A few things It's sw20 Air con was an option The sunroof can be removed and put in the front boot The "transmission tunnel" is where the fuel tank lives
I have a '93 UK SW20 which does have power steering. At first I thought it did not because the steering was quite heavy, but then one day it broke and the steering got even heavier. Turns out early 90s power steering wasn't as assistive as the modern stuff.
The SW20 power steering system was an electrically-driven hydraulic pump which would shut off above 40 or 45mph (I'm a bit fuzzy on which), so it was mainly a system used to ease the low speed maneuvers. Very suitable for this type of car. The transition from full assist to no assist, which is probably gradual as speed rises, is seamless.
The switchgear looks very modern. A great looking modern design. Probably one of the main reasons why 90s cars don’t really stand out that much today in the way 70s cars did in the 90s. Also, I think these look best in white.
I've always loved the MK2 MR2. My friends uncle swapped his Audi UR Quattro for a K reg GT T-bar (it was a different time). A school friend had a grey import MR2 Turbo. The MR2 was probably the most successful mid engined car for the masses following on from the Fiat X1/9 but with more performance and improved quality. Both of course are looked back on more favourably than the Pontiac Fierro. If I'm being honest id live to own any of the above but the MK2 MR2 was a pretty car that really did look every bit the baby Ferrari that a working class person could aspire to. It's sad that cars like this no longer exist leaving a huge void in the new car market. At least Toyota haven't recycled the name for an EV SUV.
Great video, I can gladly say I own a '97 MR2 GTS turbo. Mine has A/C and it's a twin airbag model too with factory Recaro confetti seats and a rare TRD 300km/h Speedo. Very rare
I had the exact GT model, H reg, same colour too. Got it around 50Kmiles, and did another 50K. Great car. Those seats were not only comfy, but they also lasted too. The whole car still looked concourse throughout the time I had it. Only had one issue with it in all my time, which was to do with cooling which was pretty cheap to fix (and I did neglect to put new antifreeze in which was likely the cause). Bushings in suspension were likely getting worn too. But not bad after 100K miles. The discs and pads lasted ages despite driving around lots of country roads. It was indeed a solid feeling car, a friend remarked on it saying it would likely be good in a crash. Gone up in price a lot lately. The mark 3 looks a better buy now if want value. I have not driven an mk3 but would like to. My mr2 did not depreciate all that much too. Just £2K over 3 years. Cheaper than the insurance cost me! Regarding driving it was great. Had to be careful in the wet of oversteer and on ice it was really snappy. It seemed like a heavyish car back then (I had an AX GT before it) - but it is light today. A driver's car that could do the miles, this MR2 really was a GT.
Reminds me of taking my one in once to a tyre fitting garage to get an oil change. Fitter drove it on the ramp, and proceeded to start unbolting the front undertray. I had a smile on my face when I told the manager the fitter might have more success changing the oil if he went to the rear of the car. Loved my MR2 with the liitle roof panels you could take out - the name of which I forget
I think that this 1990-97 (?) shape is the nicest looking of the MR2 models. This is a stunning example. I have a lot of respect for Toyota. The interior is so blue that One Hit Wonders Eiffell 65 could have written a song about it at the turn of the Millenium.
Used to have a airfix model of this car when I was younger, I painted mine white, so that's most likely the only time I will have a mark 2 MR2! Great review as always.
Nice review!! I fullfilled a childhood dream and bought an mr2 T-bar in original low mileage condition 2 years ago. I absolutly love everything about it! The road noise you mentioned is due to the suspension geometry coupled with modern tire design causing "saw blade" typ tread wear.. I don't hear that with the roof off though😁
Seriously considering buying a project one near me, is it worth it? I absolutely love these cars but I’m 19 with not a lot of extra money or mechanical knowledge
@@Nickoboss29 I live in Germany and run it on a seasonal classic car registration (30 years and older) from April to October, and then mainly on weekends in nice weather. I have no intention of ever driving it on a track because of 1. snap oversteer and 2. it's mint low mileage condition..😅
YES! I used to have a rare (nobody bought them!) SW23 which was a SW20 but with the 120hp Carina engine. Only made for two years from 90 to 92. Last year I found that it was still on the road but now as a hiddeous mock Ferrari :-(
I had one of these, a black Japanese import 2.0 litre turbo 225bhp!! It was a thing of beauty and absolutely flew! The lad i sold it to was into Fast and furious films and slapped body kits and flashing Toyota badges on it! 🤦♂
Back when I was in a band, around 2000, our singer Paul had one of these. Fond memories of shooting down the A13. Funnily enough when I spoke to him recently he told me he'd sold it to a TH-camr who wanted it as a project car for some videos!
A car design book from 89/90 that I have features the design evolution of the MK2 and I recall reading something about the transmission tunnel being used for the fuel tank.
On its launch the mk2 MR2 was criticised for its handling by the motoring press. Car magazine in the UK ran the front cover headline 'How Toyota spoilt the new MR2'. If memory serves me right Toyota subsequently made changes to improve the handling. Anyway, great review Matt of a car I always admired but never got round to owning. Had 2 MX5s instead. Incidentally, I saw a mk1 MR2 out on the road last week and it looked tiny compared to modern hatchbacks and SUVs.
I owned a Aw11 and SW20 back in the day, I preferred the AW11 truth be told. Shame the have nearly all rusted away. My SW20 was a Rev5 98, it had aircon and power steering, engine uprated to 173hp by then. Don't remember the lockable space behind the drivers seat, mine was a T bar though and that's where the glass roof panels were stored.
Excellent build quality and reliability with these cars, which is why I replaced my Lotus Esprit S2 with one, and have owned it for 16 years ❤️ #MyJapaneseFerrari
A very pretty car . A 1991 G Limited is my son and I's project. It drove perfectly until it suffered oil starvation. New engine of unknown origin is waiting to be installed.
Such a lovely car, a beautiful example. Toyota were way ahead putting in a couple of cubbies rather than token back seats fit only for small children or double amputees. I am sure the original owner had no intention of keeping it mothballed for all these years, but if you own a car (any car) I say go out and drive it. Go now! Cars were designed to be driven! You can't take them with you!
This is 1990s A useable everyday sports car with Japanese reliability. I passed my test in the early 90s and could never have afforded a MR2..or the insurance for it-that was the boy racer era and car insurance prices went skyward…even for everyday cars.
I got mine in 96 and was 26 then. Insurance was still £1200 even with a few years no claims behind me! The car hardly depreciated though and almost no bills to maintain except putting in mobil one (which my dad did for me). Even the pads and disks lasted ages! Ran the car for 50K miles and cheapest car ever for servicing etc as nothing went wrong. Was only worth 2K less after 3 years!
I have a 1991 Celica with the same engine and an interior with similar levels of blueness. Unfortunately, it doesn't run quite as well. I do see a lot of similarities between the 5th Gen Celica and 2nd Gen MR2.
Very informative video and very well presented. I could see you were having a ball with it. I'm on my 2nd 93MR2 and just cannot get enough of driving it especially on curvy mountain roads. I can drive 3 hours and have a smile on my face. It is totally stock and recently the suspension was rebuilt completely to OEM spec. I get so many people stop me and compliment me on the car. All the time I get "had one of those, wish I had never sold it". A true drivers car...just wish it had a cup holder. Thanks for the video! Also known as a poor man's Lotus Elise BTW.
Fun little cars.. I had a 1991 Celica and sold it to buy a 93 Rev3 Mk2 MR2. Used it a daily for about 2 years and other than a clutch (fun job) it never missed a beat. Sold it on and bought another Celica, despite FWD I actually preffered the Celica as a package and the rear seats come in handy - plus you can pretend you're on SEGA Rally.
I don't know what it was about Toyota OEM clutches but they seemed to be made of chocolate. When I bought my MR2 at about 30k miles, the clutch was going so I had them replace it before I bought it. They replaced it with an aftermarket one. It's now done 185k miles and hasn't had another clutch since.
On my second one in last 15 years, done 300 sunny miles today 1993, looked at Porsche & Audi & bought another 2, they are so tuneable, tactile, snickety gearbox, fast enough for uk, spend money on 4 wheel alignment and you need to spend a lot more on lotus todo better, I’m going to struggle to go electric.
My goodness. That's the spittin image of my car. I have a '91 hardtop in the same color: Nautical Blue Metallic. I didn't know it could look that good. Maybe I don't want to change colors...
Great vid, I have had my UK '95 Rev3 for 12yrs. Interestingly the little boxes behind my seats aren't lockable and have a smooth fabric surface rather than carpet. Mine does have the very rare A/C, which I think was a £1000 option. Its a great car, am looking at it on the drive now, its a happy car. The Rev1 in this video is superb 👌
My USD$25,000 Porsche Cayman is like a baby GT3 for 1/8 the cost. I had a MK1 MR2 for a little bit. I liked it a lot, except for the engine service space.
I had one for a couple of years - '92, L reg, the facelift with bigger wheels. It was a bit slow and the steering was dead. Lovely looking thing though
I've got an '89 Supercharged MR2 and as much as this car is great, I wouldn't change mine. If you think you get looks in that you should drive mine! Mint,,White,,tastefully modified. Can't drive the car without getting thumbs up or inquiries whether I want to sell it, what year is it,,,etc.
The original radio tape cd that came with my '91 from Japan was quite cool , except the FM band was different to western FM bands and chopped off the top frequencies ..
One of my all time favourite cars just couldn’t afford it when it was for sale, couldn’t even afford a J reg 1991 base model in 1998 when I graduated from university.. pure exotica would love to see a new generation
Nice to see a genuine MR2 that wasn’t turned into a fake F355 replica. I saw these when they were first launched over 30 years ago and always loved them. Lovely colour too!
I’ve always wanted to drive one of these to see how it compares to my 1990 MX5, same type of car, same era, very different way of going about creating a sportscar.
From experience of driving both, the MR2 feels more 'special' somehow... mine was a turbo though which helped. Hearing that turbo spooling up over your left shoulder never got old. The Mk1 MX5 I had was fun but ultimately it felt very run-of-the-mill by comparison.
I well remember doing the rear anti-roll bar bushes on mine. The online manual said "First remove engine/transmission unit and rear subframe"!! I managed to loosen the rear subframe bolts and lever it down with wooden wedges. Just enough room to get an open ended spanner between the floor and subframe! The moron who designed that feature should have had to change a pair of a/r bar bushes before breakfast every day. I paid £1,000 for mine. Looking at the price of "yours" I should have stored mine in in a vacuum chamber.
The Ferrari you mean is the 348 as that was the one that was contemporary with this MR2 and also has the prominent air intakes, no? Funny, the effects of time: when they were new, I didn't think much of these MR2s, now it looks to me like quite an appealing and stylish sports car.
Quote “being a toyota nothing goes wrong”. I can assure you after 25 years of being an MR2 owner everything can go wrong. I love how these reviewers pretend to know everything about a given car.
A Suzuki Swift GTi? I thought they only existed in legend =o. Truth be told, the last one I saw was about 10-12 years ago and all the ones I have ever seen for sale are ragged, rusted or dodgy.
12,500 miles on a 32 year old drivers car?! My 10 year old Toyota Prius has 330,000 miles and is still bullet proof both electrically and mechanically as only Toyota can do. Always great bang for buck as a used buy that will not bother your bank and the thought of knowing it will not break down on a long or short trip is in itself a worthy reason to drive anything that Toyota produce because there is a model to suit all lifestyles.
I always liked the Mk 1 and nearly had one as a first car. I ended up with an MGB-GT as my first car instead. But a friend of mine imported one of these from Japan (a T top version) some time in the early 90s I guess. Wasn't the Mk 2 known for bad snap over-steer?
I'm quite sure that pop-up headlamps weren't outlawed by any fun Police.... the requirement was that the car would have to meet pedestrian impact etc with the lamps up and down, so it would be two lots of tests. I suspect that the pop-up headlamps went sue to cost, reliability and complexity.
If given the choice between a Ferrari 308 and a mk1 and mk2 MR2, i'd take the two Toyotas every second of every day of every year. ..but i'd have to have a mk1 in the mix. Very 80s car yes, but i still remember the first time i sat in one. Such a cool little car.
I got to drive a 328 GTSi when bought my Cayman. It cured me from wanting to own one. The exterior design is magical and inspired. Inside, so many compromises and problems. I'll just stand back and ogle the supermodel, thanks.
Always preferred the styling on MKI but there again, I did have and X19 before it. What I did appreciate with the MKII was the extra space (being on the tall side). Not a fan of the blue on blue, have turned my back on cars with blue interiors before, it's something Volvo used to seem to do too. I'd take a one over a Ferrari anyday, couldn't afford to run, let alone buy one. Great vid 👍
I miss the lights on the right hand. I love your comment that the MR2 is a babt ferrari. So much so, that these are used for really good ferrari replica's
The MK2 MR2 has been under the radar for some time compared to cars like the Supra and Skyline. In the USA and Japan they made a turbo version of MK2 MR2, I drove one in the USA and actually preferred the naturally aspirated UK model.
My mate has a red SW20. Cool cars and a classic slice of the 90s. If you'd be interested in doing a video on my 1997 Mazda 323f BA, I'd be happy for you to film it. It's a bit rough cosmetically but I still think it would make for a good video.
@@GECKOZFTW I found my ze for $600. Dropped right in. Only mod was to the right axle mid-shaft to make it 3 bolt. Just got mine started again. I like the supercharger, considered it myself.
We need something like this today. In a sea of dull SUV-s a car like that would stand out.
We have the Supra. MX5 RF. Cayman and the list goes on
@@ianjenkins4641 Cayman and Supra are just too expensive to act
as a grown family man toy. The MX5 ...maybe.
Just buy one. You can get a reasonable one for about £6k. Spend another £6k on it and it will be as new. Cheaper than a new car.
@@pedrohead_uk no such thing as a cheap Porsche! The Supra holds its value incredibly well.
@@nk53nxg I was referring to the mk2 mr2
Love this generation of MR2! Good review Matt, enjoyed it.
I’ve owned 4 SW20 in my time including an import Turbo.
Brilliant little cars and seeing this bought back some nice memories
A few things
It's sw20
Air con was an option
The sunroof can be removed and put in the front boot
The "transmission tunnel" is where the fuel tank lives
Almost all US market cars get AC.
@@HiroNguy yep, same as JDM cars. In the uk it was an option, I wish my mr2 had air con.
W20 and SW20 are partially interchangeable, depends on a couple of things, I think location
I have a '93 UK SW20 which does have power steering. At first I thought it did not because the steering was quite heavy, but then one day it broke and the steering got even heavier. Turns out early 90s power steering wasn't as assistive as the modern stuff.
The SW20 power steering system was an electrically-driven hydraulic pump which would shut off above 40 or 45mph (I'm a bit fuzzy on which), so it was mainly a system used to ease the low speed maneuvers. Very suitable for this type of car. The transition from full assist to no assist, which is probably gradual as speed rises, is seamless.
@@BryanHeitkotter That is correct, I used to own one just like in the review, H plate blue GT. Great review!
The switchgear looks very modern. A great looking modern design. Probably one of the main reasons why 90s cars don’t really stand out that much today in the way 70s cars did in the 90s. Also, I think these look best in white.
I've always loved the MK2 MR2. My friends uncle swapped his Audi UR Quattro for a K reg GT T-bar (it was a different time). A school friend had a grey import MR2 Turbo.
The MR2 was probably the most successful mid engined car for the masses following on from the Fiat X1/9 but with more performance and improved quality. Both of course are looked back on more favourably than the Pontiac Fierro. If I'm being honest id live to own any of the above but the MK2 MR2 was a pretty car that really did look every bit the baby Ferrari that a working class person could aspire to.
It's sad that cars like this no longer exist leaving a huge void in the new car market. At least Toyota haven't recycled the name for an EV SUV.
Great video, I can gladly say I own a '97 MR2 GTS turbo. Mine has A/C and it's a twin airbag model too with factory Recaro confetti seats and a rare TRD 300km/h Speedo. Very rare
Had a mk1 t-bar, never let me down, handling and performance was superb. Thanks for this Matt.
What an amazing example, I just love the colour and the interior! We need more coloured interiors in cars! ❤️😀👍🏻
Yes, so dull now!
I had the exact GT model, H reg, same colour too. Got it around 50Kmiles, and did another 50K. Great car. Those seats were not only comfy, but they also lasted too. The whole car still looked concourse throughout the time I had it. Only had one issue with it in all my time, which was to do with cooling which was pretty cheap to fix (and I did neglect to put new antifreeze in which was likely the cause). Bushings in suspension were likely getting worn too. But not bad after 100K miles. The discs and pads lasted ages despite driving around lots of country roads. It was indeed a solid feeling car, a friend remarked on it saying it would likely be good in a crash. Gone up in price a lot lately. The mark 3 looks a better buy now if want value. I have not driven an mk3 but would like to. My mr2 did not depreciate all that much too. Just £2K over 3 years. Cheaper than the insurance cost me! Regarding driving it was great. Had to be careful in the wet of oversteer and on ice it was really snappy. It seemed like a heavyish car back then (I had an AX GT before it) - but it is light today. A driver's car that could do the miles, this MR2 really was a GT.
Reminds me of taking my one in once to a tyre fitting garage to get an oil change. Fitter drove it on the ramp, and proceeded to start unbolting the front undertray. I had a smile on my face when I told the manager the fitter might have more success changing the oil if he went to the rear of the car. Loved my MR2 with the liitle roof panels you could take out - the name of which I forget
😹😹😹
I think that this 1990-97 (?) shape is the nicest looking of the MR2 models. This is a stunning example. I have a lot of respect for Toyota.
The interior is so blue that One Hit Wonders Eiffell 65 could have written a song about it at the turn of the Millenium.
Wait till you see the interior of the Ford GT90.
"The poor man's Ferrari" is correct! Of course, way more reliable than a Ferrari too!
Used to have a airfix model of this car when I was younger, I painted mine white, so that's most likely the only time I will have a mark 2 MR2! Great review as always.
I have a model Mk1! painted red and it blistered, so back and it blistered, then blue. Guess what? it blistered
Nice review!! I fullfilled a childhood dream and bought an mr2 T-bar in original low mileage condition 2 years ago. I absolutly love everything about it! The road noise you mentioned is due to the suspension geometry coupled with modern tire design causing "saw blade" typ tread wear.. I don't hear that with the roof off though😁
Seriously considering buying a project one near me, is it worth it? I absolutely love these cars but I’m 19 with not a lot of extra money or mechanical knowledge
Are you mostly daily driving it or tracking it as well?
@@Nickoboss29 I live in Germany and run it on a seasonal classic car registration (30 years and older) from April to October, and then mainly on weekends in nice weather. I have no intention of ever driving it on a track because of 1. snap oversteer and 2. it's mint low mileage condition..😅
@@michaelcliffe562 ok, nice!
@@michaelcliffe562 cause i'm interested in buying one as a 1st car along with MX-5s
YES!
I used to have a rare (nobody bought them!) SW23 which was a SW20 but with the 120hp Carina engine. Only made for two years from 90 to 92. Last year I found that it was still on the road but now as a hiddeous mock Ferrari :-(
I had one of these, a black Japanese import 2.0 litre turbo 225bhp!! It was a thing of beauty and absolutely flew! The lad i sold it to was into Fast and furious films and slapped body kits and flashing Toyota badges on it! 🤦♂
Back when I was in a band, around 2000, our singer Paul had one of these. Fond memories of shooting down the A13. Funnily enough when I spoke to him recently he told me he'd sold it to a TH-camr who wanted it as a project car for some videos!
wonder who that was?
Love your reviews on any car ,Wayne certainly finds these great cars no matter the make.
That’s a UK spec car hence the blue tint to the glass. Turbo JDM cars have a brown tint and air conditioning.
Superb cars. We have a 1996 rev3 T-bar model, fully loaded, they can be temperamental eg cooling, but handle like nothing else.
A car design book from 89/90 that I have features the design evolution of the MK2 and I recall reading something about the transmission tunnel being used for the fuel tank.
On its launch the mk2 MR2 was criticised for its handling by the motoring press.
Car magazine in the UK ran the front cover headline 'How Toyota spoilt the new MR2'.
If memory serves me right Toyota subsequently made changes to improve the handling.
Anyway, great review Matt of a car I always admired but never got round to owning. Had 2 MX5s instead.
Incidentally, I saw a mk1 MR2 out on the road last week and it looked tiny compared to modern hatchbacks and SUVs.
I owned a Aw11 and SW20 back in the day, I preferred the AW11 truth be told. Shame the have nearly all rusted away. My SW20 was a Rev5 98, it had aircon and power steering, engine uprated to 173hp by then. Don't remember the lockable space behind the drivers seat, mine was a T bar though and that's where the glass roof panels were stored.
Excellent build quality and reliability with these cars, which is why I replaced my Lotus Esprit S2 with one, and have owned it for 16 years ❤️ #MyJapaneseFerrari
Was the Lotus unreliable?
A very pretty car .
A 1991 G Limited is my son and I's project.
It drove perfectly until it suffered oil starvation. New engine of unknown origin is waiting to be installed.
Such a lovely car, a beautiful example. Toyota were way ahead putting in a couple of cubbies rather than token back seats fit only for small children or double amputees.
I am sure the original owner had no intention of keeping it mothballed for all these years, but if you own a car (any car) I say go out and drive it. Go now! Cars were designed to be driven! You can't take them with you!
This is 1990s
A useable everyday sports car with Japanese reliability.
I passed my test in the early 90s and could never have afforded a MR2..or the insurance for it-that was the boy racer era and car insurance prices went skyward…even for everyday cars.
I got mine in 96 and was 26 then. Insurance was still £1200 even with a few years no claims behind me! The car hardly depreciated though and almost no bills to maintain except putting in mobil one (which my dad did for me). Even the pads and disks lasted ages! Ran the car for 50K miles and cheapest car ever for servicing etc as nothing went wrong. Was only worth 2K less after 3 years!
I have a 1991 in that same colour of blue, can't wait to get it fixed and back on the road
I have a 1991 Celica with the same engine and an interior with similar levels of blueness. Unfortunately, it doesn't run quite as well. I do see a lot of similarities between the 5th Gen Celica and 2nd Gen MR2.
I miss blue interiors on cars. My 1990 Volvo 740 had blue plastics and blue half leather seats, it was awesome!
Very informative video and very well presented. I could see you were having a ball with it. I'm on my 2nd 93MR2 and just cannot get enough of driving it especially on curvy mountain roads. I can drive 3 hours and have a smile on my face. It is totally stock and recently the suspension was rebuilt completely to OEM spec. I get so many people stop me and compliment me on the car. All the time I get "had one of those, wish I had never sold it". A true drivers car...just wish it had a cup holder. Thanks for the video! Also known as a poor man's Lotus Elise BTW.
Beautiful quality toyota blue interior - very similar to my 1990 AE95 Corolla 4WD station wagon.
Fun little cars.. I had a 1991 Celica and sold it to buy a 93 Rev3 Mk2 MR2. Used it a daily for about 2 years and other than a clutch (fun job) it never missed a beat.
Sold it on and bought another Celica, despite FWD I actually preffered the Celica as a package and the rear seats come in handy - plus you can pretend you're on SEGA Rally.
I don't know what it was about Toyota OEM clutches but they seemed to be made of chocolate. When I bought my MR2 at about 30k miles, the clutch was going so I had them replace it before I bought it. They replaced it with an aftermarket one. It's now done 185k miles and hasn't had another clutch since.
Fantastic machine. Never had the pleasure of driving a sportcar of any variety but if I was to get the chance an MR2 would be right up there.
Seems like the Mazda MX6/Ford Probe based their styling on this car as the profiles are similar. Always enjoyable watching your reviews!
The car to have to look like a poundshop Magnum PI.... Love it.
Have a 91Turbo original owner. A lot of fun, that's something today's autos do not have! But parts are scarce.
On my second one in last 15 years, done 300 sunny miles today 1993, looked at Porsche & Audi & bought another 2, they are so tuneable, tactile, snickety gearbox, fast enough for uk, spend money on 4 wheel alignment and you need to spend a lot more on lotus todo better, I’m going to struggle to go electric.
My goodness. That's the spittin image of my car. I have a '91 hardtop in the same color: Nautical Blue Metallic. I didn't know it could look that good. Maybe I don't want to change colors...
Great vid, I have had my UK '95 Rev3 for 12yrs. Interestingly the little boxes behind my seats aren't lockable and have a smooth fabric surface rather than carpet. Mine does have the very rare A/C, which I think was a £1000 option. Its a great car, am looking at it on the drive now, its a happy car. The Rev1 in this video is superb 👌
Nice! The loud fans did have some use in hot weather, mine helped to cool me quite a bit!
Lovely example, I particularly like blue interiors, to my mind still looks modern
Love your reviews. True petrol head enthusiasm and knowledge. Lovely stuff!
Absolutely fantastic car! All the best for the owner. ✌🏻
This is identical to my Mr2 except mine has done 260,000 miles more 😂. You can see it on my channel. Incredible to see a rev1 in showroom condition.
My USD$25,000 Porsche Cayman is like a baby GT3 for 1/8 the cost. I had a MK1 MR2 for a little bit. I liked it a lot, except for the engine service space.
I had one for a couple of years - '92, L reg, the facelift with bigger wheels. It was a bit slow and the steering was dead. Lovely looking thing though
I've got an '89 Supercharged MR2 and as much as this car is great, I wouldn't change mine. If you think you get looks in that you should drive mine! Mint,,White,,tastefully modified. Can't drive the car without getting thumbs up or inquiries whether I want to sell it, what year is it,,,etc.
Let this channel review and drive it? Would love to see it!
@@andrewnorris5415 I live in Montreal, Canada so I don't think that's gonna happen!! LOL
I certainly miss mine. The 1990 MKII was the best because it had no power steering nor ABS - like a go-cart.
I got a new one in red in 1991 what a fantastic car made you feel good to.
One car I have always wanted, especially the t bar version.
Probably the best 2 seater hardtop car made
Great car review a Mr 2 one thing that these sporty cars have is the hose from hell its an engine out job but it's s Toyota after all
Great looks. And it is blue on blue on blue! Very nice.
That car is in such mint condition and just looks so much fun.
I've had my mr2 18 years, totally standard bodywork, but now has 500bhp .
WOW! HA, enjoy!
a very nice, concise and accurate review. thanks for the content
The original radio tape cd that came with my '91 from Japan was quite cool , except the FM band was different to western FM bands and chopped off the top frequencies ..
ALL versions of MR2 were great !
i'm blue daba dee daba die
yes! different characters but ace!
One of my all time favourite cars just couldn’t afford it when it was for sale, couldn’t even afford a J reg 1991 base model in 1998 when I graduated from university.. pure exotica would love to see a new generation
I bought a '91 (H reg) T-bar back in '94 when I graduated and started work. I still have it. And I'm still working at the same company!
I own a black 1990 mk2 ,uk T bar model. 133,000 miles. Class cars.
Nice to see a genuine MR2 that wasn’t turned into a fake F355 replica. I saw these when they were first launched over 30 years ago and always loved them. Lovely colour too!
not modified at all either, very rare
Ironic given that this car predates the F355 by a wide margin.
I’ve always wanted to drive one of these to see how it compares to my 1990 MX5, same type of car, same era, very different way of going about creating a sportscar.
From experience of driving both, the MR2 feels more 'special' somehow... mine was a turbo though which helped. Hearing that turbo spooling up over your left shoulder never got old.
The Mk1 MX5 I had was fun but ultimately it felt very run-of-the-mill by comparison.
I well remember doing the rear anti-roll bar bushes on mine. The online manual said "First remove engine/transmission unit and rear subframe"!! I managed to loosen the rear subframe bolts and lever it down with wooden wedges. Just enough room to get an open ended spanner between the floor and subframe! The moron who designed that feature should have had to change a pair of a/r bar bushes before breakfast every day. I paid £1,000 for mine. Looking at the price of "yours" I should have stored mine in in a vacuum chamber.
What smart thinking of Toyota to include a curry hanger, what thoughtful engineers 👍👍
The battery voltage indicator on the instrument cluster, is replaced by a turbo boost pressure gauge on the turbo models.
The Ferrari you mean is the 348 as that was the one that was contemporary with this MR2 and also has the prominent air intakes, no? Funny, the effects of time: when they were new, I didn't think much of these MR2s, now it looks to me like quite an appealing and stylish sports car.
Always like the mr2, all 3 versions, but if I had to choose, I'd go for mk2 turbo! Just for the lunacy!
So much blue! Love it!
Quote “being a toyota nothing goes wrong”. I can assure you after 25 years of being an MR2 owner everything can go wrong.
I love how these reviewers pretend to know everything about a given car.
Same engine in the Celica Gen 6 was tuned to 173HP, which the later MR2's got also- then down to 168HP because of EGR.
And still super reliable at that tune.
Please find a 1989 Suzuki Swift GTi to test. They are great fun and as close to my Casper as you got there. Keep up the great work Matt!
great little cars..HubNut just uploaded a 2006 Suzuki Swift Sport but not the same as the 89/92 swift
A Suzuki Swift GTi? I thought they only existed in legend =o. Truth be told, the last one I saw was about 10-12 years ago and all the ones I have ever seen for sale are ragged, rusted or dodgy.
Love the mark 2 MR2
12,500 miles on a 32 year old drivers car?! My 10 year old Toyota Prius has 330,000 miles and is still bullet proof both electrically and mechanically as only Toyota can do. Always great bang for buck as a used buy that will not bother your bank and the thought of knowing it will not break down on a long or short trip is in itself a worthy reason to drive anything that Toyota produce because there is a model to suit all lifestyles.
I can't believe how MINT condition this car is.
The demister sounds like the tea's ready, but what a mint looking car.
It shouldn't sound like that. Mine doesn't. I guess it's lack of use over the years has made the fan a bit stiff.
I always liked the Mk 1 and nearly had one as a first car. I ended up with an MGB-GT as my first car instead. But a friend of mine imported one of these from Japan (a T top version) some time in the early 90s I guess. Wasn't the Mk 2 known for bad snap over-steer?
Snap oversteer means driver's error
@@Nickoboss29 I think when they call it 'lift off oversteer' that is much more obvious.
Very nice. Lovely cars. My wife really liked these which is quite a compliment as she is really a saloon only kind of girl.
I love this car o had a turbo import from Japan - miss it so much :)
I'm quite sure that pop-up headlamps weren't outlawed by any fun Police.... the requirement was that the car would have to meet pedestrian impact etc with the lamps up and down, so it would be two lots of tests.
I suspect that the pop-up headlamps went sue to cost, reliability and complexity.
If given the choice between a Ferrari 308 and a mk1 and mk2 MR2, i'd take the two Toyotas every second of every day of every year. ..but i'd have to have a mk1 in the mix. Very 80s car yes, but i still remember the first time i sat in one. Such a cool little car.
I got to drive a 328 GTSi when bought my Cayman. It cured me from wanting to own one. The exterior design is magical and inspired. Inside, so many compromises and problems. I'll just stand back and ogle the supermodel, thanks.
An SW20 MR2 would be so much fun.
You should have worn a blue shirt to match the car...
That one is mint.
The window and mirror switches are almost the same as my 2016 Verso and 2002 MR2. Very much of the “if of ain’t broke…” school of thought.
Always preferred the styling on MKI but there again, I did have and X19 before it. What I did appreciate with the MKII was the extra space (being on the tall side). Not a fan of the blue on blue, have turned my back on cars with blue interiors before, it's something Volvo used to seem to do too. I'd take a one over a Ferrari anyday, couldn't afford to run, let alone buy one. Great vid 👍
Forgotten about the X19. They looked cool.
@@bill8784 But several times more rust prone than the MR2!
I miss the lights on the right hand. I love your comment that the MR2 is a babt ferrari. So much so, that these are used for really good ferrari replica's
You mentioned the unusually large transmission tunnel: that's actually the location of the gas (petrol) tank.
would love if you did a zzw30 review (gen 3 mr2/aka mr-spyder)
That's more desirable than I remember. I'd be interested to see you do an Alpine A110, a rare desirable modern.
Id like that too..
Your gear changing is a lot better than Hubnut! I was cringing watching him drive the Suzuki Swift.😄
What a beautiful example; difficult to believe it's 32 years old! Looks great and thanks for the detail review.
that is what u call a car no hi tech gadgets.
The MK2 MR2 has been under the radar for some time compared to cars like the Supra and Skyline.
In the USA and Japan they made a turbo version of MK2 MR2, I drove one in the USA and actually preferred the naturally aspirated UK model.
What would you be able to put in the boot to warrant levelling the headlights? Gold billion perhaps?
My mate has a red SW20. Cool cars and a classic slice of the 90s. If you'd be interested in doing a video on my 1997 Mazda 323f BA, I'd be happy for you to film it. It's a bit rough cosmetically but I still think it would make for a good video.
KLZE swapped?
@@pgtmr2713 No mine is a standard 1.8 for now. Not sure what I'll so power wise but ATM I want to supercharge it
@@GECKOZFTW I found my ze for $600. Dropped right in. Only mod was to the right axle mid-shaft to make it 3 bolt. Just got mine started again. I like the supercharger, considered it myself.
Bit of an issue in France, where MR-2 sounds very similar to another word for a 💩
That's why in France it's just called the Toyota MR
Great cars.
Also those seats go great in a classic mini :-)
9:14 BEEP! BEEP!
Really is a most beautiful car.