The Forgotten MR2

True success stories are sometimes hard to come by. On occasion, you might hear of such a mundane achievement as a perfect game in baseball, or even a prizefighter going undefeated, but truly inspiring tales of accomplishment are few and far between. Consider yourself fortunate when such a story unfolds before your very own eyes. Like in the case of watching this very video. The focus of this certifiable success saga is none other than the legendary Mk1 Toyota MR2.

The shower of praise for Toyota's mid-engined two-seater began as soon into the scene, back in the early 80s. Early on, the MR2 earned rave reviews from the press for its finely balanced handling, superb notchy five-speed gearbox, and its jewel-like twin-cam, sixteen-valve, four-cylinder engine. Also, known as the 4AGE. Some publications like Car and Driver even unanimously voted the MR2 onto the "Ten Best Cars" list for the year. The Mr2 was further singled out for its gearbox and its ergonomic layout as the best in the industry. In all, it was an encouraging start for the perky little two-seater, which pretty quickly came to be known affectionately as Mister Two.

It all begs the question, "What prompted Toyota to design and produce the Mk1 Mr2 in the first place?” And it’s also important to realize that the Mk1 Mr2 is Japan's first mid-engined production car.

The story begins when Toyota presented a new mid-engine concept of its own at the 1983 Tokyo auto show dubbed the SV-3. The inspiration for this new prototype followed the success of small, relatively affordable mid-engine sports cars such as the Porsche 914, Fiat X1/9, Lancia Scorpion, and even the Pontiac Fiero. The SV-3 was so well thought-out that very few changes were made before the debut of the production version of the Toyota MR2.


It might surprise you to know that the Mk1 Mr2 started life as a bit of a parts bin special. This is because the engine, some of the MacPherson strut suspension, electrical and other components were carried over from the successful Corolla model. On top of that, suspension tuning was widely reported by sources to have been finalized at Lotus and the prototypes were shaken down by none other than American Formula 1 and sports car racer and constructer, Dan Gurney. This could very well be the reason why the Mr2 was an excellent driver's car right from the start.

Powering the Mr2 was a high revving 112-hp, 16-valve, twin-cam 1.6-liter inline-four which was mounted ahead of the rear axle. The little four-banger loved to stay in the high RPM range and topped at 7,500 RPM. Even more, the Mr2 had disc brakes all around, and a quick five-speed manual gearbox. All of this and more essentially made the Mr2 a budget exotic car.

Curb weight was approximately 2,300 lb and 0 to 60 mph came about in 8.4 seconds, which was roughly on par with the contemporary Porsche 944. Despite the horsepower rating, handling was the little Toyota's strong suit, posting strong skid pad figures and benign handling traits that could keep a well-driven MR2 on the heels of far more powerful and expensive cars down winding backroads.

These stock attributes made the MR2 the ideal proving ground as a competition car. A clear example of this came in the form of the Toyota MR-2 ADVAN AW11. To be fair this Gymkhana Monster had some upgrades. Like a 1775cc stroked 4AGE that produced 220Hp with an 8,500 Rpm redline. And it only weighed 1366 lbs. It also featured additional Aerodynamic appendages like the Rear Wing and side skirts.

It would be a shame to not mention some fascinating methods in its engineering with a lot of TRD expertise in its development. The most curious solution is how much effort was put into having the most perfect weight distribution possible. Not only the division of back to front was considered but also from right to left with the engine being moved further into the middle of the car even compared to the already mid-engined stock MR2.

By 1986, removable T-top glass roof panels were made optional on the MR2. But larger changes were in store for 1987. That model year, all MR2s received larger brakes, new taillights, a revised passenger-side vent, refreshed interior and seats, and a new supercharged MR2 became available. This new intercooler, Roots-type supercharged model used a stronger version of the 4AGE engine block and transmission; which would also be adopted by 1987 and onward for naturally-aspirated models. It was known as the 4AGZE and developed 145 hp and 140-lb-ft of torque.

Now comes the sad part. Unfortunately, supercharged models also tended to be fully optioned with mandatory T-tops and other extras, increasing weight to 2,500 lbs. Nevertheless, 0 to 60 mph times fell to roughly 7.0-seconds. These Supercharged MR2s are distinguished from standard variants by their raised engine lid vents and "Supercharged" badging on the rear and sides.