? When do you ask yourself if you should stop
@@derekholmes4792Bro... I crashed my 91 NA Sw20 so I can't cast too much shade, but 4 of them??? Legitimately worse than hearing about the death of a family member.
@@sigmamale4147 prop liar, never even owned a moped
The headteacher at my primary school had a red second gen MR2 in the '90s. It was totally the coolest car I had ever seen. So many of the children thought it was a Ferrari - I knew my car badges though so recognised it as a Toyota. A very cool Toyota though.
The fact Toyota got confused with Ferrari in the 90s by school kids....fuuuuuuuck......like....I know the US aint exactly a nation of freedom even if the population display amusing cognitive dissonance on the subject with 18th century humanist thought like a buncha barbarians, but even then...come the fuck on that is just emberassing!
Toyota was marketed without any kind of logo or emblem for most of my youth, so I must be older than you. It basically was just TOYOTA in what looked like Helvetica all caps.
Poor man’s Ferrari! I have one ❤
@@DrWhom maybe! It was the '90s and I'm sure it had the oval badge on the front or the back or both. I went to a small village school and there was nothing on the road quite like it.
I owned three MR2’s. I had a 1986, a 1989 supercharged, and a 1991 second generation. I loved them all and had so much fun with them. I’m 6’-6" tall so I used to get teased about fitting in them. But it was worth it.
So, how did you fit in your mk1 / AW11 MR2?
I'm currently on the lookout for one but I'm a (relatively skinny) tall guy (6'5") as well.
They claimed that it should accomodate taller people fairly well. What's your experience?
@@TheGoose98 You would definitely want a hardtop or a t top for maximum headroom. my head is a couple inches off the roof in my sunroof aw11 and i'm only 5'9"
I had a white 1986 that I bought on Guam while in the Navy. Paid $12K for it brand new and no sales tax on Guam.
Years later, I located a low mileage 1989....red, black leather, T-bar....but not supercharged.
Nonetheless, both cars were wildly fun although not fast or powerful. That little AW-11 growling over my shoulder always made me laugh.
My lasting memory of the Mk1 was the incredible gear shift. The lever felt to be little more than the knob, the shift was so light it felt as though there was nothing attached to that knob and yet it all worked perfectly as a gear shift. I really wanted an MR2, but sadly sensible, practical motoring was the requirement of the day, so it never happened. Now, I can't remember when I last saw one.
That knob was a leather bananashaped d¡1do. Dead serious my senior highschool girlfriend would shift all the way to & from school every day while I was driving. She loved it. And yes, twice, she really, really loved it. It unscrewed from the base with counterclockwise turns.
I owned the Spyder when it was new, I absoloutely loved it, I wish I kept it. Very much an under-rated car. I now have two MR2 SW20s, both look and drive awesome, but they are now 30 years old and they need extra care and $$$s to keep them going. All 3 models were success in my eyes.
I admired all three generations in different ways for 25 years. Just a couple of months ago I got round to buying a MK3, in great shape. I am 6ft3" and fit just fine. It drives well and is everything I hoped it would be. Sales volume is not a great measure of a car; unless you are an accountant.
Absolutely. I love these videos but the obsession with sales is quite odd.
I had a Mk3 roadster in the UK and have subsequently had 4 MX-5’s. Loved every one of the latter, but I’m afraid none of them could touch the way the MR2 went around corners.
Just zero understeer at non-silly speeds.
I would have another in a heartbeat but for their reputation for eating their catalysts, which seems to have left a miniscule number on the road, here in the UK at least.
Well that's that I'm buying one..
I'm 6.2 and an mx5 is to small.
I got one. U need one
I had a 2nd gen MR2 (SW20) in the early 2000's. Mine was a grey import in black with an Autopista body kit fitted. I'd come from an Alfa 155 V6. At first I thought the engine felt a bit flat at low RPMs but when you opened the taps, that twin cam was a gem. Great video 👍
Great video. The front end of third-gen MR2 looks like it was inspired by the first-gen Porsche Boxster, especially when looking at it at 23:56.
When I was a teenager, I had a Fiat X19, and I absolutely loved it. The first Generation of the MR2 looked the best, in my opinion.
I have an 03 Spyder. Best car I have or may ever own. So much fun and turns so many heads! Not to mention gas mileage and ease of top dropping
I have a mk3 MR2, daily drove it for 2 years and put about 25'000 miles on it. In the context of what it was competing with (MG TF, mk2 MX5, etc.) it really does feel just that little bit better as a driver's car.
Having said that, I just finished swapping in the 2ZZ-GE engine from the Celica, and it adds that little extra something to the car that makes it truly special. Hard to believe Toyota didn't at least offer it as an option!
I've always loved the mk3's styling. It looks so cute, like a baby ferrari or cayman. at least at the front.
Had two Mk.1 MR2s in the late 1980's. Both brilliant cars. The 1.6litre 4-AGE engine was a little gem, mated to a gearbox with the best linkage I've experienced outside of a single-seater racecar with a Hewland gearbox. Super handling/roadholding. The Mk.2s had more power but lacked the Mk.1s brilliant balance. As for the Mk.3.............
The 2-tone 1st generation MR2 is amazingly cool! Great presentation- thank you!
Great channel as usual. In the late 70s I had minis, and finally a 1275GT. It fell apart after 2 years! So I got a Toyota Starlet in 1980, £3,200 brand new. Never looked back. Followed by a Corolla SR5, and many other models over 40 years. My Camry Mk IV was superb, I ordered direct from Japan, through Toyota Ireland. I now have one of the last manufactured top-of-the-range Avensis. The MR2 I liked the Mk2+ @ 21:19
My first car was an 1st gen Mr2 in 2003. Still have it, but it's been stored away for when I can properly bring it back to life. The only other car i've owned that gave the same driving feel as the mr2 was my 2013 Scion Frs.
In case you're wondering about the whole "4 valves become 2" comment, it's referencing the Toyota Variable Induction System (T-VIS) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T-VIS
Erratum: The mk1 MR2 also had the radiator up front.
The T-VIS system is all in the intake manifold. It does not alter anything with respect to how the intake/exhaust valves operate in the cylinder head. What it does is change the intake manifold geometry based on engine speed.
I'm wondering why at 5'11" you were not able to successfully adjust the seat and steering wheel. It's factually a bigger cabin than the mx5
@@ThePerpDerp yep, nailed it. Had a Mk1b for 15 years. They have butterflies in the 8 intake runners that actuate at around 4400rpm. Nothing to do with the valves
Like the others said, that's not how T-VIS works (i would know, i have an 85 ae82 fx-16 gts). I'd also like to point out that the picture you used to show the 4a engine is indeed a 4a engine, but you speak of the 4a-ge variant, which looks nothing like a standard 4a, because as you said it it's DOHC (it was indeed the 4a-ge which was put in the mr2, like the gt-s trims of the ae86/ae82).
Edit : the dials are proper to the mr2, although they resemblance a mix of ae82/ae86. The mechanism behind is very similar, but some resistors values are different, because of the rpm range)
2nd Edit : the 1zz GE would be the successor to the mr2 aw11, because it's engine was the 4A-GE, not just the 4a. GE was the high performance engine head denomination at Toyota.
Sadly that mr2 never got it.
TVI-s did almost nothing. It was supposed to improve torque down low, by shutting off one port per cyl up to 4500 rpm or so but did very little in reality. I ran with and without it and couldn't tell any difference in drivability or top performance. I even tried removing, but putting in restrictors in one port on each cyl to get the intake velocity up - the early "big port" engines seemingly ripped off Cosworth, and the later engines with smaller ports had 130hp (like in the Geo Prisim GSI) vs the 112 in the MR2.
Had 3 MK1 MR2s, all dark blue, all 88 or 89, all super-charger JDM import (or conversion of UK NA using the kit from my previous ones). Had my first in 2001 and still got one 22 years later with bits on from that first car and it has always been the most perfect-to-price ratio car for me, that I've driven or owned from the perspective of handling to practicality to reliability to FUN!
Had a ton of other cars over the years, much newer, more tech, more refinement... though my SC's were/are modded so nearer 200bhp and 0-60 in sub 6 seconds, even when stock it shifted from launch extremely well vs the N/As and kept up with or even held off much bigger cars (upto around 70/80mph on 'normal' roads). But it wasn't about just the speed or traction it can put down, it's the feel, the layout, the raw-but-not-too-raw (i.e lotus elise) perfect balance and the bold looks and, now, rarity that gives the MK1 its special status.
Mk2 and Mk3 never really interested me as both lost something vs the Mk1 even as they 'improved' in some areas, I'm not a fan of soft tops but a kitted hard topped MK3 can look (and drive) nice, but the lights and lack of boot and slightly mis-marketed profile means I never fully desired one. Mk2 is now more dated looking than Mk1 to me, and the side profile has less magic, only the rear deck and curved rear window save it from looking like a cross between a celica and ford probe.. as it comes from the era of more 90s homogeny and 'softening' to be more like a larger, normal car but with pop up headlights, which the MK1 could never be mistaken as! :)
What a FANTASTIC video‼️👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
I had a 2002 Toyota MR2 Spyder in yellow and LOVED it. I received loads of compliments. 🥰
Previously I had a 1993 Honda Civic Del Sol and loved it as well. ❤
And now I suddenly miss my SW20. Hands down the best car I ever had. Never sure if it was going to kill me without notice but it taught me the difference between my limits and what it’s limits were real quick
The second gen pre facelift turbo was very cool and tried to kill you with snap oversteer. Friend of mine had a pre facelift turbo back in 2002, and yes he hit a fence some bushes and a curb. Total write off, and he was uninjured. I had the non turbo face lift (with the newer style rear lights) and that was way more neutral to drive. It actually asked very friendly if it was allowed to kill me with squeaky tires noise in higher speed corners. Back off on the throttle and it became normal to drive again. That pre gen turbo DID NOT do that. Fun cars to own and drive!
@@peterdevreter 91 NA 5MT # 8XX of 15k brought to North America from 91-95. The Gen 2.5 had a lot of improvements incorporated that the Gen 2.0 made noticeable. Stiffer bracing, LSD and better adjusted dampeners. I put over 60k on the ODO in just over 2 years driving it everywhere and pushing it to its limits. The margin for error on the first 3 years was paper thin. Upside is when I sold it it was still mostly stock and had a new engine in it for the next owner to enjoy. Downside is I sold it because it’s frowned upon suggesting putting the kids in the trunk or frunk to do family things.
PS: 91-95 was gear limited, both NA and Turbo. Top speed NA 141 @ redline in 5th. Top speed Turbo 170+ @ 7500, figuring 170 because the trip ODO button stopped the needle where 170 would have been on the speedo…🤷😂😂😂
I had a gen2 N/A 2.0. I didn't like it. That's the best I can say. Fast looking but actually slow and weak. Too much of a discrepancy. ❗
As with so many cars, the first generation was the best looking one and the most desirable one.
My whole life my grandad had one parked up in the car port largely hidden by empty boxes. I only ever really saw the rear of this red 1987 example and damn it I was determined I was gonna get it one day. He’d bought it in 1999 and parked it up. A couple of months later.
Last year he finally gave it to me to get back on the road. It was in pretty good condition with only 78k on the clock and an immaculate interior with seats that had spent their whole life with protective covers on them.
It’s now sat on my driveway. Absolutely love it. I had to wait 23 years but it was worth it
I am still happy with my 3 Mr2s, one original SC 1988, another a transplant GZE 1988, and lastly, my 1991 Mr2 Turbo. One thing about this cool collection Ive had for decades as my dailys, is the required and ongoing maintenance to keep them running since, leaving them sit too long starts to develop issues such as rusty fuel tanks and parts availability. Luckily there is still a large following in the world and the internet has brought us all together to trade and sell parts to keep them all alive. Documentaries such as these, help out the Mr2 community for sure, so, thanks.
I bought a first gen MR2 in 1985 that was part of the first shipment into Canada. The only cross shopping I did was against the 1st gen Fiero which for me was a big disappointment. I seem to remember $14k Can price. Paint, fit and finish were wonderful. None of your pics showed the manual shifter - a hit with the ladies! The problem was the treacherous handling in that first year. Hit an entry ramp at speed and some road imperfection would unsettle the rear end and before you knew you knew it you were backwards. Never before or since have I spun out on a public road. It was just too twitchy for the street. Sold in '87 for a Supra.
The MR2 was on my short list when I was a kid, but there were none for sale around me, ended up buying a red Fiero when I was 19. A guy I went to college with had a red MR2, we'd park by each other occasionally.
A boss of mine had an 86 MR2. White, it was a fun car to drive. Perfect balance, superb shifter, cornered like a go kart! I believe Toyota had a winner. Very impractical, but just a blast!
i have had every generation of the mr2, starting 25 years ago, i currently have a gen 3 and although its almost a forgotten car, and becoming rarer to see on uk roads these days, it probably the best of the bunch whilst ironically being the cheapest one to buy, i suggest anyone to try one, its a better car then you think i promise ...
This video beautifully captures the journey of the Toyota MR2 from success to failure.
I bought a 1987 MK1 in red in 1998 after university. It had 105k miles on it but was utterly pristine. It was quite the upgrade from my 1983 mini that was losing its battle with rust. 5 years of fun with no real problems.
Thanks for telling the story so well. I had a full spec, brand new, bright red MR2 as a company car in 1988 and I absolutely loved it! Fast, nimble and perfect for two. In the days before speed cameras and speed humps, it was a joy to drive around the lanes of Surrey and Sussex. Happy days!
A friend of mine had one of these (early models) at the same time I had my 2nd generation Ford EXP. I couldn't believe the amount of leg room! This was a TRUE sports car! Toyota really did a really great job.
I owned and bought the same one in red at the 8:43 mark. 1986 5 speed manual. Price was about $15k if remember correctly. Paid it off in 4 years and kept it for 7 years, sold it with 73k miles. Never had to change the brake pads nor rotor’s because I always Engine braked. probably wasn’t the best on the engine.
Changed the oil every 3k miles, filters, spark plugs and 2 or 3 sets of tires. That was it. No problems at all. Longest drive was a round trip from NYC to Montreal. Never missed a beat. Would love to have it back for sure. My first manual car and it was a blast to drive !!!
Had an '86 NA manual that I drove for a decade. Loved that machine, so fun to drive and would really handle corners if you knew how to handle the light front. Once you got the rpm"s above 3500 the torque improved significantly. Interior cockpit style was first class. Did have some quirky issues with that mid engine bay - I was just not built to get in there so made for some fun repair/maintenance. Would like to have one again in my garage 😊
When I think MR2, I ONLY think of the first generation. Simply incredible and definitely a dream car for me. And despite its 'dry weather' looks (and due to its mid-engine layout) it's quite amazing in the snow as a guy I worked with when I was an intern had one and we went to the ski slopes with it. Handled better than a FWD car, if not an AWD one.
Drove mine 20 miles to work back in the 2000s in snow and it was fine, better than me ex FE/RWD cars, mine's a super charger 1988 (well I've had 3 so it was a different one at the time) but never let me down driving wise even at 'exciting' speeds. And yes, to me Mk1 mr2 *IS* the MR2... the others just weren't as good all round, mk2 got bloated and aside from the rear lid/window looked like a ford probe, the mk3 went soft top without boot and frog like.. obviously they are still both great cars but the Mk1 was perfect with the best looks (not 'prettiest' or smoothest like MK2 might claim to be but just the BEST and most suitable looks for what it was)
I owned the original MR2. I loved that car. Driving it was a blast at any speed.
Japan were good at imitation.
Probably started with 240z et al, mainly for the 🇺🇸 market.
Resembling heavily the Jag E-type.
The MR2 to begin with, resembled the TR7, which in turn resembled the X-19.
You're correct 👍 as it went through all sorts of shapes and sizes.
One even resembling the Porsche Boxster.
My all time favorite sentence ever heard: 'ABS to stop, passenger airbag if you didn't'. Thank you for that memorable one.
Thanks. I quite liked that one as well!
I bought my 1990 registered MK1 in 94.. it still makes me smile driving it and in nearly 30 years of ownership, apart from several batteries, the only repair has been 1 alternator.
I’ve just bought back my sw20 rev 5 mr2 that I was forced to sell 12 years ago after spotting it by chance on marketplace, it was still owned by the gentleman I sold it to who’d kept it in a heated garage and meticulously looked after it, it has no rust and just 20k extra miles, I couldn’t be happier being reunited with it!
Brilliant little video, I remember on a youth event one of the leaders had a Mark 1 MR2, let's say he took it to a rough neighborhood and he decided to make sure it was safe by parking in the vestibule of the church we were staying at.... The ministers face when he opened the doors on Sunday morning to find a red MR2 parked inside!
For me I preferred the Mark 2 MR2, I was never a fan of the Mark 3,.I would say I would have a Celicia over a Mark 3 MR2.
I just brought my MK1 MR2 from '85 out from the shed to get it running again. It just started (with another battery) after 6 years of standstill, within a minute. Brakes are all stuck, and one of the wheel arches is in terrible shape. But it seems doable, and great to drive it again. I already have it since I'm 21 and at the time I always drove it, also in winter weather. In the past 10 years, it was barely driven. I am looking forward to it though. I might have gone soft with my electric car and so on, but I think I will enjoy it again.
A few points: The MR2 got 112hp in North-America but 124 up to 130hp elsewhere, without the catalytic converter. In Europe it got the catalytic converter in '87 and power was reduced.
Mine is the one with 124hp up to 7800rpm.
I must say when you go past 200km/h it doesn't feel that stable, unlike the Celicas that I had. But yeah, the car isn't new anymore. And it is not so important to go that fast.
The most important thing is good tires, with bad tires this thing is dangerous when a few raindrops have fallen :)
Love my 01 Spyder. Original (minus a new top) and runs like a champ with a bit over 60K on the odometer. Green metalic with brown interior (Top is tan)....Love it.
I had a mk2 n/a. It had a secret. It used to take off at about 4k rpm. The secret was that it would do it again at a bit higher rpm.
They also had a tendency to try to reverse into lamp posts.
I miss my Mr2.
Great video. I love my 88 supercharged! Bought it four years ago after it had been sitting in a garage on flats not run for over a decade. Took almost nothing to get it back to its fullest. Great driving car, and gets a crazy amount of thumbs ups out the passersby’s windows.
Hell yeah. I’m fixing to go outside and do tuneup on my 1990 Turbo in about thirty minutes.
The mk3 is so underrated. I absolutely hated the design when it came out, but 20 years later.. I now proudly own one. Super fun car that handles like a go kart, and absolutely love the frog face look. Its aged well to me and actually looking better as time goes on. Always get asked what it is as well. People think its some kind of Porsche or something. 😂
i love my AW11 and id never give it up!
I own a 1992 G-Limited Mk2 manual with 207,000km that I was driving today. I've got a complete 105,000 km engine/transmission in the shed as spare. I plan on keeping mine for a very long time.
3:45 Total aside, but the Triumph TR-7 marketing ("The shape of things to come") hooked me for decades. It was brilliant marketing.
Love my Mk1. Would love to have driven it more than twice before HG went ($700 in 2018 so I think I still did alright,) but man is that an amazing car.
After a bit of fiddling found out that motor was toast. Now that my m35a2 is nearly finished, I can finally get around to the rebuild of my original project car.
Great video.
Been Waiting for an MR2 Video forever, Nice one BIG CAR ! Love you man !
I bought one of the First Generation cars in 'all over red' in 1986, and it was a tremendous package, well ahead of its time in many respects. It remains in my collection 37 years later, and is still a solid and reliable vehicle which is very simple to keep in fine condition, always brings a smile on summer weekends, and shows Toyota at their very best. If a Fourth Generation MR2 does appear, I will be first in the queue!
I got to drive a new, first gen MR2 in the 80s. I still remember how amazingly agile it seemed. It taught me how and why mid-engined cars rotate so easily about their vertical axis. The little Toyota twin cam spun up easily and the shifter throws seemed super short and quick.
I sold my MK3 shortly after this video was released. I absolutely shared your opinion on the car when it was released, but owning it until 5 months ago made me realize just how lovely the car is. I continue to champion it for the purity of its brief - a fun, economical, reliable, durable and easy to drive car the likes of which won’t ever be made again moving forwards.
Only reason why I no longer have it was because i couldn’t afford IT and my grail E46 330ci.
I’ve owned 4. A 1988, a 1991, 1993 and a 2000. All great but the 2nd generation is my favorite. Handling though goes to the 2000. Great video!!
I've always loved these cars, the 2nd version was my favourite, then the original, used to see lots on the roads. Not so much now. I really like the video.
Same. I preferred to 2nd generation but when I had the opportunity to buy one for some reason I didn’t. I looked at the 3rd generation but those headlights were too ugly and it didn’t come in a manual but a silly semi-automatic. I used to see many about but not many now. I wonder if many have survived or they’ve been sent to scrap? Pity Toyota never looked like producing an overall great car. It looked promising with the Supra but it all went downhill.
I just this saturday bought a mk2 MR2 with the T-Roof, am 22 years old and a long lived dream finally made happy ^-^
In late 1989 one of my friends took delivery of an early mk2 an over enthusiastic moment on my first ride in this car saw it do a complete 360 degree in a small country road. lift off oversteer was real in these cars.
The Toyota MR2's story is a testament to the fact that success is not permanent.
Reinforced by their dealer network marking up every car to ridiculous levels. Example: GR86- wait in line for allocation, $15K over MSRP. Go across the street (literally) to the Subaru dealership BRZ, 10s in stock, $1k under MSRP. WTF is Toyota trying to do besides destroy their brand?
bimlisaa's comment is a testament to the fact that bots are still infesting TH-cam comments
@@MikeF055 What they are trying to do is enhance the perception of the brand. Basic price point theory says that you sell more at smaller margins, which mathematically induces an optimum where the overall profit is maximised: at a higher price you make more per unit, but the total sold is too low compared to the situation at the optimum, and below the optimum it is the same story with some adjectives reversed. But there is more: who you are perceived (by the potential buyers that matter) as competing against matters. If you offer, say BMW or Mercedes quality at a much lower price than these marques, you are not seen as offering the prestige associated with such badges. As one of the (or even the one) biggest car manufacturer in the world, you don't want to be hamstrung by this utilitarian perception which closes off the higher segments of the markets. This is why they launched Lexus, which did well, or even too well: Totoya still feels too weak in the mid-range market.
Subaru does not give a crap. They are aggressively trying to increase their market share and being within the price range of the _boy racer drug-trading thug_ on the make suits them quite well, both as brand image and as actual market placement.
The aspirational aspect of car sales is like quicksilver. Received wisdom is that fleet buyers look dispassionately at the numbers, and to the extent that this is true, you can gauge the effect by comparing fleet buyers to the general public.
In North America it is common to see the exact same vehicle under different badges; I guess this works because some people cannot tell one car from another without looking at the badge.
I’ve owned and loved two Mk1 MR2’s (a very early 1984 “hex” wheel in original red and an Ice blue late 1989 T-Bar) and a Mk3 and I miss each one of them deeply.
The MK1’s were just a joy to rev, the gear change was….cliche coming up….rifle bolt quick and short and was a heck of a lot of fun smashing around the box and the gear lever itself felt more like something you would get in an aircraft rather than a car. Everything always worked (except my first red one which for some reason decided to leave its entire bottom end on the motorway one day so needed a whole new engine…..then subsequently a new set of shocks…..and then got written off about 3 months later…….it didn’t put me off though), always started, sounded great and everyone thought they were just the coolest cars! My Mk3 I owned twice I loved it so much! I bought it after selling the second Mk1 and it was brilliant. Genuinely brilliant. Completely impractical but I didn’t care. Drove with a real sophistication and precision, was quick, brakes were incredible for a car that size, darted into corners, rode surprisingly well and again…..never had a thing go wrong with it. I only sold it to buy a Lotus Elise…..which to be fair is still the best car I have ever owned. But the Mk3 ran it very close and as a daily driver, was actually the better car and gave me 90% of the fun the Elise did more of the time. I adored and miss the Elise and would have another one I a heartbeat but…..if I had the money (and not a family!!!), I would happily have another Mk3, hands down
I drove a black gen 1 back in the late 90s. Fun car. "I love what you do for me. Toyota!"
Terrific video as usual! Like you, I still have a special place in my heart for the MR2, mainly the first and second generations. I just never did care for the third. I sat in a number of the first gen cars but never got the chance to drive one. I truly fell in love with it when the supercharged and t-top version came stateside. Even though cars were getting rounder then I really liked its funky origami 1970s looks.
While I didn't at first get excited about the more mature second gen's looks it definitely grew on me. Turning 16 in Dec 1989 and wanting my first car I checked it out. I didn't drive it until a few years later since it was not only out of my price range for the turbo but the insurance was astronomical as well. I wound up getting a 1990 Accord EX and put nearly 300,000 miles on it. Oh to be a carefree teenager again!
I had a white Mark 1 with a rear spoiler and a pop-out sunroof (not a Targa, but I think the pop-out sunroof would have been a better option anyway). :-)
Sports cars generally give off a bad image, but people genuinely like you in it, and even people who don't like cars and think sports cars are all silly liked it. My favourite part was seeing five year old boys grab at their dad's trouser leg in excitement, and say, "Dad, Dad, look, fast car!"
You know how you think cars will be when you're a kid (or at least, beyond your mum and dad's car!), and then you find out later they're mostly pretty boring? It's actually like how you think they'll be when you're a kid, it's wonderful!
one of my favorite car. I have a original catalog
I had one, in red but no T bar. I loved it but it wasn’t fast, I owned a Pug 1.6 Gti before the MR2 and couldn’t beat my home to work early morning commute in the Toyota. I gave up after I spun it in the dry. Beautiful design touches and a quality car.
I wonder if the MK 3 would have sold better if it had an option for the more powerful 2ZZ-GE engine seen in the Celica 190. Having experienced one with such an engine swap go flying past my standard Mk1 at a trackday at Oulton Park last year it would have given a real boost to its performance !
From what I've been told there was an agreement with lotus at the time that Toyota wouldn't put the 2ZZ in the MR2....
2zz mk3 is still slow, lift is pretty unusable most of the time
I think it would of sold better but especially at the time it looked even more bizarre then it does now. We can look back on its froggy styling now and maybe it will get a smile out of us, but back then it REALLY just looked bad.
I think the one single thing thats helped its reputation as silly as it sounds was Hot Motorings runs with Techno Pro Spirit's MR-S. Sure plenty of MR-S have been entered in various forms of racing and surely some have won many times, but having some celebrity racing drivers, and the whole rollercoaster story of that specific car and the legend it eventually became gave people something to respect.
I had a 2001 3rd gen for my second car. Australian models only came with the more fragile SMG but they did get the LSD as standard. It was a hell of a lot of fun but really let down but the engine. That 1ZZ engine turned out to produce the odd lemon. Mine being one of them. It was out of warranty but Toyota rebuilt the engine. I really wish it had have had the 2ZZ and I think it was a tragedy it never had it. I needed something more practical and reliable and traded it in for the 2005 2ZZ fitted Corolla. The Corolla handled terrible in comparison but once I returned the suspension and stiffened the chassis a little, I found it to be as much or more fun than the MR-2.
In 1987 I wrecked a new MR2 on the test drive. The other driver ran a stop sign and I couldn't stop on wet road. I ended up buying a Mazda MX6 instead.
In 1991 I bought a new MR2 Turbo. What a great little car that was. Wonderful handling, plenty of power.
Had as a first new car: 86 loaded, every option black on black/ grey 5 speed
The only color
Little go cart but many would consider underpowered
That access to the mid engine location was unique
Everyone wanted to drive it
It turned heads as it was simply unusual at that time
And at the time, two door Toyota sports oriented car was a thing not familiar to most
The press was next level when this was introduced to the market
A lot of 2 am burns with two others with automatics
Buddy purchased the offered new Supra black on black
Not quite as fun as my fiat 128 or 69 mgb
I chased down a 1986 AW11 MR2 after reading in CAR (LJK Setright) Toyota hired Lotus to design the suspension. My days owning a series of air-cooled 911’s was gone. The MR2 was what I called my “911 Safe Sex). 15 inch Ronal wheels, better tires,and the TRD lowering springs really set the car apart. The handling was as good or better than the vicious 911’s but more predictable. At 6 feet 1inch tall, it was supremely comfortable, once you got in the seats! The car was side-swiped and written off in 1997. I still miss that car! Lastly I always thought the Gen 2 MR2 borrowed a lot of styling cues from the Ferrari Dino 206/246. Not a bad thing! Good presentation as always.
I went to that 1983 Tokyo Motor Show. The SV-3 concept was indeed a standout at the show.
Thanks. I had a friend who had a White Supercharged "Mister Two" as we used to call it. Was fast.
Sat in one at a car show and it was the first interior I ever sat in where everything felt perfectly placed.
Had a 1985 MR2. The only bad things about it were the shifter boot and the doors. The doors were so light, they felt as structurally sound as a beer can. Fun car. the 4AGE was a great engine.
I took my MR2 MKI (87 facelift) to France for Le Mans and a detour to Paris on the way back in 89 and didn't see another examples the whole week I was there. The French took photos of it and smiled. Only now, after watching this, do I realise why.
These cars were so flipping cool! I wanted one badly but settled for a Corolla GTX / Ae86 coupe because it was more practical as a daily driver. Same engine, manual transmission and loads of fun but man I wish I'd got the MR2.
A friend of mine owned a Mk1 and a Mk2. As he wasn't particularly confident I bought the Mk1 for him. This was an 87 MY with the good ol' 4A-GE 1.6L . What a driving machine, 7,000rpm redline precise steering, felt really sorted..took several hours to get the smile off my face. Then he got a Mk2. This was a 1990 JDM import (we're in the UK) GT with the 2.0 3S-GTE Turbo'd lump. Strewth was that quick, I managed to V-Max (125mph) it on a very empty dual carriageway one evening...frightened the life out of me as I wasn't really trying (just seeing how quick it was!). Another friend that was following me in his Mk3 2.0i Cavalier (which is no slouch) told me it was like watching the Millennium Falcon go to Hyperspace!!!
3:47 X1/9!!!! IT'S ONE OF MY FAVOURITE CARS
You should tell it's history, is very interesting.
One day!
My 87 standard 1,6 double barrel corolla compact is fun enough still. Drives like a go cart
Another amazing video!!
For me the original MR2 will always be the best. After that they started to loose their edge and too much choice from the competition. Thanks as always for the effort in bringing us these videos.
I agree. I had just bought a new ‘83 Celica GT-S; then this shows up. Still, to this day, I wish I could put that driver’s seat in every car I’ve owned.
I have an all original aesthetically midnight blue Mk1 1987 T-Top but with a 4age 20v Blacktop and 6 speed LSD swap. It's a beast for what it is!!!
Like you I dreamed of my red Mr2 but luckily a 72’ 240 Z pulled into the gas station I worked at with a for sale sign. I said I’ll take it! Sold my 79’ Celica made a profit at the age of 18. Next was 69’ 2000 Roadster. I’m so proud of my car choices. Nobody I knew helped me but many bought same cars I had✌🏻 Model Y now I’m done wrenching.
There WAS the 1977 Toyota Celica GT.
[ a very sporty car.]
I owned one.
📻🙂
I owned a Gen3 MR2 Spyder with semi automatic sequential gear box. It was great to drive in dry weather and handled incredibly well. When it rained and driving on wet roads it was unpredictable. Even at slow speeds going around bends in the road the back end would let go and you be sideways battling to get it back in line. In the wet I always had my heart in my mouth, but in the dry it was an absolute joy to drive.
Had a red Mark 1. Loved it, drove it, only sold it coz I left the country. Still miss it. Don't want to get one as I suspect the years and evolution of power have not been kind to it. Still a great car. Plus reliable as it can be.
Another great video! I always loved the MR2.
Now that I cannot drive, I regret never trying one out.
Thanks for the overview Andy!
Try it in a simulator if you can, modern ones are decent these days.
I owned a 1987 MR2 and a 1991 MR2 turbo. Both had typical Japanese build quality and reliability. They handled brilliantly, and both were quite quick. The bodies had lots of water traps, and as long as you could keep them from rusting, they were nearly perfect.
My first car was a white one mr2 with a t-bar and a full leather interior and automatic windows it was an amazing car
Yes, I pulled the trigger and owned a 98 model mkII t-bar in red. One of my favourite cars!
Great video, a car close to my heart too - my Mk II NA was my first dream car before owning Lotuses. I test drove an MR2 Mk III but just didn't gel with it - cannot stand the looks - and it had ridiculously impractical storage. Here's hoping Toyota do it proud with a Mk IV.
15:36 I like that collapsable gearstick feature! 😂
I quite fancied the 3rd Gen one at one point - sensible mechanical parts would mean reasonable running costs and no freaky garage bills - and it looked like huge fun to drive. But, it only worked as a fun car - if you wanted it as an only car it wasn't practical - so little luggage space meant you still needed the dull family hatchback as well, so that ruled it out for me.
I had a housemate in the 90s who bought a very high mileage, no service history MR2 at auction.
A previous owner had installed a black Pontiac Fiero body kit, and everyone thought it was some sort of wee American thing. Dunno what the DVLA paperwork said, but it was very convincing, but not as pretty as a proper MR2 (in our opinion).
His plan was to get the body bits and turn it back how it should be - but he sold it on before he got round to that particular project.
I never even sat in it, but my housemate absolutely loved driving it - and it was as reliable as a Casio watch as far as I recall.
He was a bit gutted when it was gone.
Still own a red T-top and blue s/roof MK1, LOVE to drive these ace cars. everything about them is so much fun.
I've owned 2 mk1s and a mk2 turbo. All 3 over 20 years ago. The first ones are the best, light, nimble, rev happy, dangerous? Take them to the limit and they will bite back! I never ended up in a hedge bottom, came close though! As a pleasure machine the mk1 is the winner. Personally i think they looked, look amazing. The very rare occasions i see one now on the roads in Yorkshire im transport back to a better time.. In another 10 years or so these already rair car's will get the true admiration they rightly deserve!!
Owned a 92' MK-2, 5 speed w/t-top . Midnight Blue with blue cloth interior. Purchased it 2010 sold it for 5x what I paid for it. What a great little car.
I had a red 91 Turbo with black leather interior and T-tops. Loved that car. Been a Toyota guy ever since.
My first car was a 1987 MR2 (at 10 years old from a relative who bought it new). Even a mundane drive usually made me smile. Loved that car!