T-VIS was eliminated and the compression ratio was lowered to 8:1. Based on the same block and head, the 4A-GZE was equipped with a small Roots-type supercharger and a Denso intercooler. In 1986 (1988 for the US market), Toyota introduced a supercharged engine for the MR2. In the home market, the AW10 base model was offered, which used the more economical 1,452 cc (1.5 L 88.6 cu in) 3A-U engine rated at 61 kW (82 hp). Road tests delivered 0–60 mph (97 km/h) times in the mid- to high-8 second range and 1⁄ 4 mile (402 m) times in the mid- to high-16 second range, significantly faster than the four-cylinder Pontiac Fiero or Fiat X1/9. A five-speed manual transmission was standard, with a four-speed automatic available as an option. Japanese models were later detuned to 120 PS (88 kW 118 hp). This engine was also equipped with Denso electronic port fuel injection and T-VIS variable intake geometry, giving the engine a maximum power output of 112 hp (84 kW) in the US, 128 hp (95 kW) in the UK, 116 or 124 PS (85 or 91 kW 114 or 122 hp) in Europe (with or without catalytic converter), 118 hp (88 kW) in Australia and 130 PS (96 kW 128 hp) in Japan. Toyota employed the naturally aspirated 4A-GE 1,587 cc (1.6 L 96.8 cu in) inline-four engine, a DOHC four-valve-per-cylinder motor, borrowed from the E80 series Corolla.

With five structural bulkheads, the MR2 was quite heavy for a two-seater of its size. Toyota's active suspension technology, called TEMS, was not installed. Toyota's cooperation with Lotus during the prototype phase can be seen in the AW11, and it owes much to Lotus's sports cars of the 1960s and 1970s. The MR2's suspension and handling were designed by Toyota with the help of Lotus engineer Roger Becker. The car is often referred to as the AW11, referring to the chassis code of the most common 1.6-liter, A-engined versions. At its introduction in 1984, the MR2 won the Car of the Year Japan.Īs Toyota engineered the MR2 to accommodate a 2-liter engine, its primary features included its light body (as low as 950 kg (2,094 lb) in Japan and 1,066 kg (2,350 lb) in the US), strong handling, and low-power small-displacement engine. In Japan, the MR2 was marketed exclusively via Toyota's Toyota Auto Store and Toyota Vista Store, both rebranded in 1998 as Netz Toyota Store. Likewise, the 1.6-liter 4A version is identified by the 'AW11' code. When fitted with the 1.5-liter 3A engine, it was known as the 'AW10'. Toyota introduced the first-generation MR2 in 1984, designating it the model code ' W10'. The car was scheduled for a Japanese launch in the second quarter of 1984 under the name MR2.įirst generation (W10 1984–1989) Toyota debuted its SV-3 concept car in October 1983 at the Tokyo Motor Show, gathering press and audience publicity. The MR2 appeared around the same time as the Honda CR-X and the Nissan EXA from Japan, the Pontiac Fiero and Ford EXP from North America, and about a decade after the VW Scirocco and Fiat X1/9 from Europe made their debut.

Significant testing was performed on race circuits including Willow Springs, where former Formula One driver Dan Gurney tested the car.Īll three generations were in compliance with Japanese government regulations concerning exterior dimensions and engine displacement. Toyota called the 1981 prototype SA-X.įrom its original design, the car evolved into a sports car, and further prototypes were tested both in Japan and in the US. Design work began in 1979 when Akio Yoshida from Toyota's testing department started to evaluate alternatives for engine placement and drive method, finalizing a mid-transverse engine placement. The MR2 derived from a 1976 Toyota design project with the goal of a car which would be enjoyable to drive, yet still provide good fuel economy – not necessarily a sports car. In French-speaking markets, the vehicle was renamed Toyota MR because the abbreviation 'MR2' sounds like the profanity 'merde' when spoken in French. The name MR2 stands for either ' mid-ship run-about 2-seater' or ' mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 2-seater'. It is Japan's first rear mid-engined production car.Ĭonceived as a small, economical and sporty car, the MR2 uses simple but effective design elements, including an inline-four engine, transversely mounted in front of the rear axle, four-wheel disc brakes, and fully independent coilover suspension – MacPherson strut fronts and Chapman strut rears. The Toyota MR2 is a line of two-seater, mid-engined, rear-wheel-drive sports cars, manufactured in Japan and marketed globally by Toyota from 1984 until 2007 over three generations: W10 (1984–1989), W20 (1989–1999) and W30 (1999–2007). Japan: Sagamihara, Kanagawa ( Central Motors) Central Motors (part of the Toyota Motor Corporation)

Toyota mr2 spyder hardtop roof for sale