In 1993 I was an eleven-year-old aspiring car-nerd. I had a lot of car posters on my bedroom wall.
About four years back, I decided to buy a car from one of those posters.
I short-listed a few models. The Mazda RX-7 was out of my price range. The Dodge Stealth RT Twin Turbo wasn’t-- but with its alleged engine-explosion issues, I skipped it.
Shame. I loved that car.
The Toyota MR2 GTS made the most sense. They’re fairly reliable, affordable, and easy to find replacement parts for. I shelled out $7,500 bucks to an importer, and picked up my new baby a few weeks later.
The MR2’s engine is in the middle, hence the MR2 name which references its “Mid-Rear, Two-wheel Drive” layout.
| 1993 Toyota MR2 GTS |
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Said engine is a two-litre turbocharged four-cylinder. Nothing too fancy. Stock output in Japan was 225 horsepower—and since the ‘3S GTE’ engine is turbocharged, you can make more ponies on the cheap. I applied some upgrades to dial up the power—including a bigger turbocharger, intake, intercooler and custom 3-inch exhaust that I helped weld together myself.
End result? The little beast now gurgles to life with a loud drone that penetrates into nearby buildings and goes like all hell when opened up-- after a good moment or two worth of turbo lag.
Horsepower? No idea. But probably about 300. Yea, this little thing rips. It’s good on gas, too—on account of it being very light and aerodynamic.
Inside, leather seats flank a tall centre console with a five-speed shifter in the middle. The instrument cluster is simple, there are power windows, air conditioning, and automatic climate control, too.
It’s a squeeze to get in and out-- and boarding the MR2 ends with pulling the steering wheel into your lap. You wear this car.
At-hand storage is limited to door pockets and a few cubbies mounted inconveniently to the rear firewall. Cupholder? Nope.
The stereo is shot, the bezel around it is falling off, and the driver’s-side window squeaks like a stuck pig when you roll it up. I don’t care, though. It all adds character, and puts newer cars in perspective. It also calls to mind a time when Toyota was serious about performance cars.
Handling is a bit wacky. The MR2 generates lots of rear-end grip for getting off the line and accelerating early out of corners. But the front is nearly too light. Steering is relatively quick, but it all feels a bit loose and strange compared to something with the weight of an engine up front.
Get it right, and it’s like driving a go-kart. Get it wrong, and the MR2 will likely plow into whatever’s is ahead of it, or park itself backwards in the ditch on the other side of the road.
But even driven gently, the MR2 is a pleasure. People give it the thumbs up. It looks fantastic. And you don’t see them everywhere. That’s probably thanks largely to the hopelessly impractical nature of this machine.
But shiny new and high-tech or not, my less-than perfect MR2 is still one of the coolest cars I’ve ever driven—brand new or otherwise.
