Tell me another show on any media where a fan drives 1300 miles 1 way, to hand his car to the host for him to drive it quickly and give his opinion on it. Oh yeah, and drive it 1300 miles back all out of pocket cost and for no prize other than sharing it with us? That says so much about Matt F and what he represents. Btw, this car is so good. Would enjoy a full episode on it.
jean luc Dubinator im from montreal and 3of my friends owns one plus i drive across like 2 a week...the problem is people keep them..but they are not rare here...i see some all the time bro loll
Vega-Expert You do ? I live in brossard, sure I see MR2s but most of them are JDM imports right hand drive. not my cup of tea, don't want to be hassled by the popo.
I just did a 2GR-FE swap. I went all custom. Custom headers and everything. It's cable operated, not using the drive-by-wire. Much better response. I wanted to keep the original gas pedal and keep the cruise control operational. Will bore it to 3.7L and add a TVS supercharger =)
+Francis Lapointe Thanks man, I appreciate the reply. Everywhere I look though I cant find it to buy, And I'll think I'd have better luck making my own than finding a used one off an Aurion,
Used one from a TRD Aurion is bolt-on. Kit was made by Harrop Engineering. They won't sell any adapter or kit because they have an exclusivity signed with Toyota. I beleive a lot of cars had unknown engine problems. What I wanted was the intake manifold so I can fit a bigger supercharger to it. I suggest Monkeywrenchracing.com if you need to upgrade engine components. Sleeve, fuel system w/ return lines, bigger injectors, pistons, etc
I am 6 foot 2 and 275 pounds and fit perfectly into my MR2 -- in fact I believe they are a great sports car for a bigger person due to the adjustable tilt and reach of the steering wheel. I bought one because I could not fit into a FD RX7
RHOK Hardenup I'm 6 foot tall and fit ok in my MR2 but as soon as I put a helmet on it was too small. I could still drive it ok but I felt scrunched. It was a fun car for a while but I'm over turbo cars for now so I sold it a few months back.
Mine was a sunroof model. I took the sun roof out for the track but it did not help much because it's not directly over your head. That would be a option if you had a t-top as long as it's not raining.
I've got to say out of all the heavily modified cars you've had on the show this one is about the coolest. Who would have thought a V6 would fit in there.
It fits in there with absolutely no body mods whatsoever! All that has to be modified is one of the motor mounts needs a little grinding to clear a pulley. I've heard that there's actually more room to work on the 2GRFE engine in the MKII engine bay than there is in the donor car it comes from. Monkey Wrench Racing builds these engines with high performance parts that turn it into a normally aspirated 375+ HP monster (with a proper free-flow exhaust system) for about $7K USD. This is the route I plan to go for my NA '93 MR2 when I can get the cash saved up.
***** I looked into that and it's actually cheaper to let MWR build it for me. It's a 3.7 L longblock with sleeves, forged pistons and rods, ported heads, custom Moroso oil pan, etc. I'm setting a RWHP goal of 425. Don't need no stinking turbo or supercharger!
+ Jeff K Toyota,Honda,Nissan,etc. build Common-Rail Platforms................ meaning you can swap/interchange entire sections of a vehicles Structures/Drive-trains very easily. Say you wanted to make a(odd-ball) Narrow Toyota Avalon/Camry..............simply pop out the spot-welds and put the sidewalls on a long-wheel base Corolla,etc.
dropmatty Not really a bad idea though, its the same engine as in the lotus evora & the lotus evora GTE le mans race car(bored out to a 4 litre). Also very reliable.
sam stewart the reliability is a huge plus and i completely understand. I wasnt aware of the lotus similarities but i was just a little taken back knowing that a nice looking MR2 like that is powered by the same engine my moms old car is powered by lol
dropmatty nothing wrong with a RAV4 motor, it's sure going to be a heck of a lot better than the stock NA putting down maybe 100HP to the ground these days (if its lucky)
I seriously love this series man, what a great concept and such a varied pool of cars we get to see, V6 MR2 and that little '89 Civic recently are a couple of my favourites.
Dude, that's an epic swap. Especially into a 2nd gen MR2, my favorite car ever made by Toyota (3rd gen Supra comes in at a close second)! You can't go wrong with more power, more usable power, AND less weight all in one package. The engine itself sounds really nice too; never knew a modern 'Yota V6 could sing like that! Suspension and chassis are definitely dialed in. Those were some huge-ass dips, but the car handled them well. Car cornered and stopped like a beast too. I've GOT to get me 2nd gen MR2 like this...... if I ever stop obsessing over ford panther platform cars.
6ft tall and have owned a 1st and 2nd gen mr2 for 6 years now. I've tried driving other cars but I just hate it. I love my mr2 and It feels insanely comfortable for me. I'm stoked to see one of my favorites on this series!
+James Furnival I'll see what I can do. I have the whole drivetrain out right now so that I can install a new differential in the transmission, so it's jacked up in my little garage. I'll be sure to have a whole lot more videos in the summer though.
dude i like this guy. that is a super clean mr2, really well done. you can tell he took his time with it. nothing looks awkward, wrong or out of place at all
Geezer in the UK where I am is another way of saying "bloke" or "that guy". Age has nothing to do with it! Only in North America is a geezer considered a old man.
mrhiguy Awesome man, if you'd upload some vids of it id definitely check it out, its one of my favorite swaps. And yeah I've had the money no object "budget" supercar killer dream of doing a 2gr swap and slapping the trd supercharger for shits and giggles. Maybe I should start playing the lottery haha
Sounds sexy. I have a 93 NA MR2 having a same suspension setup with you! This setup is perfect on the smooth highway but so so so bumpy in the city. It is a really fun car to drive!
Only thing wrong with them was I was rear-ended at off ramp from a highway at a stoplight by a Drunk Woman....The Car folded but 2 of us inside lived to see another day..
I owned a 2008 RAV4 and I took it to Germany for a few years. What I loved most about that engine is you could drive on the autobahn for hours at full speed with no issues to the motor. Toyota really knows how to build a motor I tell ya!
cobratoxic I could be wrong but a 2JZ would NOT fit in a stock MR2. You'd have to do a TON of fabrication for a build like that. Not really worth it...
Terence Andriolo yea, I've seen that build! Really cool! But yea, I wouldn't consider that an MR2 anymore, it's just the body panels on an entirely built car. That's not an engine swap haha
6 cylinder from a rav4? Doesn't seem like much when you first hear him say this but....trust me..the 6 cylinder from the rav4 HAULS ASS. I had trouble in my stage 1 gti keeping up with my friend rav4. And no, I'm not implying a stage 1 gti is fast, but you'd never think a rav4 to go as fast as it does until you actually see it (270hp 0-60 in 6.3 seconds :O )
Jason 56 the 2GR series engine is no joke. The V6 Camrys were some of the fastest 4 door sedans on the road from the factory for a long time, save for the Caddy CTS-V and AMG Benzes etc.
92ASC are you delusional. There's plenty of 4-doors faster than a V6 Camry that aren't too spec RS/AMG/M cars... You sound like a dumb Toyota fan, some of the lowest information fans in all of autodom. I have a 2g IS350and that's a fast car, but only when you have it last 4,000 RPM! Guess what? My 2008 Passat 3.6 VR6 has way more torque down low, so it'll pull away from an IS350! Ive gotten 0-60 in 5.4 seconds in the VR6 consistently. No V6 Camry does that, sorry! And even so, a V6 Camry just sucks to drive - disastrous steering, horrible ride handling tradeoff, and mindbendingly BAD brakes. Have fun with your POS V6 Camry. Thanks
Never seen 5.4 from a VR6 Passat. The non direct injection Toyota 3.5 is very torquey. Tired of the Toyota hater with their my VW is special... The VR6 is a unique motor, fits in tight spaces, but not special or reliable. Yes there is lots of Toyota fanboys but definitely more haters with their little knowledge.
The swap is pointless..the stock motor handles 500whp easy...just upgrade turbo system,fuel,exhaust and tune..so easy...building the v6 to achieve those numbers would take alot more money...3sgte all the way...why waste time n efforts..
Have a pretty similar setup (motor wise) in my mr2! Described the car really well as far as its little things you have to get used too.Catchy clutch, quick blip throttle. It doesnt sound like you even revved the car enough, I have mine raised to 7200. However, it is around 2200 lbs from being stripped and 275 hoosiers all around. The car moves!
Is manual steering really that much of a workout? My Cougar weighs 3200 pounds and doesn't have power steering, and it's perfectly fine. As long as you're not standing still there's almost no difference between the manual and the power steering.
Matt Farah's Million Mile Lexus It's not so much that it's a work out, but super sticky tires and lots of camber make it worse, it's the terrible steering ratio. The manual steering is 3.7 turns lock to lock, the power is 3.2 and a power rack with an aftermarket quick pinion is 2.8.
matt if its been said before it still needs to be said again, I am 6'3" and owned two MR2 Turbos. I fit better in them with more headroom than my 92 lexus. the seat you are sitting in ruins sitting position, the stock seats would fit you fine... now go buy an MR2.
I LOVE the look of it. That engine though.. I have all the respect in the world for it as a machine to move people, but i would love to know how much money Toyota invested in making it sound so utterly boring. Even the Lotus sounds all wrong with this engine in it. But hey.. the bottom line is: does it work. It certainly seems so, a few tweaks aso needed. Much love to a guy willing to build such a car. Kudos:)
Matthew Sharpe Yes ...but my 1983 Alfa Romeo GTV6 2.5 sounds glorious. A lot of it is exhaust but the sound is not "all exhaust". Too bad the transmission (transaxle) sucks though ...
I have this same engine in a 2012 ES 350, and I have to say coming from an old 97 Honda CD5 2.4L 130HP F22B2 SOHC stock engine, this Toyota V6 is snappy! My first V6 and I love it!!
Why are all of the videos on The Smoking Tire channel choppy for me? Other channels' videos are not this way. I really enjoy your uploads, but this makes them unwatchable :[
Joshua McClellan Is your internet connection and computer capable of handling 60 FPS? If you un-select the 60 FPS option in the video is it still choppy? We test the videos on various devices from RUclips and haven't had any issues at all.
Joshua McClellan Its choppy for me too but i'm almost positive its because my laptop is old and not able to handle 60 fps. It does this for other 60 fps vids as well so that might be your problem too.
Joshua McClellan It's not always your internet, some older or lower end computers just can't handle it. My friend has an HP netbook and it stutters and freezes up while playing 360p videos in the small window the video plays in. It can't even do full screen 360p.
FINALLY AN MK2 MR2!!! I've owned 2..and till this day I want another so bad...had to sell them cuz of personal reasons/money issues..One of the best looking affordable sports cars ever made.. Turbo or N/A, doesn't matter YOU WILL HAVE FUN AND LOVE THE CAR
Greetings from vancouver. But..if you like a city where everything is expensive as fuck, and I do mean expensive, Vancouver is for you. a 'nice' house in west vancouver will run you ~7-8million CDN.
my dad has a friend who is a 40 year old retired stockbroker...he lives in west Vancouver, and we were curious about his house's value. It's a nice house, but when we did a house assessment (a rough idea, usually lower than actual value) his house was assessed at $8.5million. You could get a mansion for that kind of money in many different parts of the world. Many "dog" houses in west van we sold for 3-4million just for the location. And every house on this street was upwards of 9-10million. I live in Langley and our house is VERY nice but only like .9-1.1million; if it were in west van, it would probably be upwards of 6-7
Dear Bicyclist at 4:12 . You have NO business being on that twisty road. Roads are built for cars NOT bicycles ! I don't pay taxes to pay for bike lanes so you can be an ass and endanger others lives.
I lift weights for exercise , ... like a man ... and drive nice high end cars instead riding a bike dressed as a spandex fairy ... and you're probably the grain bar eating high school hippy drop out working at Whole Foods who rides their bike to work and doesn't know how to use/spell the word "too". If I want any lip from you ... I will jiggle my zipper.
Thank you for doing a review on this! You and I are around the same build at least leg and torso ratio and height. I have been trying to figure out if I can fit in this thing and you just answered that at the end. I was looking at it as an interim car until I could get to a C6 Corvette. I came from a 99 Corvette that I ended up losing in an accident that I was never able to replace. I'm currently driving a Volvo 240DL as at the time it was what I could afford. But it doesn't look like that's going to work. So thank you very much for saving me the trouble of continuing this search for an MR2. Though, it's a shame, as that was my second favorite car! Well, back to the Vettes! Thanks again!
Love the MR2. I always tell myself it's going to be my next car. I always forget I always say that though and I end up buying others. These are getting more and more rare to find in semi decent condition too. Better snatch 'em up while you can. Future classic.
Gasinduced No turbo here. Engines are stock NA 3.5L V6 270HP but known to be under rated. He has intake, exhaust and tune and with 91 octane he made 270HP at the rear wheels.
Sweet! I've chased this Mr2 around Burnaby on my way to work a few times in my z32 tt. Always thought it sounded strange for a mr2, actually sounds awesome.
Love the 2GR swap. I've got myself a 1992 Gen2 Rev.2 MR2 turbo and it's the most fun I've had in a car to date. Whatever social stigma, negative assosiaction or rumor that might be floating around in your country about these amazing cars, just ignore them. Everyone else is missing out. Trust me!
Tell me another show on any media where a fan drives 1300 miles 1 way, to hand his car to the host for him to drive it quickly and give his opinion on it. Oh yeah, and drive it 1300 miles back all out of pocket cost and for no prize other than sharing it with us? That says so much about Matt F and what he represents.
Btw, this car is so good. Would enjoy a full episode on it.
Evan Moon He was down for Toyotafest in Long beach. This was a bonus.
+canuckaholic91 that makes a lot more sense, 1300 miles is no joke.
Evan Moon Yes, a group of us drive down for the Toyotafest car show every year.
Watch "V6-Swapped Toyota MR2 | "The White Stallion"" on RUclips is you want to watch another video dedicated to this car
+Richard George
Thanks Richard!
That motor looks so clean in there. this guy did an amazing job. beautiful ride and i love the sound!!
This is probably my favorite car so far, the owner seems really chill also.
what an awesome dude! and GORGEOUS MR2!
whiteynator Thanks!!
whiteynator I'm so jealous of that MR2, a solid mr2 in Montreal is hard to come by. the v6 sound sweet also.
immoralityMR2 Nice car! noticed the departures shirt and got excited haha just binge watched the series again
jean luc Dubinator im from montreal and 3of my friends owns one plus i drive across like 2 a week...the problem is people keep them..but they are not rare here...i see some all the time bro loll
Vega-Expert You do ? I live in brossard, sure I see MR2s but most of them are JDM imports right hand drive. not my cup of tea, don't want to be hassled by the popo.
I just did a 2GR-FE swap. I went all custom. Custom headers and everything. It's cable operated, not using the drive-by-wire. Much better response. I wanted to keep the original gas pedal and keep the cruise control operational.
Will bore it to 3.7L and add a TVS supercharger =)
+Francis Lapointe Can you tell me where you get the supercharger from? Or what brand?
Eaton TVS supercharger. Toyota Aurion in Australia had one fitted to it.
+Francis Lapointe Thanks man, I appreciate the reply. Everywhere I look though I cant find
it to buy, And I'll think I'd have better luck making my own than finding a used one off an Aurion,
Used one from a TRD Aurion is bolt-on. Kit was made by Harrop Engineering. They won't sell any adapter or kit because they have an exclusivity signed with Toyota. I beleive a lot of cars had unknown engine problems. What I wanted was the intake manifold so I can fit a bigger supercharger to it. I suggest Monkeywrenchracing.com if you need to upgrade engine components. Sleeve, fuel system w/ return lines, bigger injectors, pistons, etc
How can I reach you man would love to talk your build with you getting ready to do mine and want to do it justice DIY as much as possible
I am 6 foot 2 and 275 pounds and fit perfectly into my MR2 -- in fact I believe they are a great sports car for a bigger person due to the adjustable tilt and reach of the steering wheel. I bought one because I could not fit into a FD RX7
RHOK Hardenup I feel your pain.
In some ways, it sucks to be tall. In others, it's a gift from jeebus.
*****
I dont consider it a pain at all - the MR2 with the targa tops is a nicer car to drive on a sunny day than the rx7
RHOK Hardenup I'm 6 foot tall and fit ok in my MR2 but as soon as I put a helmet on it was too small. I could still drive it ok but I felt scrunched. It was a fun car for a while but I'm over turbo cars for now so I sold it a few months back.
Random Person
take the t top out = more head room
Mine was a sunroof model. I took the sun roof out for the track but it did not help much because it's not directly over your head. That would be a option if you had a t-top as long as it's not raining.
Russ's MR2 was also featured on our channel last summer up here in Vancouver! Check it out :D Great One Take as always, Matt.
This conversion is a clear Venn Diagram sweet spot.
It's all about maximizing the Fun, Strut and Usability.
I've got to say out of all the heavily modified cars you've had on the show this one is about the coolest. Who would have thought a V6 would fit in there.
It fits in there with absolutely no body mods whatsoever! All that has to be modified is one of the motor mounts needs a little grinding to clear a pulley. I've heard that there's actually more room to work on the 2GRFE engine in the MKII engine bay than there is in the donor car it comes from. Monkey Wrench Racing builds these engines with high performance parts that turn it into a normally aspirated 375+ HP monster (with a proper free-flow exhaust system) for about $7K USD. This is the route I plan to go for my NA '93 MR2 when I can get the cash saved up.
***** I looked into that and it's actually cheaper to let MWR build it for me. It's a 3.7 L longblock with sleeves, forged pistons and rods, ported heads, custom Moroso oil pan, etc. I'm setting a RWHP goal of 425. Don't need no stinking turbo or supercharger!
+ Jeff K Toyota,Honda,Nissan,etc. build Common-Rail Platforms................ meaning you can swap/interchange entire sections of a vehicles Structures/Drive-trains very easily. Say you wanted to make a(odd-ball) Narrow Toyota Avalon/Camry..............simply pop out the spot-welds and put the sidewalls on a long-wheel base Corolla,etc.
a buddy of mines had the solora v6 in his but man every gear the tires are spinning on street tires
Theres a Mk1 Mr2 with an Audi 4.2 V8 in the back for sale in the UK atm, youll be surprised what you can fit in 😊
thanks for sharing your car with us, Russ
best looking and tasteful mr2 i ever seen!! simply incredible
+S13 WARRIOR Please Google "Toyota MR2 Turbo TRD 2000GT"
2000gt has a horrible body kit, no car should ever have a body kit it's ruined it. This v6 mr2 is way nicer looking.
Camry motor makes a surprisingly pleasing noise.
09 RAV4 swap? ive seen it all...
dropmatty Not really a bad idea though, its the same engine as in the lotus evora & the lotus evora GTE le mans race car(bored out to a 4 litre). Also very reliable.
sam stewart the reliability is a huge plus and i completely understand. I wasnt aware of the lotus similarities but i was just a little taken back knowing that a nice looking MR2 like that is powered by the same engine my moms old car is powered by lol
dropmatty Think of people with Altimas or a Murano. Same engine as in a 370Z.
dropmatty This engine makes 269hp in the Rav4, and will scoot a small SUV to low 14's in the quarter mile. Not a bad engine at all.
dropmatty nothing wrong with a RAV4 motor, it's sure going to be a heck of a lot better than the stock NA putting down maybe 100HP to the ground these days (if its lucky)
Without a doubt the best MR2 generation so far!
That dude was seriously chill.
That guy Farrah man, can't he drive? ..
Aaron Lal I don't know about Farrah, but Farah drives pretty good, yeah.
Oooo you got me bro
Aaron Lal lal
Aaron Lal It takes a while to get used to Electronic drive by wire throttles when they're mated with a manual transmission.
I was referring to what Matt said at 5:55, please calm down ladies
That's one cool-sweet MK2 MR2! Perfect..
I seriously love this series man, what a great concept and such a varied pool of cars we get to see, V6 MR2 and that little '89 Civic recently are a couple of my favourites.
Mad respect for this guy.
What a fantastic car. This is probably my favorite car reviewed on here so far, impeccable build Russ.
Dude, that's an epic swap. Especially into a 2nd gen MR2, my favorite car ever made by Toyota (3rd gen Supra comes in at a close second)! You can't go wrong with more power, more usable power, AND less weight all in one package. The engine itself sounds really nice too; never knew a modern 'Yota V6 could sing like that!
Suspension and chassis are definitely dialed in. Those were some huge-ass dips, but the car handled them well. Car cornered and stopped like a beast too. I've GOT to get me 2nd gen MR2 like this...... if I ever stop obsessing over ford panther platform cars.
***** I have to admit that I cringed a little when I saw that big dip coming!
***** everything this person said
An all around great sports car to use as a daily driver. Well done.
6ft tall and have owned a 1st and 2nd gen mr2 for 6 years now. I've tried driving other cars but I just hate it. I love my mr2 and It feels insanely comfortable for me. I'm stoked to see one of my favorites on this series!
Swansational I think it's the Recaro's that are in there that makes it a bit tighter. The OEM seats slide back more.
Swansational 6ft isn't that tall
Swansational me too concerning height and comfort of the car over other sports cars
Matt keep up the awesome work, and to the gentleman who owns this wonderful MR2 example, kudos to you sir, pristine work done on that automobile!
speeddemonsliderule Thank you sir!
I love the suede roof too
+04dram04
Thanks for noticing. Not many people see it.
+immoralityMR2 gorgeous car please can you upload a walk around of your car just looked on your channel.
+James Furnival
I'll see what I can do. I have the whole drivetrain out right now so that I can install a new differential in the transmission, so it's jacked up in my little garage. I'll be sure to have a whole lot more videos in the summer though.
lsd? do you use the turbo trans or n/a
At the time of filming it was a turbo transmission with the original viscous coupling LSD. Since then I have rebuild the trans with a Quafe LSD.
dude i like this guy. that is a super clean mr2, really well done. you can tell he took his time with it. nothing looks awkward, wrong or out of place at all
Great find Matt! Props to the geezer for driving all that way too must have been a great drive
fasel mohmood Geezer? I thought I would have a few more years before I heard that.
fasel mohmood Damn dude, that guy didn't look like a geezer to me o_O
Whatever493 fasel mohmood Matt & I are the same age.
Geezer in the UK where I am is another way of saying "bloke" or "that guy". Age has nothing to do with it! Only in North America is a geezer considered a old man.
I didn't know that, thanks for the heads up!
Super cool!!! Know this guy, he comes out to autox quite a bit!! Matt, obviously vancouverites are happy to come down to let you drive our cars!!
Respects to the owner thats a dope build i wish i had one
Sick conversion, really like your MR2!
Stoked to watch this I've wanted to 1mz swap an sw20 for so long.
Ethanmeister 3MZ swap is best for the budget. 2GR is the best but does cost a lot more to install. I've enjoyed my 1MZ MR2 for 2 years now :)
mrhiguy Awesome man, if you'd upload some vids of it id definitely check it out, its one of my favorite swaps. And yeah I've had the money no object "budget" supercar killer dream of doing a 2gr swap and slapping the trd supercharger for shits and giggles. Maybe I should start playing the lottery haha
Honda K20a2 is a popular swap now. They also love the boost if you wanna go that route.
Ethanmeister I've got several of my videos uploaded on my page.
Mike Hendricks I wouldn't say "Most popular" It's a good swap but not the most popular lol
Wow, that thing is dope. Easily in my top 3 for the One Take rides.
One of the few times I've seen Matt look a little shook behind the wheel of a car!
The MR2 has been a favourite of mines since the 90s and this is one of the best I've seen, putting the Rav 4 engine inside was a stroke of genius.
Someone needs to make 6:29 into a GIF lmao "ffffuuck"
Sounds sexy. I have a 93 NA MR2 having a same suspension setup with you! This setup is perfect on the smooth highway but so so so bumpy in the city. It is a really fun car to drive!
4:12 lol. Bicyclist motioning him Matt to slow down. lol.
Honestly one of my favourite cars of all time. Just inside and out the SW20 (and the AW11) are just perfect.
What a super cool car.
Dude I checked your page constantly hoping for a new video. Finally!!!!!! Thank you!
That is a super clean MR2, my jealousy is infinite.
Really like this "One Take" videos.
Keep up the good work Matt.
Awesome car, that power to weight ratio tho..
From Portugal.
sick MR2. i like the old motors but still sounds good and is probably a nice swap
I see his car all the time! I own an mr2 myself and they are amazingly fun to drive even stock. i didnt expect his to be v6 swapped but now i know!
man what a cool swap I really want one
beautiful in white.. one of my all time favorite cars
Nice Japanese mid engine ride!! :) Love it!! In white it looks just awesome!! :)
That's one of the cooler tuner cars you've had so far, what a great package.
it's almost a mini nsx
Interesting swap. Mr2 one of the most overlooked cars would love to drive this car
I had first generation & it was a Blast to drive , I can't imagine......
Only thing wrong with them was I was rear-ended at off ramp from a highway at a stoplight by a Drunk Woman....The Car folded but 2 of us inside lived to see another day..
I owned a 2008 RAV4 and I took it to Germany for a few years. What I loved most about that engine is you could drive on the autobahn for hours at full speed with no issues to the motor. Toyota really knows how to build a motor I tell ya!
this car is beautiful.
upgrade: he should do a 2jz swap
This car makes me miss my 91 Mr2T :( but thanks for the video!!! big thumbs up!
1080p w/60fps makes this whole video.
Super cool owner and a great build. One of the best so far
So whos gonna let matt drive a supra next? ;)
Hopefully rob from superspeeders
TheBillybobsrjr they are pretty good friends so that's already happened behind closed doors I assume
Or the Real Street Supra imo
TheBillybobsrjr hopefully not, wont work on the canyons
LoBoost He can drive mine, im also from Vancouver, though. doh!
Love the look and the power is there, would love this thing for myself
This guy is so Canadian
Great one take!
Russ is a good dude! Stoked to head up there next summer possibly with Bob MR2 and have a good time with these guys!
A MR2 Gen 2 wit 2jz swap, thats a EPIC Swap.
cobratoxic I could be wrong but a 2JZ would NOT fit in a stock MR2. You'd have to do a TON of fabrication for a build like that. Not really worth it...
Kaleido you arent wrong. well, sort of. There is a FRONT ENGINE drag mr2 in puerto rico
you can't just easily swap any motor you want from car to car...
Terence Andriolo yea, I've seen that build! Really cool! But yea, I wouldn't consider that an MR2 anymore, it's just the body panels on an entirely built car. That's not an engine swap haha
Nice Departures shirt man. Great show!
2:40 Is that Olive Oyl??!!
Ahhh the Toyota MR2.....one of my favorite cars! Nice build
Any Evos on the calendar?
MC1796 yeah, a few.
One of the best overall MR2 builds I've seen
6 cylinder from a rav4? Doesn't seem like much when you first hear him say this but....trust me..the 6 cylinder from the rav4 HAULS ASS. I had trouble in my stage 1 gti keeping up with my friend rav4. And no, I'm not implying a stage 1 gti is fast, but you'd never think a rav4 to go as fast as it does until you actually see it (270hp 0-60 in 6.3 seconds :O )
Jason 56 the 2GR series engine is no joke. The V6 Camrys were some of the fastest 4 door sedans on the road from the factory for a long time, save for the Caddy CTS-V and AMG Benzes etc.
92ASC are you delusional. There's plenty of 4-doors faster than a V6 Camry that aren't too spec RS/AMG/M cars... You sound like a dumb Toyota fan, some of the lowest information fans in all of autodom.
I have a 2g IS350and that's a fast car, but only when you have it last 4,000 RPM! Guess what? My 2008 Passat 3.6 VR6 has way more torque down low, so it'll pull away from an IS350! Ive gotten 0-60 in 5.4 seconds in the VR6 consistently. No V6 Camry does that, sorry! And even so, a V6 Camry just sucks to drive - disastrous steering, horrible ride handling tradeoff, and mindbendingly BAD brakes. Have fun with your POS V6 Camry. Thanks
Never seen 5.4 from a VR6 Passat. The non direct injection Toyota 3.5 is very torquey. Tired of the Toyota hater with their my VW is special... The VR6 is a unique motor, fits in tight spaces, but not special or reliable. Yes there is lots of Toyota fanboys but definitely more haters with their little knowledge.
5.4 0-60 in a stock vr6? As much as i love that motor, I don't think that's accurate if its stock
The swap is pointless..the stock motor handles 500whp easy...just upgrade turbo system,fuel,exhaust and tune..so easy...building the v6 to achieve those numbers would take alot more money...3sgte all the way...why waste time n efforts..
Have a pretty similar setup (motor wise) in my mr2! Described the car really well as far as its little things you have to get used too.Catchy clutch, quick blip throttle. It doesnt sound like you even revved the car enough, I have mine raised to 7200. However, it is around 2200 lbs from being stripped and 275 hoosiers all around. The car moves!
Doesnt Spinelli own an MR2? I think I heard it on the podcast, shouldve borrowed that one lol
***** Spinelli sucks
POO POO PEE PEE lol ok
***** he has the MR2 Spyder, the newer one.
Love the Departures shirt. Awesome show.
Is manual steering really that much of a workout? My Cougar weighs 3200 pounds and doesn't have power steering, and it's perfectly fine. As long as you're not standing still there's almost no difference between the manual and the power steering.
Matt Farah's Million Mile Lexus It's not so much that it's a work out, but super sticky tires and lots of camber make it worse, it's the terrible steering ratio. The manual steering is 3.7 turns lock to lock, the power is 3.2 and a power rack with an aftermarket quick pinion is 2.8.
My 93 MR2 didn't have power steering and I never missed it. Great road feel plus the front end was light enough that you didn't need it.
cbh76 Agreed, it doesn't 'need' power steering, but the steering ratio on the manual rack is terribly slow (in my opinion).
Mr2s stand up and be proud!
this is fucking cool!
My Favorite gen of MR2, and the V6 swap is one of my favs.
Fellow Canadian
Nice "Departures" shirt - That was a great show!
matt if its been said before it still needs to be said again, I am 6'3" and owned two MR2 Turbos. I fit better in them with more headroom than my 92 lexus. the seat you are sitting in ruins sitting position, the stock seats would fit you fine... now go buy an MR2.
one of theses days im gonna get me a mr2. been wanting one since a teen and now 36 yrs old.
I LOVE the look of it. That engine though.. I have all the respect in the world for it as a machine to move people, but i would love to know how much money Toyota invested in making it sound so utterly boring. Even the Lotus sounds all wrong with this engine in it.
But hey.. the bottom line is: does it work. It certainly seems so, a few tweaks aso needed. Much love to a guy willing to build such a car. Kudos:)
***** Not many V6's sound great.
Matthew Sharpe there are a few, like the f type or alfa romeo. but all v6's naturally have a burbling kind of exhaust note.
***** Yes, there are definitely some good sounding ones, the F Type in particular is epic - a lot of it is exhaust tuning though.
***** Somehow I don't think engine note is was a selling point to the Rav4..
Matthew Sharpe Yes ...but my 1983 Alfa Romeo GTV6 2.5 sounds glorious. A lot of it is exhaust but the sound is not "all exhaust". Too bad the transmission (transaxle) sucks though ...
This is one of my favorite tuned cars I have seen on here. I would really like to do this.
wood rather have k20 mr2.
master power wood
Wood
I have this same engine in a 2012 ES 350, and I have to say coming from an old 97 Honda CD5 2.4L 130HP F22B2 SOHC stock engine, this Toyota V6 is snappy! My first V6 and I love it!!
Why are all of the videos on The Smoking Tire channel choppy for me? Other channels' videos are not this way. I really enjoy your uploads, but this makes them unwatchable :[
Joshua McClellan Is your internet connection and computer capable of handling 60 FPS? If you un-select the 60 FPS option in the video is it still choppy? We test the videos on various devices from RUclips and haven't had any issues at all.
Joshua McClellan Its choppy for me too but i'm almost positive its because my laptop is old and not able to handle 60 fps. It does this for other 60 fps vids as well so that might be your problem too.
I'll try again at 30fps or lower resolution. However, I'm positive that 50mbps dl is fast enough. I will be looking at video drivers as well.
Joshua McClellan It's not always your internet, some older or lower end computers just can't handle it. My friend has an HP netbook and it stutters and freezes up while playing 360p videos in the small window the video plays in. It can't even do full screen 360p.
***** I'm terrible with computers but my brother is good with them so I actually know what it means...
FINALLY AN MK2 MR2!!! I've owned 2..and till this day I want another so bad...had to sell them cuz of personal reasons/money issues..One of the best looking affordable sports cars ever made.. Turbo or N/A, doesn't matter YOU WILL HAVE FUN AND LOVE THE CAR
Greetings from vancouver. But..if you like a city where everything is expensive as fuck, and I do mean expensive, Vancouver is for you. a 'nice' house in west vancouver will run you ~7-8million CDN.
Dafuq kind of house u want breh? I'm from van and that's excessive!
Its true. My house aint all that great and its worth 1.3 million
my dad has a friend who is a 40 year old retired stockbroker...he lives in west Vancouver, and we were curious about his house's value. It's a nice house, but when we did a house assessment (a rough idea, usually lower than actual value) his house was assessed at $8.5million. You could get a mansion for that kind of money in many different parts of the world. Many "dog" houses in west van we sold for 3-4million just for the location. And every house on this street was upwards of 9-10million. I live in Langley and our house is VERY nice but only like .9-1.1million; if it were in west van, it would probably be upwards of 6-7
Chris Laffery Looks like I'm going to have to start mugging people in Vancouver...
I always thought the Last MR2 favored a Dino! Russ's car really seems to emulate one! Neat!
Dear Bicyclist at 4:12 . You have NO business being on that twisty road. Roads are built for cars NOT bicycles ! I don't pay taxes to pay for bike lanes so you can be an ass and endanger others lives.
FastFerrariF355 you're probably a fatass whose to lazy to ride a bike
I lift weights for exercise , ... like a man ... and drive nice high end cars instead riding a bike dressed as a spandex fairy ... and you're probably the grain bar eating high school hippy drop out working at Whole Foods who rides their bike to work and doesn't know how to use/spell the word "too". If I want any lip from you ... I will jiggle my zipper.
Thank you for doing a review on this! You and I are around the same build at least leg and torso ratio and height. I have been trying to figure out if I can fit in this thing and you just answered that at the end. I was looking at it as an interim car until I could get to a C6 Corvette. I came from a 99 Corvette that I ended up losing in an accident that I was never able to replace. I'm currently driving a Volvo 240DL as at the time it was what I could afford. But it doesn't look like that's going to work. So thank you very much for saving me the trouble of continuing this search for an MR2. Though, it's a shame, as that was my second favorite car! Well, back to the Vettes! Thanks again!
It's the recaro seat brackets that made it tough for him. A stock seat will slide back a lot more.
still one of the most beautiful cars around if you do the right things to it.
Been to Vancouver many times. Truly is a beautiful city.
This car is one solid build. Very nice! 60 FPS video now too!!!
Love the car and that the guy is wearing a departures shirt!
Love the MR2. I always tell myself it's going to be my next car. I always forget I always say that though and I end up buying others. These are getting more and more rare to find in semi decent condition too. Better snatch 'em up while you can. Future classic.
Beautiful.. And that sound.
Absolutely love it! Lightness with more power AND the torque from a turbo'd 6. Kudos.
Gasinduced No turbo here. Engines are stock NA 3.5L V6 270HP but known to be under rated. He has intake, exhaust and tune and with 91 octane he made 270HP at the rear wheels.
even better!
I've always loved those second gen MRII's. Best looking car Toyota ever made in my humble opinion, (including the Supra).
Sweet! I've chased this Mr2 around Burnaby on my way to work a few times in my z32 tt. Always thought it sounded strange for a mr2, actually sounds awesome.
Love the 2GR swap. I've got myself a 1992 Gen2 Rev.2 MR2 turbo and it's the most fun I've had in a car to date.
Whatever social stigma, negative assosiaction or rumor that might be floating around in your country about these amazing cars, just ignore them. Everyone else is missing out. Trust me!
I love the sw20 such a good car and the rav4 engine in it is definitely something I'm gunna do to mine when I get one
You have an awesome ride, Russ!