Let’s face it! The Fast and Furious franchise featured some of the coolest cars ever. If you are into drifting and street racing, you probably can name most of the iconic automobiles featured in the movies. So, the 1991 Toyota MR2 that belonged to Harper Valentino must hold a special place in your heart. And it’s not just the famous franchise that featured this legendary Toyota, but also other movies, TV shows, and motoring programs, like the animation film "Tokyo Vice," and the highly successful Top Gear.
Since its debut in 1984, this mid-engined sports car won the hearts of gearheads and industry experts. In fact, the first-model MR2 even won the title of the “Car of the Year” in Japan. According to a Toyota press release, the following elements contributed to the MR2's success.
“Besides being the first mid-engine style sports car mass-produced in Japan, the MR2 has realized simultaneously both outstanding operability and high utility,” says the Toyota press release. “In addition, the Toyota MR2 was evaluated highly for being a personal car with superior qualities as an international product.”
Now that you remembered how cool the MR2 is, here are 10 things you forgot about this iconic sports car.
10 The Toyota MR2 Started Off As A Low Production Vehicle
Difficult to imagine that there was a time when someone didn’t believe in the commercial success of the MR2, but the reality is this mid-engine sports car started off as a low-production vehicle. Sadly, this means that fewer Toyota MR2s will be available on the market in the coming years, which will increase the rarity and value of the available models.
9 Toyota Launched The MR2 With 3 Versions In The Domestic Market
Garage Dreams emphasizes that Toyota inaugurated three different versions of the MR2 in Japan. Basically, domestic customers could select between three grades and two engine options. Interesting fact, Toyota used the coveted 128 horsepower 1.6-liter DOHC 16v 4A-GE engine also for the Corolla GT.
8 Toyota Introduces The Popular T-Bar
The T-bar body style is almost as iconic as the MR2. This roof made the sports car look even sexier and more aggressive.
“To the purist sports car fan, there was one thing the MR2 lacked – wind in the hair motoring,” says Adrian Flux. “Toyota solved this in 1986 with the introduction of the T-Bar, which featured two glass roof panels on either side of a central brace, connecting the tops of the front and rear screens.”
7 The 1988 And 1989 Super Editions
During its long history, Toyota has released several special edition models. And the 1988 and 1989 Super Editions remain even today fan-favorites. Unfortunately, the automaker sold these special models only in Japan; thus, finding one today is almost impossible because of their limited production numbers. As per Garage Dreams, Toyota only built 300 units from the 1988 ‘Super Edition’ MR2 and 270 units from the 1989 special edition model. Both models came with a MOMO steering wheel and gear shifter. They also had special paint jobs.
6 The Toyota MR2 Had Several Corolla Components
Difficult to imagine that the MR2 shared components with the Corolla, but Toyota decided to borrow Corolla’s engine, transmission, and chassis in order to reduce costs. To be fair, this practice of sharing parts between car models and even brands is very common in the automotive industry. Mercedes-Benz A-Class180d, for example, shares the same 1.5-liter dCi Renault diesel engine with Dacia and Nissan. Elsewhere, Toyota GT86 and Subaru BRZ also share the same engine.
5 The First Generation Was A Commercial Success In An Unexpected Market
By now, you know that the first-generation Toyota MR2 was a big success in Japan, where it even won a prestigious award. You probably even imagine that the U.S. loved this mid-engined sports car, but there is an unexpected market where the MR2 became very popular, and that is the United Kingdom. Sales for the first-generation MR2 in the U.K. reached 13,580 units. That’s a pretty remarkable achievement even today!
4 Toyota Offered The Third-Generation MR2 With A Sequential Gearbox Option
Toyota released the third-generation MR2 with a sequential gearbox option. The SMT was an automatic manual transmission, which “deleted the clutch pedal and allowed the driver to prompt gear changes without having to lift off the accelerator pedal,” as per Toyota U.K. Magazine. The Toyota-focused publication also points out that this sports car was the first Japanese vehicle to be offered with a sequential gearbox.
3 The Third Generation MR2 Was An Amazing 2+2 Convertible Sports Car
Toyota introduced the MRJ or the 2+2 convertible at the Tokyo Motor Show in 1995. Although, today the convertible model is gaining traction, back then, purists were against the design and refuted the 2+2 styling. To be fair, the MRJ looked more adapted for the Miami lifestyle than for Tokyo. We can easily imagine Sonny Crockett from "Miami Vice" driving the MR2 through the streets of the Magic City. Unfortunately, due to negative press and backlash from consumers, Toyota abandoned the 2+2 styling and moved to the Toyota MR-S.
2 The Engine Of The Third Generation Toyota MR2
The third-generation MR2 came equipped with a 1.8-liter inline-four all-aluminum alloy 1ZZ-FED engine, which was used in the seventh-generation Celica. This engine generated 138 hp at 6400 rpm and 127 lb-ft of torque at 4200 rpm. It's crucial to remember that the same engine was available in all markets, therefore there was no variation between the options accessible in U.K. and Japan.
1 Toyota MR2 Prices Are Increasing Fast
It is comprehensible that there aren't too many classic MR2s in mint condition on the Western markets given the popularity of this vehicle and the fact that some owners utilized the Toyota MR2 in street races. Evidently, scarcity has boosted the value of these sports cars. Additionally, as a new generation of consumers has entered the car collector market, it has improved the valuation prospects of the Toyota MR2. On Reddit, MR2 fans discuss how prices for MR2s are rising massively.
“A clean near stock second generation is now between $20K and $30K. Just a few years ago they could be had for less than 15K,” commented a Reddit user. Elsewhere, Hagerty has predicted already in 2019 that the 1984–89 Toyota MR2s will win in value. The American automotive lifestyle and membership company explains that the tendency was fueled by the "increased interest in the '80s and ’90s Japanese performance cars" in the West.
Sources: Toyota, Hagerty, IMCDb, evo, Reddit, Canadian Gearhead, Illumaware, Adrian Flux, and Garage Dreams.