I had an MR2 for 5 years. I respected the layout and learned where the raggedy edge was. I think I spun it twice in my whole time with it. I probably had another 3 or 4 times when it stepped out when I wasn't expecting it and caught it. It was a rev3 sw20 so most of the bugs had been ironed out by then but it was always an exciting car to drive. It cornered really well but was prone to understeer at turn in so you had to brake properly before a corner and then get on the power earlier than you would with a front engined car. The traction at takeoff was like no other car I've owned before or since. Great car. Luv and Peace.
@@tony_5156 It's prevalent in cars where most of the weight is between the wheels and especially if it's more rear biased. You have a very low moment of inertia which is to say most of the mass is close to the pivot point. That means it's easy to change the direction of spin relative to a car that's balanced further out from the pivot. It makes the car handle really well in that it will change direction quickly but if you overcook it into a corner an exceed the limits of the tyres grip It will very suddely lose the backend grip. There's a lot of weight in the backend as opposed to the frontend and the big tyres on the back counter that but once you've exceeded that grip you're back to a heavy back end penduluming the car. It happens very suddenly and very extremely. The first impulse is to release the throttle which slows the car and throws even more weight forward further reducing the grip on the back wheels and the spin speed increases. Drivers typically oversteer into a skid which does slow the car through massive understeer braking and also panicked foot braking. Typically this results in the backend finding grip when you are no longer facing forwards down the road and the momentum of the engine still powering the back wheels propels you off in as ditch normally via a few very unsuccessful attempts at correction. The way to to safely corner in an MR2 is moderately cautious on entry until the apex then floor it and correct any oversteer as necessary. Going in too fast is a recipe for understeer then a massive horrible tank-slapper. Luv and Peace.
+diltzm Oh, that's a good one! I'm also 6'1" and the SW20 fits me like a glove. I heard that the trunk had a design specification to fit a bag of golf clubs.
The driver definitely has a lot to do with it. When I got my N/A I 'learnt' to drive it, once I was ready I imported a rev 3 turbo. Everybody I speak to sais hey I had one of these but I crashed it.... after speaking with them for 5 minutes I understand why.
Problem is that people act like it is just another car. It is, as long as you understand what it a mid-engine and how it has to ne driven. Exactly how you see those rich kids crashing their Ferrari. "Money doesn't buy skills" 3/4 of the people who say that sentence would crash a mid-engine
i have a v6 swap in my mr2, i put a 1mz-fe in it and do a bit of drifting. the swap is fun especially with the s54 transmission, which is geared very low which creates huge acceleration. The motor paired with the transmission creates a lot of torque and the handling of the car is insane. To clear up the "Snap-oversteer" problem. From my time and experience with drifting, the mr2 is a different beast. The reason people deal with snap-oversteer is because they let off the gas too hard or completely, this causes the back wheels to begin gripping and mess up your drift and begin spinning out. With the mr2, you cant let off the gas too hard, and people dont understand that since the motor is in the back, the wheels are more prone to gripping very hard, causing the car to turn the other way. I personally love the car and wouldnt trade it out, especially after the swap and time behind the wheel compared to other cars.
Great Video! Thank you for clearing up all the things that people think of the MR2 and that drive me crazy! The MR2 turbo is such an underrated car! Im glad they are going up in value...people are finally starting to realize how cool the MR2s really are!
My dad has had an SW20 for as long as I can remember. Always loved that car, but the AW11 is my preference. Right now I'm on a 2002 Saab 9-3 SE, but one day I will own my own MR2. Shame they are getting more expensive, especially because a LOT of people think they are ugly.
I had an MR2 before I got to cocky with it and crashed it into a tree, but it is one of my all time favourite cars and it's amazing, and yes the 3sgte can kick out a silly amount of power lol
@@mk2mister2 Have fun Mr2s are awesome cars. Make sure to fix the foam in the doors. it soaks up water and leaks it onto the sills and destroys them. Fix it and your MR2 will last forever. I Ddin't on a uk sw20 mk3 and the engine was sound as hell at 150,000+ but the sills were fucked and I had to sell it or scrap it. Sold it to someone who was going to fix it. Don't know if he did. Get the foam out of the doors. Now. Luv and Peace.
I have never had "snap oversteer" that was not forced, wet weather and I pushed the throttle more and more in understeer (at 50kph or 30mph) was what it took me to do this in one of my aw11's. Never had a problem in an Sw20 na or turbo. All the ones I know of that crashed because of snap oversteer were not snap oversteer but bad driving habits. It is nice to see a video that is making a point of showing this case instead of blaming Toyota for a bad chassis. Great video.
I had a 91 Emerald green pearl MR2 non turbo hard top for 13 yrs. Super rare world wide at that, no sunroof no t-top MKII. Headers, no cat, flowmaster set up. Cold air intake up to touching driver's side air vent. Factory Turbo rear strut tower brace. 4 way, KYB adjustable struts, suspension Technics springs and bushings, Konig 5 spoke Villan 17 wheels, Toyo Proxes T1 tires, and Catz MSC round driving/fog lights where the turbo fig lights go. Slow to take off, but once you got going I could keep up with just about anything taking a fast curve or a turn. Stuck like glue and no snap steer bs. All I needed was grade upgrade and more hp but what a blast to own n drive. Book value back when I sold it was $1,500 13yrs ago. Lived in FL and someone from Ohio flew to buy it for $8,000 then with 118k miles. Have you seen a non sunroof and non t-top MKII lately? Nothing in 5 states near him had a clean a car and rare hard top at that as mine. Sold it to buy a 82 911SC back when they were cheap for $10,500 now clean ones $35k and up. Lotus designed the suspension for the MKI and MKII. The MKII had a double Wishbone, multi-link, independent suspension, all the way around. In 1993 the stance on the rear of the MR2 was made wider if I remember correctly by an inch or an inch and a half to improve the oversteer problem for inexperienced drivers. None the less, Incredibly stable car at 125mph and higher. Motortrend had the 1995 MR2 TURBO up to 148mph . A must on TOYOTA'S list to bring back to the sales floor.
I just finished a build on my own MR2 where I made 570 RWHP with a stroked 5s block and mildly built 3s head. I prefer the toyota motors over the Honda ones. With some modern upgrades to the ECU and sensors you can build a powerful yet reliable toyota motor for the SW-20!
This is a great list. Having owned a 91 SW21, it always grinds my gears when people who've never driven a MR2 talk about snap oversteer as if these cars have minds of their own.
Mk2 rev 1 and 2 were terrible for this especially in the wet but from rev 3 onwards it's driver error but you know people 1 car spins their all bad. The audi TT quattro a 4wd car had a bad reputation because rich idiots couldn't drive them so Audi had to design a special ESP system for it so now it's safer but boring
I had a AW11's for well over a decade - eventually modifying a 4AGZE engine and running a GT28R Turbo - it was an proper weapon on the road! The snap steer isn't really true, the MR2 handles like a dream - so much so that it allows you to get right up to the line of losing control - push it past that point, and then you're in for a bad time! I've fish-tailed down the road a couple of times, spun out many times too, but by god is it a great fun platform to drive!
I used to love my Mk1 but put it in a drainage ditch on the Somerset Levels after adventures with black ice on a bend, and promised myself a Mk2 someday. Very much later, I now own an immaculate mint 1990 Mk2 without spoiler or turbo, 15000 miles genuine. I use it for touring the UK and have no need to exceed its limits. I'm obviously in love with this much admired all black beauty. What were the reasons for modifying this basic motorcar to include spoiler and turbo? How many were made unspoilt? How many are left? What should I be careful of?
Rafael Carrillo That’s my setup too. Full GReddy bolt one (IC, IC Piping, BOV Exhaust), Apex’i intake, Aussie DP and the boost turned up - literally all this engine needs.
It was indeed designed originally designed by Lotus. The project was originally started as a Lotus X100, however after it was canceled there, it was adopted by Toyota. Toyota and GM had a joint ownership in that time period. Lotus continued to tune the suspension of the MK2 models as well. Dan Gurney also was involved in it's development. They are also quite rare as less than 100,000 gen 2 cars were produced.
I've heard that the AW11 chassis had the FWD corolla front end installed in the back due to the fact that the rear toe arms were basically stationary tie-rods.
I used to have a tuned MR2 Mk2 Turbo and it still to this day is probably one of if not the fastest car I owned the rear on the rev 1 and 2 were a nightmare but from rev 3 onwards its much better and you can actually put the rev 3 rear end on a a rev 1 or 2 so if you like one of these as they have diffrent rear lights etc then it's a relatively easy upgrade
The last time I brought my MR2 to a car meet was in 2018, prior to that the last time I had it on display was in 2011. I had my engine lid propped up, displaying my 3S-GTE that I dumped thousands into, and was expecting curious car enthusiasts to ask genuine questions that I am more than happy to answer. Instead, I was greeted by two mid teens that probably didn’t have their driver’s license, peeked into the engine bay, and scoffed “what, this doesn’t have a KA swap?” They thumbed their noses at it and walked away like it was worthless. It was the first time I have ever heard of a K swap and went online to find out these new “car enthusiasts” just regurgitate whatever they see on RUclips, automotive scholars apparently. To this day, my S-DUB has never been back to another car meet as I am sure many more of these scholars have graduated youtube university.
Really not as good first car. Pretty sketchy layout. Mid engined, Turbo, Rear wheel drive. Pretty much the most challenging configuration to start with. Try a 4 wheel drive Focus or an old E46 BWM 320i -same power ans the NA SW20 - more torque and much more manageable. About as fast over twisty roads. Seats 4 too so you can look cool with more people present. Mid engines cars are for when you are not trying to impress someone. They are hard to drive fast and they bite hard. Luv and Peace.
It’s underrated because it’s ugly just like the 2000s Porsche’s, those are ugly but damn cheap lol (yes you can buy a cheap modem Porsche but it’s a Porsche so you better have money)
@@tony_5156 Seriously considered an MR-s on my last car search. Went for a Z4 instead. Not as fun handling as my sw20 but still good fun. Luv and Peace.
ive had zzw30 for 2 years now and entered my first ever race on tight go kart track, got third in my class against proper purpose built race cars running good tyres and have clocked way better times than many cars you would consider complete and absolute bullshit so theres no reason to list them. They are good cars, greater than the sum of its parts. I think everyone should own one or a fiero at least once in their life, midengine is magical.
The Spyder is a ridiculously good chassis. I wanted an SW20 for as long as I can remember, until I learned that compared to the ZZW30 it's a turd on wheels for anything corner related. So now I got a ZZW30.
@@BMAD_Christoph27 Based on my experience racing them on tight circuits, sw20 is hilariously bad thanks to its 200kg extra weight. stock MRS is a good matchup to a turbo sw20 as long as the track isn't too straight focused. SW20 was more of a GT car while MRS is a car that has unlimited potential thanks to it's better chassis, significantly lighter weight and better wheel base and suspension.
I'm considering buying one from '94 (so i guess rev 3?) with the 2.0 NA engine, supposedly making 175 hp, which for the weight and my driving skills is enough. The car has been taken great care of, the interior looks brand new as well and the motor has been pretty much rebuilt a few months ago (not that it needed according to the guy). All that's left is making the drive to the seller and bringing along my mechanic for a check and a test drive, but before that i wanna ask: a) is it worth 8.500€? Do you have to be a rally driver to have some fun in it and not fall down a cliff? Thanks.
Awesome video! You deserve more subs. Getting my restricted/provisional license soon (over a year late because I haven't had the motivation until recently) and I have my heart set on owning an MR2 turbo. Should be doable within the next 3-5 years (or sooner if I go for one in worse condition or a non-turbo as a projecct car)! While the snap-oversteer rumors are a bit offputting, I plan to get a post-1993 model with the upgraded suspension, brakes etc. to make the car a bit more controllable and I plan on going to advanced drivers school and spending time with my neighbour's crazy expensive sim rig to make myself good enough of a driver to handle it. Or I could just drive at the speed limit and adjust for weather and other road conditions ;)...
I would gladly buy one but I'm not sure if they are still worth it nowadays - some are close to 30 years old. I'm currently looking at a 1991 MR2 mk2 with a 2.0 N/A. It has the newer version "body-kit" on it, KW adjustable coilovers and engine did almost 240,000 KMs. Not sure how much the engine and transmission can survive. Any tips?
More info on this jdm especially as it relates to the 3sgte... in my opinion a very nice and tunable 2.0liter engine the world needs to know more about
My dad's got a mr2 turbo and has for the lats 10 years and before that had a an NA for 2 years and he has never once spun and has only come close once.
Sergio Aguirre im not interested in all motor . I got a 750hp 3s in my celica . And im sure the 3s is going to show the k24 how to go this year. I know what power they all can make .
Yes, I believe the Japanese book HyperREV, Volume 50 has specs, but it's in Japanese. I have been attempting to translate/interpret it for a while now, but I haven't looked at the suspension section yet. (It's 193 pages long) From the picture of the front suspension, it appears to still be a MacPherson strut setup; which surprised me. I'll let you know if I get any more information.
And furthermore just look at it. There are fewer better looking cars around today then the 94 Toyota mr2 T-top. Owned one and Loved one. Just a really special car. Luv and Peace.
If even the drift king gets snap oversteer, the problem is the car, not the driver. "If a monkey falls from a tree, it's likely due to a broken branch". The MR2 is dangerous. Don't understate it. It's much better than most other cars when it comes to handling, but that comes at a cost. The late gen SW20s have less of an issue with the snap oversteer, and the ZZW30s apparently got rid of it completely (at least in OEM form)
it does snap steer.... I've had many incidents.. it's a hard car to drive. I learned a lot from it though. =) drove it between 2003~2009 still love the sw20
Snap oversteer is not a misconception, the car is prone to oversteer, period. Regardless of the driver, it is a disadvantage to oversteer easily. The fact that even Tsuchiya lost control just proves the fact that it is dangerous, even in the best hands.
I agree that snap oversteer is a handling characteristic and that rear-biased vehicles are more prone to it. But if you are aware of the handling characteristics of a vehicle-- did the car cause the crash; or did you? :)
I think you don't understand, rwd cars are prone to snap oversteer, if the weight transfers fast in a corner, but everyone knows that because the engine is in the rear, the mr2 is a lot harder to control (most mid or rear engine cars for that matter). Yes a good driver can control it, but he will have to pay attention to the weight transfer a lot more than he should, costing him time even if he doesnt oversteer. And this all could have been avoided by buying a mx-5.
#1 - Completely agree that it's over exaggerated and is purely dependent upon driver skill plus experience. If you barrel into a corner at max suggested speed in a RWD vehicle as you if you were driving a FWD vehicle the ass end of a RWD vehicle will get loose. The lack of Mid engine RWD options available the average person simply does not have the experience. When properly driven you will easily be able to take corners faster than vehicles of equal power to weight ratio but differing powertrain layouts.
+amber corners: Owning both a supercharged AW11 AND a turbocharged SW20 MR2, I'll agree almost whole-heartedly w/ your list _EXCEPT_ : snap oversteer, which can _bite you in the ass_ , or literally kill you, if you are unaware. Many an MR2 owner is not-so-blissfully unaware, finding him or herself _bitten in the ass_ as it were. Doing donuts isn't that much fun in traffic!
Regarding snap over steer. Not a problem if you aren't pushing the car to the limit. ...and if you are pushing the car to the limit, you better know what you're doing, and you better be cognizant of where you're doing it. But this is true of ANY car. One time I watched a driver drive a Cobalt SS into a restaurant because he thought he could execute a 97 MPH 75 degree right hand turn with no setup. He just cranked the wheel, and physics had a different perspective as he sailed across the intersection, over two curbs (the curb from the road to the parking lot, and from the parking lot on to the walk area of the building), and into the front of a building, almost flipping his car over in the process. I took the same turn, at the same speed, and didn't even chirp the tires of my STi. But then, I knew what my car could do, what my tires could do, and how to make them both do it, and I set the turn up accordingly. This guy was still running his paper plates, he had obviously just bought the car, and thought he was untouchable. Not the car's fault.
big myth #7. You have to have a turbo.. Love my NA.. lighter, rev happy and simple to work on, non interference timing belt with Camry bullet proof engine.
I had all three, NA / SC / Turbo, (all AW11's) Whilst the turbo was undeniably the fastest overall, the NA was easily the most fun to push to the limit - especially on the corners, and hold it there! The Turbo round small twisty's was a little unweildy. The Supercharger was really cool, but again despite having close to immediate power - it's not as 'sharp' as the NA for all out consistency. Personally I like the drama of the turbo, but for pushing it hard and giving it everything it's got - the NA gives that.
Great video subed cant wait to get my gen 3 3sgte into my sw20 gotta get my supra finished first so for now i have to live vicariously though youtube lol.
There was a twin turbo mr2 but it was an aftermarket kit there was 3 .. 1 ended up in the junkyard which I should of bought but anyhow there were twin turbo mr2s.
The MR2 isn't "ONLY" fast with a K20. But if ANY car, has room for a 4-banger, the absolute best option, is a K20. No other engine even comes close, all things considered.
Great cars. They are cheap, reliable, and fun. Take it to a couple of autocroses to learn what it does near the limit and you will be fine. The people who crash these, especially fooling around on public roads just lack experience and drive them harder than they have the skills for. Source: racing an aw11 for 10+ years, with track time in an sw20 as well.
I'm thinking about getting MR2 SW20 very soon, and I wanna swap stock 3S-GE for 3S-GTE. Engine is still amazing, capable of 400whp on stock internals, K Swap, even tho I love Hondas is not an option for me. I don't care about snap oversteer, if I gonna die, I gonna die, but let's hope I won't lol
toyota mr2's is probarbly a JDM underdog tbh, even the lastest gen of mr2 is greit if you 2zz swap it, the 1zz can be a little boring cuz of lack of power other than that it handles great!
The JDM gen 2 was rated at 220 hp. That can be a factor, but so can the age & tune. Other often overlooked factors: Power / weight ratio, grip and driving ability.
I'm a Fiero guy, but this video is very important, particularly the end. Thank you for this video.
Nice. The poor mans Mr2
@@Sky-qd2mf 😂no the mr2 is the poor mans fiero
t33n_ tun3r0129
Nope
@@negativeindustrial yet it outsold the car 3 to 1
MR2 was more expensive so that doesn't make sense. Both are cool.
Especially the Fieros with the engine swaps lol.
I had an MR2 for 5 years. I respected the layout and learned where the raggedy edge was.
I think I spun it twice in my whole time with it.
I probably had another 3 or 4 times when it stepped out when I wasn't expecting it and caught it.
It was a rev3 sw20 so most of the bugs had been ironed out by then but it was always an exciting car to drive.
It cornered really well but was prone to understeer at turn in so you had to brake properly before a corner and then get on the power earlier than you would with a front engined car.
The traction at takeoff was like no other car I've owned before or since.
Great car.
Luv and Peace.
Ian Edmonds tell me more I’m curious about this, this is mostly exclusive to cars that have the engine on (in front, or behind the rear axle) right?
@@tony_5156 It's prevalent in cars where most of the weight is between the wheels and especially if it's more rear biased. You have a very low moment of inertia which is to say most of the mass is close to the pivot point. That means it's easy to change the direction of spin relative to a car that's balanced further out from the pivot.
It makes the car handle really well in that it will change direction quickly but if you overcook it into a corner an exceed the limits of the tyres grip It will very suddely lose the backend grip. There's a lot of weight in the backend as opposed to the frontend and the big tyres on the back counter that but once you've exceeded that grip you're back to a heavy back end penduluming the car.
It happens very suddenly and very extremely. The first impulse is to release the throttle which slows the car and throws even more weight forward further reducing the grip on the back wheels and the spin speed increases. Drivers typically oversteer into a skid which does slow the car through massive understeer braking and also panicked foot braking. Typically this results in the backend finding grip when you are no longer facing forwards down the road and the momentum of the engine still powering the back wheels propels you off in as ditch normally via a few very unsuccessful attempts at correction.
The way to to safely corner in an MR2 is moderately cautious on entry until the apex then floor it and correct any oversteer as necessary.
Going in too fast is a recipe for understeer then a massive horrible tank-slapper.
Luv and Peace.
My co-worker hated them cause his brother was killed in one when it snap-oversteered off a cloverleaf and rolled down the bank
Everyone says it's not practical because of its size but I'm 6'1", 220lbs and can fit in the trunk of my SW with the lid closed.
maybe the ww30 might be bad for tall people
+diltzm Oh, that's a good one! I'm also 6'1" and the SW20 fits me like a glove. I heard that the trunk had a design specification to fit a bag of golf clubs.
I hope you came out
I’m 6’4” 225lb and my MR2T fits me perfectly!
@@ambercorners can confirm that is does fit them
The driver definitely has a lot to do with it. When I got my N/A I 'learnt' to drive it, once I was ready I imported a rev 3 turbo. Everybody I speak to sais hey I had one of these but I crashed it.... after speaking with them for 5 minutes I understand why.
Problem is that people act like it is just another car.
It is, as long as you understand what it a mid-engine and how it has to ne driven. Exactly how you see those rich kids crashing their Ferrari. "Money doesn't buy skills" 3/4 of the people who say that sentence would crash a mid-engine
Is no one going to mention the Fire & Mayhem at 1:56 ?
A non-MR2 crashed. It's understandable, and expected. 🙂
I didnt even notice lol.
i have a v6 swap in my mr2, i put a 1mz-fe in it and do a bit of drifting. the swap is fun especially with the s54 transmission, which is geared very low which creates huge acceleration. The motor paired with the transmission creates a lot of torque and the handling of the car is insane. To clear up the "Snap-oversteer" problem. From my time and experience with drifting, the mr2 is a different beast. The reason people deal with snap-oversteer is because they let off the gas too hard or completely, this causes the back wheels to begin gripping and mess up your drift and begin spinning out. With the mr2, you cant let off the gas too hard, and people dont understand that since the motor is in the back, the wheels are more prone to gripping very hard, causing the car to turn the other way. I personally love the car and wouldnt trade it out, especially after the swap and time behind the wheel compared to other cars.
Great video bro!
Great Video! Thank you for clearing up all the things that people think of the MR2 and that drive me crazy! The MR2 turbo is such an underrated car! Im glad they are going up in value...people are finally starting to realize how cool the MR2s really are!
My dad has had an SW20 for as long as I can remember. Always loved that car, but the AW11 is my preference. Right now I'm on a 2002 Saab 9-3 SE, but one day I will own my own MR2. Shame they are getting more expensive, especially because a LOT of people think they are ugly.
I'm not happy that they're going up in value, but only because that inevitably means a higher price tag.
I had an MR2 before I got to cocky with it and crashed it into a tree, but it is one of my all time favourite cars and it's amazing, and yes the 3sgte can kick out a silly amount of power lol
thanks for helping clarify some stuff about the mr2. people rarely understand when i try to explain that mr2's aren't slow and dangerous
I’m so happy to Own a 4th gen 3sgte Turbocharged MR2
Me too!
@@mk2mister2 Have fun Mr2s are awesome cars.
Make sure to fix the foam in the doors. it soaks up water and leaks it onto the sills and destroys them.
Fix it and your MR2 will last forever.
I Ddin't on a uk sw20 mk3 and the engine was sound as hell at 150,000+ but the sills were fucked and I had to sell it or scrap it.
Sold it to someone who was going to fix it. Don't know if he did.
Get the foam out of the doors. Now.
Luv and Peace.
Where is this foam--like insulation foam behind the panel?
@@robertelmo7736 The foam is in the sills. Remove the lower B pillar interior panel and stick your hand in.
I have never had "snap oversteer" that was not forced, wet weather and I pushed the throttle more and more in understeer (at 50kph or 30mph) was what it took me to do this in one of my aw11's.
Never had a problem in an Sw20 na or turbo. All the ones I know of that crashed because of snap oversteer were not snap oversteer but bad driving habits.
It is nice to see a video that is making a point of showing this case instead of blaming Toyota for a bad chassis. Great video.
I have owned and driven my 1993 MR2 for twenty seven years come June. Best car I have ever driven including Mercedes and Lexus!
I had a 91 Emerald green pearl MR2 non turbo hard top for 13 yrs. Super rare world wide at that, no sunroof no t-top MKII. Headers, no cat, flowmaster set up. Cold air intake up to touching driver's side air vent. Factory Turbo rear strut tower brace. 4 way, KYB adjustable struts, suspension Technics springs and bushings, Konig 5 spoke Villan 17 wheels, Toyo Proxes T1 tires, and Catz MSC round driving/fog lights where the turbo fig lights go. Slow to take off, but once you got going I could keep up with just about anything taking a fast curve or a turn. Stuck like glue and no snap steer bs. All I needed was grade upgrade and more hp but what a blast to own n drive. Book value back when I sold it was $1,500 13yrs ago. Lived in FL and someone from Ohio flew to buy it for $8,000 then with 118k miles. Have you seen a non sunroof and non t-top MKII lately? Nothing in 5 states near him had a clean a car and rare hard top at that as mine. Sold it to buy a 82 911SC back when they were cheap for $10,500 now clean ones $35k and up. Lotus designed the suspension for the MKI and MKII. The MKII had a double Wishbone, multi-link, independent suspension, all the way around. In 1993 the stance on the rear of the MR2 was made wider if I remember correctly by an inch or an inch and a half to improve the oversteer problem for inexperienced drivers. None the less, Incredibly stable car at 125mph and higher. Motortrend had the 1995 MR2 TURBO up to 148mph . A must on TOYOTA'S list to bring back to the sales floor.
I just finished a build on my own MR2 where I made 570 RWHP with a stroked 5s block and mildly built 3s head. I prefer the toyota motors over the Honda ones. With some modern upgrades to the ECU and sensors you can build a powerful yet reliable toyota motor for the SW-20!
Nick Hart That's an unpopular oponion... that I agree with you 120% on!!! Everyone and there mother boosts a honda and thinks it's one of a kind.
Nick Hart congrats mirrors the build i wanted in mine but life forced a sale still searching for another i can afford
This is a great list. Having owned a 91 SW21, it always grinds my gears when people who've never driven a MR2 talk about snap oversteer as if these cars have minds of their own.
MR2Guy Right, I as my name implies own a 91 sw21 and have for 11 years, never spunnit once without it being intentional.
Mk2 rev 1 and 2 were terrible for this especially in the wet but from rev 3 onwards it's driver error but you know people 1 car spins their all bad. The audi TT quattro a 4wd car had a bad reputation because rich idiots couldn't drive them so Audi had to design a special ESP system for it so now it's safer but boring
Original owner of a 91 MR2T. Amazing and fun! Fortunately reliable.
I had a AW11's for well over a decade - eventually modifying a 4AGZE engine and running a GT28R Turbo - it was an proper weapon on the road!
The snap steer isn't really true, the MR2 handles like a dream - so much so that it allows you to get right up to the line of losing control - push it past that point, and then you're in for a bad time!
I've fish-tailed down the road a couple of times, spun out many times too, but by god is it a great fun platform to drive!
I used to love my Mk1 but put it in a drainage ditch on the Somerset Levels after adventures with black ice on a bend, and promised myself a Mk2 someday. Very much later, I now own an immaculate mint 1990 Mk2 without spoiler or turbo, 15000 miles genuine. I use it for touring the UK and have no need to exceed its limits. I'm obviously in love with this much admired all black beauty. What were the reasons for modifying this basic motorcar to include spoiler and turbo? How many were made unspoilt? How many are left? What should I be careful of?
My mr2 was NA and now has a 2nd gen 3sgte with a 3rd gen ct20b turbo and I love it!
Rafael Carrillo
That’s my setup too. Full GReddy bolt one (IC, IC Piping, BOV Exhaust), Apex’i intake, Aussie DP and the boost turned up - literally all this engine needs.
It was indeed designed originally designed by Lotus. The project was originally started as a Lotus X100, however after it was canceled there, it was adopted by Toyota. Toyota and GM had a joint ownership in that time period. Lotus continued to tune the suspension of the MK2 models as well. Dan Gurney also was involved in it's development. They are also quite rare as less than 100,000 gen 2 cars were produced.
I've heard that the AW11 chassis had the FWD corolla front end installed in the back due to the fact that the rear toe arms were basically stationary tie-rods.
Yes Wikipedia told me that too
I used to have a tuned MR2 Mk2 Turbo and it still to this day is probably one of if not the fastest car I owned the rear on the rev 1 and 2 were a nightmare but from rev 3 onwards its much better and you can actually put the rev 3 rear end on a a rev 1 or 2 so if you like one of these as they have diffrent rear lights etc then it's a relatively easy upgrade
I have a 2000 Spyder, was driving fwd hatches all my life.
After this car, not many platforms can meet one's expectations that includes the ND.
This is a good list, way less annoying than the doughnut media video.
right??? i can't stand his videos, the "humor" is so forced and way too constant
I kind of like the humor. Then again I like cheesy jokes and self deprecating humor.
@@Otie64 "forced, just like my dads discipline"
Totally something James would say
potato mash thank you!!! And they do it in like a middle school kid manner... I feel like they think they’re audience is 12 LOL
The last time I brought my MR2 to a car meet was in 2018, prior to that the last time I had it on display was in 2011. I had my engine lid propped up, displaying my 3S-GTE that I dumped thousands into, and was expecting curious car enthusiasts to ask genuine questions that I am more than happy to answer. Instead, I was greeted by two mid teens that probably didn’t have their driver’s license, peeked into the engine bay, and scoffed “what, this doesn’t have a KA swap?” They thumbed their noses at it and walked away like it was worthless. It was the first time I have ever heard of a K swap and went online to find out these new “car enthusiasts” just regurgitate whatever they see on RUclips, automotive scholars apparently. To this day, my S-DUB has never been back to another car meet as I am sure many more of these scholars have graduated youtube university.
Almost 2 months later and still no dislikes. Sorry to jinx it, just thought this was incredible!
Keep your MR2 vids coming. I am glad I watched this video. Learnt quite a lot from it. Keep up the good stuff
Really nice video. I wanted an Mr2 to be my first car, but now I REALLY want one.
Really not as good first car.
Pretty sketchy layout. Mid engined, Turbo, Rear wheel drive.
Pretty much the most challenging configuration to start with.
Try a 4 wheel drive Focus or an old E46 BWM 320i -same power ans the NA SW20 - more torque and much more manageable. About as fast over twisty roads.
Seats 4 too so you can look cool with more people present.
Mid engines cars are for when you are not trying to impress someone.
They are hard to drive fast and they bite hard.
Luv and Peace.
Man I miss my MR2. Great cars!!
What happened?
thank you , i was starting to think that MR2 is dangerous because of the rumors but thanks to this video i think im gonna buy one
The pre-1993 mr2s had a problem with snap oversteer but in the 1993 and later was mostly fixed with different suspension
my 89 hasn't killed me.
Nice quality content wondering why you dont have more subs. Even guys with 500k dont make content far as good as you do. Keep it up man
**SNAP OVERSTEERS OFF THE CLIFF** xD great vid as always!
this is an amazing video with very good "unbiased" comments lol; I have an mrs; i think it's probably underrated too
I dare say that the MR-S is the biggest underdog of all three generations. Thanks for watching!
Definetly underrated, what a great little gokart. A sleeper of handling.
It’s underrated because it’s ugly just like the 2000s Porsche’s, those are ugly but damn cheap lol (yes you can buy a cheap modem Porsche but it’s a Porsche so you better have money)
@@tony_5156 Seriously considered an MR-s on my last car search.
Went for a Z4 instead. Not as fun handling as my sw20 but still good fun.
Luv and Peace.
ive had zzw30 for 2 years now and entered my first ever race on tight go kart track, got third in my class against proper purpose built race cars running good tyres and have clocked way better times than many cars you would consider complete and absolute bullshit so theres no reason to list them. They are good cars, greater than the sum of its parts. I think everyone should own one or a fiero at least once in their life, midengine is magical.
Agreed. Embarrassed so many faaar more powerful cars on touge with mine. It's ja pure joy to drive. Extremely underrated.
The Spyder is a ridiculously good chassis. I wanted an SW20 for as long as I can remember, until I learned that compared to the ZZW30 it's a turd on wheels for anything corner related. So now I got a ZZW30.
@@BMAD_Christoph27 Based on my experience racing them on tight circuits, sw20 is hilariously bad thanks to its 200kg extra weight. stock MRS is a good matchup to a turbo sw20 as long as the track isn't too straight focused. SW20 was more of a GT car while MRS is a car that has unlimited potential thanks to it's better chassis, significantly lighter weight and better wheel base and suspension.
Enjoyed this a lot, keep the vids coming
I'm considering buying one from '94 (so i guess rev 3?) with the 2.0 NA engine, supposedly making 175 hp, which for the weight and my driving skills is enough.
The car has been taken great care of, the interior looks brand new as well and the motor has been pretty much rebuilt a few months ago (not that it needed according to the guy).
All that's left is making the drive to the seller and bringing along my mechanic for a check and a test drive, but before that i wanna ask: a) is it worth 8.500€? Do you have to be a rally driver to have some fun in it and not fall down a cliff?
Thanks.
Great video. I'd love to own an AW11 some day
Me 2
Awesome video! You deserve more subs.
Getting my restricted/provisional license soon (over a year late because I haven't had the motivation until recently) and I have my heart set on owning an MR2 turbo. Should be doable within the next 3-5 years (or sooner if I go for one in worse condition or a non-turbo as a projecct car)!
While the snap-oversteer rumors are a bit offputting, I plan to get a post-1993 model with the upgraded suspension, brakes etc. to make the car a bit more controllable and I plan on going to advanced drivers school and spending time with my neighbour's crazy expensive sim rig to make myself good enough of a driver to handle it. Or I could just drive at the speed limit and adjust for weather and other road conditions ;)...
It's an informative and accurate list. Thanks.
Great video! Very well made. Looking forward to more content like this
I would gladly buy one but I'm not sure if they are still worth it nowadays - some are close to 30 years old.
I'm currently looking at a 1991 MR2 mk2 with a 2.0 N/A. It has the newer version "body-kit" on it, KW adjustable coilovers and engine did almost 240,000 KMs. Not sure how much the engine and transmission can survive. Any tips?
3SGTE is also related to 4 banger Toyota used in Group C/GTP if it isn't the actual engine used.Also Toms Castrol Supra(pre 2k3)
Toyota should have given the MR-S a supercharged 2ZZGE though.
Really enjoyed this style video. Keep them comin.
More info on this jdm especially as it relates to the 3sgte... in my opinion a very nice and tunable 2.0liter engine the world needs to know more about
My dad's got a mr2 turbo and has for the lats 10 years and before that had a an NA for 2 years and he has never once spun and has only come close once.
3sgte caught up to the K20 now , both in the 8s on the 1/4
who cares what the all motors do , only 5 hundredths or something like that in it for the turbos
Sergio Aguirre im not interested in all motor . I got a 750hp 3s in my celica . And im sure the 3s is going to show the k24 how to go this year. I know what power they all can make .
Is there any information on the Taisan MR2 suspension specs? I can't seem to find anything on it.
Yes, I believe the Japanese book HyperREV, Volume 50 has specs, but it's in Japanese. I have been attempting to translate/interpret it for a while now, but I haven't looked at the suspension section yet. (It's 193 pages long)
From the picture of the front suspension, it appears to still be a MacPherson strut setup; which surprised me. I'll let you know if I get any more information.
And furthermore just look at it. There are fewer better looking cars around today then the 94 Toyota mr2 T-top.
Owned one and Loved one.
Just a really special car.
Luv and Peace.
You guys should check out those 1000HP 3SGTE MR2's they are crazy, like little 2JZ's!
the 3sgte funny enough does share a lot of parts with the 2jz
funny thing, In the 90's Japanese tuners where putting 3sgte's in supra's check the older JGTC
U mean k20 ones
@@sameerjura6535 No 3sgte
If even the drift king gets snap oversteer, the problem is the car, not the driver. "If a monkey falls from a tree, it's likely due to a broken branch". The MR2 is dangerous. Don't understate it. It's much better than most other cars when it comes to handling, but that comes at a cost. The late gen SW20s have less of an issue with the snap oversteer, and the ZZW30s apparently got rid of it completely (at least in OEM form)
it does snap steer.... I've had many incidents..
it's a hard car to drive.
I learned a lot from it though. =) drove it between 2003~2009
still love the sw20
Snap oversteer is not a misconception, the car is prone to oversteer, period. Regardless of the driver, it is a disadvantage to oversteer easily. The fact that even Tsuchiya lost control just proves the fact that it is dangerous, even in the best hands.
I agree that snap oversteer is a handling characteristic and that rear-biased vehicles are more prone to it. But if you are aware of the handling characteristics of a vehicle-- did the car cause the crash; or did you? :)
I think you don't understand, rwd cars are prone to snap oversteer, if the weight transfers fast in a corner, but everyone knows that because the engine is in the rear, the mr2 is a lot harder to control (most mid or rear engine cars for that matter). Yes a good driver can control it, but he will have to pay attention to the weight transfer a lot more than he should, costing him time even if he doesnt oversteer. And this all could have been avoided by buying a mx-5.
An mr2 is a drivers car and handles as such. An mx5 is a hairdressers car and also handles as such.
Done him there Mark :)
The main cause of oversteer on mr2 is the crappy factory alinement specs changing that transforms even a stock car
Great stuff as always
Nice vidéo. You should do other cars in this style list
#1 - Completely agree that it's over exaggerated and is purely dependent upon driver skill plus experience. If you barrel into a corner at max suggested speed in a RWD vehicle as you if you were driving a FWD vehicle the ass end of a RWD vehicle will get loose. The lack of Mid engine RWD options available the average person simply does not have the experience. When properly driven you will easily be able to take corners faster than vehicles of equal power to weight ratio but differing powertrain layouts.
I love my mr2 turbo!
Me too!
+amber corners: Owning both a supercharged AW11 AND a turbocharged SW20 MR2, I'll agree almost whole-heartedly w/ your list _EXCEPT_ : snap oversteer, which can _bite you in the ass_ , or literally kill you, if you are unaware.
Many an MR2 owner is not-so-blissfully unaware, finding him or herself _bitten in the ass_ as it were. Doing donuts isn't that much fun in traffic!
I really want an aw11 but they are getting harder and harder to find a clean one without rust.
I have a SW20 with a 3VZFE V6!
I love that engine. Great swap. Thanks for watching!
Carter Harris so did I.
Mine is the white dyno vid on RUclips with 54000 views and flames out the back 😕😁
antonyaiken ayy thats pretty cool!
amber corners the 3vzfe crapped out so now it has a 3SGTE
Carter Harris, what's your opinion on the 2gr?
Regarding snap over steer. Not a problem if you aren't pushing the car to the limit. ...and if you are pushing the car to the limit, you better know what you're doing, and you better be cognizant of where you're doing it. But this is true of ANY car. One time I watched a driver drive a Cobalt SS into a restaurant because he thought he could execute a 97 MPH 75 degree right hand turn with no setup. He just cranked the wheel, and physics had a different perspective as he sailed across the intersection, over two curbs (the curb from the road to the parking lot, and from the parking lot on to the walk area of the building), and into the front of a building, almost flipping his car over in the process. I took the same turn, at the same speed, and didn't even chirp the tires of my STi. But then, I knew what my car could do, what my tires could do, and how to make them both do it, and I set the turn up accordingly. This guy was still running his paper plates, he had obviously just bought the car, and thought he was untouchable. Not the car's fault.
I'm patiently waiting for the honda motor swap cost to come down. I would be fine with a simple NA 250-270hp 4 cylinder setup. currently gen4 3sgte.
Great content! Good to see you!
can you do a full racing history on the MR2 2end and 3rd gen ? thank you ! love your video.
big myth #7. You have to have a turbo.. Love my NA.. lighter, rev happy and simple to work on, non interference timing belt with Camry bullet proof engine.
I had all three, NA / SC / Turbo, (all AW11's) Whilst the turbo was undeniably the fastest overall, the NA was easily the most fun to push to the limit - especially on the corners, and hold it there! The Turbo round small twisty's was a little unweildy.
The Supercharger was really cool, but again despite having close to immediate power - it's not as 'sharp' as the NA for all out consistency.
Personally I like the drama of the turbo, but for pushing it hard and giving it everything it's got - the NA gives that.
If you want an even better example of an Mr2 with monster power look up Mike Colon 1100+ hp drag 3sgte power one!
It's a been a while since you uploaded!
SW20 ayy well, I've got an mr2 too and I couldn't figure out a good name haha.
Right but can it jump a corner
What track is that at 4:14?
Great video subed cant wait to get my gen 3 3sgte into my sw20 gotta get my supra finished first so for now i have to live vicariously though youtube lol.
The 222D was actually for Group S
That's true! Group S would have replaced Group B but it was scrapped. I reference the Group B regulation because of the name recognition.
Im sure the modified mr2 was meant to take place in rally group S
Song at the end ?
Ive been hunting for one for a while.
Excellent video
Is an N/A worth getting
I nearly killed myself twice in my Mk2 from oversteer once in front of a lorry on a slip road in pouring rain. It did teach me a very valuable lesson.
First thing I did after buying a 86 MR2 was to put sticky Bridgestones on.
I love this channel
very well put and informative!
Why the death trap tho?
THEY PUT A TWIN TURBO 1UZ-FE IN AN MR2?????? WHERE CAN I GET THAT ENGINE???
What's that song at the video's end?
Don't Hate Me - Jingle Punks
Great song, yeah? :)
There was a twin turbo mr2 but it was an aftermarket kit there was 3 .. 1 ended up in the junkyard which I should of bought but anyhow there were twin turbo mr2s.
The MR2 isn't "ONLY" fast with a K20.
But if ANY car, has room for a 4-banger, the absolute best option, is a K20.
No other engine even comes close, all things considered.
Cool vid. I love my Mr2 such a great car.
Great video 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
Great cars. They are cheap, reliable, and fun. Take it to a couple of autocroses to learn what it does near the limit and you will be fine. The people who crash these, especially fooling around on public roads just lack experience and drive them harder than they have the skills for. Source: racing an aw11 for 10+ years, with track time in an sw20 as well.
Got to love the mr2 lol 💯👍👍👍
List is perfect !
I'm thinking about getting MR2 SW20 very soon, and I wanna swap stock 3S-GE for 3S-GTE. Engine is still amazing, capable of 400whp on stock internals, K Swap, even tho I love Hondas is not an option for me. I don't care about snap oversteer, if I gonna die, I gonna die, but let's hope I won't lol
I want a mr2 aw11 and an AE86
You don't need to pay the tofu tax when you can have an MR2
The only reason I'm hesitating about getting an mr2 is snap oversteer. I really dont wanna crash my first car.
Mine has never snap over steered. Do not believe the shit people put on RUclips for views. Drive sensible and enjoy an MR2.
Marko Ivkovic mr2 must always have good tires!! Worn rear tires is very very bad
toyota mr2's is probarbly a JDM underdog tbh, even the lastest gen of mr2 is greit if you 2zz swap it, the 1zz can be a little boring cuz of lack of power other than that it handles great!
Well it does have snapsteer characteristics. It's mid engined, but that doesn't mean its SPECIFIC to MR2's
Okay so that video of the mr2 winning those drag races I'd assume its a gen 3 Right?
It is a 2nd generation MR2 (SW20). If you're referring to the engine-- The video was shot in 1993, so the 3S-GTE in use would have been a gen 2.
amber corners i have a 93 turbo car and its weird because I don't have anywhere near that kinda power lol maybe JDM models had more power
The JDM gen 2 was rated at 220 hp. That can be a factor, but so can the age & tune.
Other often overlooked factors: Power / weight ratio, grip and driving ability.
MR2 or DC5R?
I prefer the mr2 over the 86 in drifting at fujimi in fm4
I need to know the music lol, good video though
Great list!
FYI the stock MR2 is easier to keep on the road than a stock S15 Silvia. The S15 is a hand full!