So that is MY car! I sold it to a guy in Texus for $6500. I put the new headlights and did the 2zz swap. It still has the tears in the front bumper sides that I put in it autocrossing it. It also has been at Blackhawk raceway (with the original 1zz that developed rod knock). Great raw car driving. I still miss it.
It’s an incredible machine! Charles is taking great care of it and he certainly does very well in Autocross with it! I have been nagging him to get the hard dog roll bar so he can come to our local track!
@@aftastosk6016 it’s become an ironic statement by now since prices are going up. To be completely honest, I’d rather have one of these than an Elise; there’s just so much more overhead to modify for much less than a ~$40k-$50k elise. Let’s be real, getting into cars is not a poor person’s game but I appreciate you catching my drift!
@@VictorPitstop the comment was a sort of irony, I appreciated that you commented that the MR2-S is the best handling car you ever tested. Certainly far better than everything I ever drove.
It’s like I said, THE BEST handling car I’ve driven to date. I’ve driven a lot of cars (not on camera yet) and it’s a fantastic car to massacre apexes in!!
Your MR2 looks amazing. I especially like the fact that you have kept the external shape intact, and haven't added any awful body panels or a rear wing. Fantastic.
They couldn’t do it because it would have soiled the Lotus deal (where Lotus received the 2zz from Toyota/Yamaha). The MR-S would have been a direct competitor for the Elise at half the price. I think Toyota did it knowing that enthusiasts would make the engine swap happen regardless
I have all those upgrades in mine plus a full TTE exhaust system and air intake behind the left side air vent. Next in line is the WK V3 coilovers. Some day I will put a supercharger too
@@VictorPitstop If i can reduce 150lbs somehow (maybe gut the soft top) and with a supercharger on the 2ZZ, this thing is very a serious race track weapon
@@postmortemarg soft top shouldn’t be that much and still if you add a roll bar for track you’re kind of back at that weight. I’m sure it’ll be more than enough with a power adder.
Just discovered your channel, love this format of review! A proper blast with seemingly honest reviews and a clean overview at the end to clarify any hazy points!
If only you knew how much that meant to me to read! Thank you so much for not writing me off in the first 1-2 minutes without clarity on how I truly feel! Thank you so much for sticking around! I hope to soon bring more videos out for people like you, the Driving Enthusiast.
One more thing: It has a Carson Tuned Exhaust that is beautiful ( stainless steel cat back ) but a bit droney on a long trip (like to Tail of the Dragon) I drove it 2nd gear all the way through. Best drive of my life.
Thank you for letting me know; I’ll update the mod list! I LOVE the way it sounds… it’s such a rich tone with absolutely zero rasp. It’s just loud enough to let people know your in the little car around them on the road!
@@2zztercel558 nice, I will push Charles to get that… he’s working on getting a roll bar first so he can finally get on the track, but he def wants that sweet LSD.
In Australia a 1zz powered Lotus Elise is around $50k whereas the equivalent MR2 Spyder is less than half that. The price of parts for a Lotus is eye watering unless it's engine related. The Lotus definitely has more of a presence on the road though.
@@robertpearce5553 congrats! I would probably find a suitable header to start. PPE has some very nice exhaust setups but they are pretty pricey! You can also find a nice muffler shop that can help too; maybe start with a muffler delete?
@VictorPitstop thanks it has a ppe header and not much after that i took to a shop and $800 magnaflow cat stopped fuel smell but still loud I'm talking to MWR maybe add ppe cat downpipe to a mr2 stock exhaust and car has every form of brace to improve rigidity also hard dog rollbar..6sp tranny..MWR tune for lift to kick in at 5800 to 6500 and much more but other than sound fail I think kosei wheels and 225 tires a mistake I'd get RPF1s to go with 205s if can't quiet i found an awesome Lotus Elise
@@VictorPitstop really how so i drive my 05 matrix xrs and love shifting the 6 speed but at times i just want the factory sequential rev matching is fun but i think doing it with the MRS sequential would be a lot better ive read of people having issues about it but i want to learn the mistake others have had and still keep my factory parts to swap over i case i decided to go back
@@9kia8 keep your tranny you have now. A sequential would be damn expensive and you’re better off putting that money into suspension work and potentially a turbo. I was just saying how cool SMT are.
@@VictorPitstop i just replaced my suspension im looking into a lift kit of 40mm i like driving back roads but i also like hiking and walking the woods dirt roads arent fun when your stuck i like and the gains but i would like the factory oem supercharger system from the 2005 corolla t sport compressor 3psi nothing to big but more realistic for a daily without having to much reliability gone i mean my engine has over 265k original motor and transmission
Great video, you have a new subscriber! My 2004 MRS 6 speed 1ZZ only has 34000 miles on the clock and it runs beautifully. I just put a set of MeisterR coilovers on it. A 2ZZ sounds like a great upgrade but I don't see it worth it, because I know my engine's history has been sympathetic and it's perfect. I'm considering turbo charging it. I understand a standard 1ZZ with stock internals can be boosted to get around 220-230 bhp at the flywheel... Opinions on how this would be compared to the car in this video?
Thank you! More to come! I’m sure with your setup you can drive it pinned and never over-drive the chassis considering how glued you are to the ground; in terms of a turbo setup with your engine history it makes sense to turbo. You’re going to add maybe another ~100lbs but it’s all going to the rear of the car which is nice for retaining that go-kart feeling compared to turboing an FR layout car where the weight is in the nose. Torque is really where you’ll find the happiness in that setup considering the all-motor 2zz has to ring out to really get going. I’d totally turbo and get a tranny with an LSD down the road if I were you! Thanks for the support again!
@@VictorPitstop oh for sure, likely double the torque with a turbo. Also my car is a UK model, all 6 speeds come with the LSD as standard. I know it definitely does, as feel it when doing spin turns! The car is great, it just needs more power. Like most people, I tbink they should have all been fitted with the 2ZZ at the factory...
2zz swap is more like a different experience . It completely changes the driving dynamics of the car .lt becomes a more "driving" enthusiast car. I also had a 1zz on my car before
@@enuma8161 yes I can see that, and that's what I'd prefer. The only thing is that my car only has 34000 on the clock and is perfect. Putting a 2ZZ in with an unknown history might be a step back... To put a turbo on my engine which I know to be good is an ideal solution.
Toyota marketed this car as the MR2 Spyder here in the U.S. because they felt MR-S may be mistaken for "Mrs." which may negatively impact the image and sales of this car. Sadly, many still see this as a girly car. Perhaps MR-S would've been appropriate. This is the Mrs. to the Mr. which is the SW20.
@@VictorPitstop V6 probably will make it a God tier track weapon!! I've originally seen a few and here in UK it cost around £5K to swap but 2ZZ is half that and I don't plan on taking it to the track so that's good enough for me. Seriously dude, your review saved me a lot of monies haha! 0 to 60 in 5.5 is very quick in my book. Here's a clip of V6 swapped MR2 by someone in the West Coast I reckon ruclips.net/video/qg9G4BWNutA/видео.html
@@kila_whale it’s seriously PLENTY of power with a high ceiling for modifications! Also, interns of keeping weight down, it’s near perfect. Honestly a V6 would be limited once you show horn it in there as badass as it sound but for that money, I’d rather build an all-motor K20 with around 260-280rwhp… that thing would FLY!
@@VictorPitstop hahahaha yes absolutely!!! I guess K20 or K24 swap is much better for keeping the weights down but it cost a fair amount. I'll be over the moon with 2ZZ!!! 😅👍
I sold it long ago to my Mom who actually sold it this year! 😐 I’ll find a nicely modified one to review at some point in time! For now let’s say the one I had was a C-tier car!
I’ve really wanted to own a 2zz swapped Mr2-S and someone wants to trade for my 05 is300. However it’s not bar’d here in California still needs to be modified and being it’d my only car I don’t want to go through the hassle😕 California just sucks for fun cars haha
*Pain* I used to live in CA like 20 years ago and love TX because I can get away with much more here. I love the MRS but would only get one if it were a weekend/2nd car. The IS300 is an amazing platform!! Manual swap it!!
Working on track access to Harris hill Road; it's going to be a while though considering the cost of membership. What country roads do you recommend? Everything out in Dripping area is HIGHLY populated now.
So that is MY car! I sold it to a guy in Texus for $6500. I put the new headlights and did the 2zz swap. It still has the tears in the front bumper sides that I put in it autocrossing it. It also has been at Blackhawk raceway (with the original 1zz that developed rod knock). Great raw car driving. I still miss it.
It’s an incredible machine! Charles is taking great care of it and he certainly does very well in Autocross with it! I have been nagging him to get the hard dog roll bar so he can come to our local track!
@@VictorPitstop thank God that are guys like you that continue to talk about the "poor man's lotus" and all that crap that keep prices down
@@aftastosk6016 it’s become an ironic statement by now since prices are going up. To be completely honest, I’d rather have one of these than an Elise; there’s just so much more overhead to modify for much less than a ~$40k-$50k elise. Let’s be real, getting into cars is not a poor person’s game but I appreciate you catching my drift!
@@VictorPitstop the comment was a sort of irony, I appreciated that you commented that the MR2-S is the best handling car you ever tested. Certainly far better than everything I ever drove.
what a steal, i saw one in Ohio for 14,900 with og engine
The best handling car that no one talks about. Really makes you appreciate driving dynamics instead of overpowered and going stupid speeds.
It’s like I said, THE BEST handling car I’ve driven to date. I’ve driven a lot of cars (not on camera yet) and it’s a fantastic car to massacre apexes in!!
That is an amazing build/swap. Those are some crazy turns. That is not a poor man's Elise, but a smart person's Toyota MR2.
100% true! It’s one of my favorite cars and that saying right there is spot on!
I think this car and this engine, is the most fun you can have for the money. Period
💯
Your MR2 looks amazing. I especially like the fact that you have kept the external shape intact, and haven't added any awful body panels or a rear wing. Fantastic.
This REALLY should have had the 2ZZ from the start.
They couldn’t do it because it would have soiled the Lotus deal (where Lotus received the 2zz from Toyota/Yamaha). The MR-S would have been a direct competitor for the Elise at half the price. I think Toyota did it knowing that enthusiasts would make the engine swap happen regardless
VVTLI is variable valve time LIFT injection, the lift = a completely separate camshaft profile activated by oil pressure on the cam lobes, add a turbo
Thanks Doug, I go over that later on in the video.
I have all those upgrades in mine plus a full TTE exhaust system and air intake behind the left side air vent. Next in line is the WK V3 coilovers. Some day I will put a supercharger too
I keep telling him to turbo it or supercharge it and he may do so after an engine rebuild!
@@VictorPitstop
If i can reduce 150lbs somehow (maybe gut the soft top) and with a supercharger on the 2ZZ, this thing is very a serious race track weapon
@@postmortemarg soft top shouldn’t be that much and still if you add a roll bar for track you’re kind of back at that weight. I’m sure it’ll be more than enough with a power adder.
Just discovered your channel, love this format of review! A proper blast with seemingly honest reviews and a clean overview at the end to clarify any hazy points!
If only you knew how much that meant to me to read!
Thank you so much for not writing me off in the first 1-2 minutes without clarity on how I truly feel! Thank you so much for sticking around! I hope to soon bring more videos out for people like you, the Driving Enthusiast.
Sweet video! My buddy just got a 2ZZ in his Spyder, also in Texas - such a fun car!
They’re amazing little cars! You should get one too if you have the opportunity!
I could recognize the motor mile on I35 in south Austin anywhere lol. Great looking car and it's cool to see it being ripped around there.
The MR2 is a beautiful car and with that engine swap man that's so unique it must be a blast driving it
It’s crazy fun to drive! The same in concept to a Miata yet so different!
Check that crispy audio 🙏🏻🙏🏻
Thank you!! Working on it for sure! That’s a good test being in a convertible, but I’m pretty happy.
Great video How did you collect the exhaust sounds?
One more thing: It has a Carson Tuned Exhaust that is beautiful ( stainless steel cat back ) but a bit droney on a long trip (like to Tail of the Dragon) I drove it 2nd gear all the way through. Best drive of my life.
Thank you for letting me know; I’ll update the mod list! I LOVE the way it sounds… it’s such a rich tone with absolutely zero rasp. It’s just loud enough to let people know your in the little car around them on the road!
@@VictorPitstop It also weighs 2220 lbs (I live by a farm scale.)
With the 6 speed it lands back right into lift, he will be MUCH quicker with it than the 5 speed.
2zzge fan and owner speaking here.
I take it the gearing will be much shorter? That’ll be a quick little thing!
@@VictorPitstop yeah it has a shorter final drive and also a much closer ratio gear set.
@@2zztercel558 nice, I will push Charles to get that… he’s working on getting a roll bar first so he can finally get on the track, but he def wants that sweet LSD.
Props for the camera angle!
Too many people just record their face while driving.
@@srbaran this is a very old video but thanks. A lot has changed in my format. Thanks for stopping by!
In Australia a 1zz powered Lotus Elise is around $50k whereas the equivalent MR2 Spyder is less than half that.
The price of parts for a Lotus is eye watering unless it's engine related.
The Lotus definitely has more of a presence on the road though.
This is way more cofortable and more roomy inside, than a lotus. One good reason to keep it
Yes, ingress and egress from the Elise is like parkour. Lol!
VVT-Li is correct. Lift.
Love the video and the car!
Thank you for your support!!
Awesome review. Thank you
Mr2 2zz doesn't sound that loud any idea of exhaust set up? I bought one beautiful car just toooooo loud!!
@@robertpearce5553 congrats! I would probably find a suitable header to start. PPE has some very nice exhaust setups but they are pretty pricey! You can also find a nice muffler shop that can help too; maybe start with a muffler delete?
@VictorPitstop thanks it has a ppe header and not much after that i took to a shop and $800 magnaflow cat stopped fuel smell but still loud I'm talking to MWR maybe add ppe cat downpipe to a mr2 stock exhaust and car has every form of brace to improve rigidity also hard dog rollbar..6sp tranny..MWR tune for lift to kick in at 5800 to 6500 and much more but other than sound fail I think kosei wheels and 225 tires a mistake I'd get RPF1s to go with 205s if can't quiet i found an awesome Lotus Elise
@ oh! I thought you meant you wanted it louder! Whoops! Lotus Elise are becoming more expensive.
Beautiful build
White color really puts in a different great view.
Hahaha dude I love it. Charles is a poor…. His face was like waiiiiiiit. Haha. Love it Vic. Keep em coming!
Priceless reaction! I love trolling my friends! 🤣🤣🤣
Mine is almost done!
2zz??
i want the SMT from the MRS something about a factory sequential sounds fun
A sequential would be intoxicating.
@@VictorPitstop really how so i drive my 05 matrix xrs and love shifting the 6 speed but at times i just want the factory sequential rev matching is fun but i think doing it with the MRS sequential would be a lot better ive read of people having issues about it but i want to learn the mistake others have had and still keep my factory parts to swap over i case i decided to go back
@@9kia8 keep your tranny you have now. A sequential would be damn expensive and you’re better off putting that money into suspension work and potentially a turbo. I was just saying how cool SMT are.
@@VictorPitstop i just replaced my suspension im looking into a lift kit of 40mm i like driving back roads but i also like hiking and walking the woods dirt roads arent fun when your stuck i like and the gains but i would like the factory oem supercharger system from the 2005 corolla t sport compressor 3psi nothing to big but more realistic for a daily without having to much reliability gone i mean my engine has over 265k original motor and transmission
Great video, you have a new subscriber! My 2004 MRS 6 speed 1ZZ only has 34000 miles on the clock and it runs beautifully. I just put a set of MeisterR coilovers on it. A 2ZZ sounds like a great upgrade but I don't see it worth it, because I know my engine's history has been sympathetic and it's perfect. I'm considering turbo charging it. I understand a standard 1ZZ with stock internals can be boosted to get around 220-230 bhp at the flywheel... Opinions on how this would be compared to the car in this video?
Thank you! More to come!
I’m sure with your setup you can drive it pinned and never over-drive the chassis considering how glued you are to the ground; in terms of a turbo setup with your engine history it makes sense to turbo. You’re going to add maybe another ~100lbs but it’s all going to the rear of the car which is nice for retaining that go-kart feeling compared to turboing an FR layout car where the weight is in the nose. Torque is really where you’ll find the happiness in that setup considering the all-motor 2zz has to ring out to really get going. I’d totally turbo and get a tranny with an LSD down the road if I were you! Thanks for the support again!
@@VictorPitstop oh for sure, likely double the torque with a turbo. Also my car is a UK model, all 6 speeds come with the LSD as standard. I know it definitely does, as feel it when doing spin turns! The car is great, it just needs more power. Like most people, I tbink they should have all been fitted with the 2ZZ at the factory...
@@julianneale6128 very true but then Lotus would’ve had a big problem on their hands! 😅
2zz swap is more like a different experience . It completely changes the driving dynamics of the car .lt becomes a more "driving" enthusiast car. I also had a 1zz on my car before
@@enuma8161 yes I can see that, and that's what I'd prefer. The only thing is that my car only has 34000 on the clock and is perfect. Putting a 2ZZ in with an unknown history might be a step back... To put a turbo on my engine which I know to be good is an ideal solution.
Toyota marketed this car as the MR2 Spyder here in the U.S. because they felt MR-S may be mistaken for "Mrs." which may negatively impact the image and sales of this car. Sadly, many still see this as a girly car. Perhaps MR-S would've been appropriate. This is the Mrs. to the Mr. which is the SW20.
Mister Dos!
I was thinking of putting a V6 until ice seen this! Thanks my dude 😅
A 2GR swap would be interesting now that you mention V6. Lmao
@@VictorPitstop V6 probably will make it a God tier track weapon!! I've originally seen a few and here in UK it cost around £5K to swap but 2ZZ is half that and I don't plan on taking it to the track so that's good enough for me. Seriously dude, your review saved me a lot of monies haha! 0 to 60 in 5.5 is very quick in my book. Here's a clip of V6 swapped MR2 by someone in the West Coast I reckon ruclips.net/video/qg9G4BWNutA/видео.html
@@kila_whale it’s seriously PLENTY of power with a high ceiling for modifications! Also, interns of keeping weight down, it’s near perfect. Honestly a V6 would be limited once you show horn it in there as badass as it sound but for that money, I’d rather build an all-motor K20 with around 260-280rwhp… that thing would FLY!
@@kila_whale eh, after watching that, I’d stick with the 2zz swap.
@@VictorPitstop hahahaha yes absolutely!!! I guess K20 or K24 swap is much better for keeping the weights down but it cost a fair amount. I'll be over the moon with 2ZZ!!! 😅👍
Charles is completely unphased during the driving; He must be one of those guys that has zero reaction on roller coasters.
What's the difference between the stock engine and the 2zz?
Differently built
The 1zz is about 140hp and the 2zz is about 180ish. Also, the 2zz has a better form of variable valve timing it think as well!
@@VictorPitstop thanks
So it has v-tec basically
And i cant just tune the original engine to perform the same
@@kecskekecske9643 ruclips.net/video/j5PBaLMZimk/видео.html
You've got to try a K20 swapped one next.
🤞
How much did the engine swap cost?? If i leave my 5 speed in it instead of a 6 speed is it worth it?
I am not 100% sure but I’d have to guess around $4-$6k for a good setup.
You would be better off getting the 6 speed first. The 5 only allows for limited use of vvt system. Would be disapointing.
Acura RSX Type S tier list!
I sold it long ago to my Mom who actually sold it this year! 😐 I’ll find a nicely modified one to review at some point in time! For now let’s say the one I had was a C-tier car!
I’ve really wanted to own a 2zz swapped Mr2-S and someone wants to trade for my 05 is300. However it’s not bar’d here in California still needs to be modified and being it’d my only car I don’t want to go through the hassle😕 California just sucks for fun cars haha
*Pain*
I used to live in CA like 20 years ago and love TX because I can get away with much more here. I love the MRS but would only get one if it were a weekend/2nd car. The IS300 is an amazing platform!! Manual swap it!!
Solid review. Much grip, so toyota V-tec
Very Revs. Let me destroy your civic! Lol
No… Toyota LIFT
@@Toyota4Life Trollery lvl. 99!
can you give me a link to the coil overs?
KW V3 Coilovers.
Chill out on StElmo bro. Do that chit out in the country.
Working on track access to Harris hill Road; it's going to be a while though considering the cost of membership.
What country roads do you recommend? Everything out in Dripping area is HIGHLY populated now.
wow
I think 5.5 sec 0-60 is a little optimistic.
Probably, but who cares when the car handles this well.
It's better than a Elise
VVTLi the L is for lift.
Got it; I clarify it later in the video.
@@VictorPitstop I‘m sorry!
@@Alcarinqe no worries! I do that in videos as well lol
If only MR2 didn’t look like a dwarf on 4 wheels…
The beauty is on the inside 😅
You obviously don't own one!