Here's Why You Need to Buy an SW20 Toyota MR2 RIGHT NOW
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- čas přidán 6. 06. 2024
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Today on the channel - potential advice on a car that I think might actually appreciate! The fabulous Mk2 Toyota MR2. But, why?
#Toyota #SW20 #toyotamr2
The Terrible £600 MR2 collection video:
• Buying a Toyota MR2 on...
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Which one do you favor more, this or your Celica GT4?
@@XtrmHeat GT-Four! It's a childhood hero car for me
You were spot on with the so-called "snap oversteer" problem James. A lot of MR2 customers were used to driving front wheel drive hot hatches. When the weight is all at the front, barrel into a corner a bit to fast, lift off mid turn, and the back end slips enough to have some fun. Try that when the weight is behind you, and it's going to turn into a pendulum.
Its a lot more simple than that. The wheelbase is too short and the suspension geometry added to it.
That's just good old fashioned lift-off oversteer. The sw20 is capable of a whole bunch of weird handling quirks, and switching almost instantaneously from gentle oversteer to tons of grip (causing a switch in direction and oversteer that is the behaviour known as snap oversteer and most unique to the mid-engined layout. I love mine, but a track day isn't complete unless it's spat you off the track unexpectedly at least once.
I had a neighbour..still a mate..the list of cars he's had is mind boggling,he had a 1988 911 turbo when I met him,had various lotus esprits including a JPS and turbo's...and he openly said his then wifes s2 mr2 was dangerous...he proper drove his cars...pootle about it's fine,push it and it'll bite you..when he moved he had an RS2 avant.
@@deanj846 its the ultimate car for learning to drive a mid engine car, even in the video games its a bloody nightmare but once youve mastered it?
It makes any other mid engined car seem tame despite having twice the power.
Just two inches extra in the wheelbase even and it would be a masterpiece of design.
I found the mk2 MR2 great handling in the dry, but in the wet....a rather different story. The back end did like to try and become the front end 😊
The Auto Alex reference was spot on 😂
Too right. As always James continues to show he understands a cars heritage & pedigree. Made my weekend thanks James 👍
No, missed it completely!
At least he didn't get that sketchy 300zx lol
Always enjoy your videos 👍as a Toyota Technician from the late 80s until late 90s I agree these are a great car, however if buying now please watch out for corrosion, both body and subframes- it's even worse problem on the Mk1 MR2. Other than that the mechanics are strong. All engines were developed with Yamaha who designed the cylinder head and induction system . They love RPMs. The Mk1 with the legendary 4AGE. Totally agree if you find a good standard unmolested one, get it now. 😊
Had one about 8 years ago with only 50,000 miles on it. Huge vet bill meant it went...Still haunts me to this day.
How’s the pet though? 😅
@TML34 Sadly he died during the surgery :(
@@ojrphoto damn, sorry to hear that.
@@ojrphotooh man that’s hard to deal with. Hopefully one day you’ll buy back that car you once owned.
Yet that story marks you as someone who matters no matter what you drive fella.
A gesture many would not make for a beloved animal.
RIp doggo.
When you find another one, its name will be of no argument.
Just sold mine for a hefty profit after many years, they are on the up for sure. I loved mine I only sold as I had aged with it and started buying higher tier stuff which meant it didn't get driven anymore but anyone looking at sub 10k cars MR2 is well up there with the best.
I saw an absolutely mint, bone-stock Red SW20 pull up in my local Costco car park in Northern California recently, having quietly lusted over these for donkey's years but now that I have money, they are very hard to find in good condition, I had to go talk to the owner. A 64 year old Asian lady got out, saw me walking up and immediately said "Its not for sale". Apparently this happens to her a lot. She was kind enough to chat for a couple of minutes though when she shared among other things what her age was , that she bought it from new when the company she worked for IPO'd, that its been maintained at the same local Toyota dealership on time for 115,000 miles, even had the original radio, its her daily driver, its garaged, that she wants to give the car to her grandson at some point, and... its a manual. Absolute supergran.
Across from me in the business park was a car collector. He had several imported classics, like a Mustang, a C2 Corvette, a Ford pickup, and a couple more. But the one that impressed me the most was the SW20 MR-2 coupe. It was a clean specimen and had an awesome sound.
I’ve just found a mk2 model - 2 litre imported from Japan - its been garaged since 2009 and hasn’t seen the outside since then - just bought it for £2500 with 60k on the clock - imported from Japan so works out lower mileage! It’s just had a full service, mot, cambelt kit and water pump and all fluids dropped and brakes replaced.
I collect it on Thursday, I’m buzzing!
Man, sounds a bargain! Just watch all the rubber seals etc with it sitting that long. Happy driving!
@@andrewnorris5415 it is a bargain mate! Got a really good deal! I’ve driven it for around 2 weeks and now it’s hibernating until approximately April time when the weather gets better. 🙂
If you don’t mind me asking, how did you find one for so cheap? Were you just keeping an eye out at local auctions or the like?
Hi @dua1ne could I ask how you found one so cheap?
I’ve been looking at Japanese auction websites, but with shipping and all it would cost me over €10k! I’m in Ireland btw,
Sound great enjoy they are a fantastic car, great driving position too
Mk1: A wedge with pop up headlights, I'm not entirely sure what more people would want?!
Don't think people know what they want!
a round wedge with pop ups
I bought my rev 2 as a quick flip. Several hundred restoration hours later, mot'd, I fell in love with the car. If you can get your head around not needing two rear seats, the fun factor level they provide against the purchase price its a no brainer . As Jay said, not so many around these days and because of this the car is always getting noticed ,lots of favorable complements. A lot of luv in the mr2 community too.
I tracked one of these for about 5 years. Excellent car, ran all day without fault, which could not be said for a lot of other makes. They could corner really quickly, but you had to catch the slide literally before it happened, as it became a lot harder once it broke away. You could really feel the weight of the engine aggravating the whole slide. I only realised how quick in the corners it actually was when I switched to a Honda EP3. It's all round quicker, but much slower in the corners. Really miss it now watching this video.
You can tune out the oversteer with a Wilhelm racing geometry correcting kit and removing sway bars plus a good alignment. Mine never loses rear traction even pushing it, just grips
I bought one in 1995 seconds hand 3 years old. I did over 100K miles of trouble free motoring over 4 years,I loved it.
Nice review Jay
Cool car. Always liked the T-bar version. Sat in one at a dealer as a youngster but couldn't afford it. Owned a MK3 later in life. As you said, mid-engined cars need careful handling to avoid snap steer. The later MK3 version that I bought had a couple of Toyota mods to try and safeguard against this. I found the car very confident in all weather and the only time I went for a slide was on wet mud and it was very recoverable with no drama. Highly recommended.
Absolutely love my Rev 4, first car I bought with my own money, after seeing my uncles friend with a turbo when I was 8 I was obsessed. It’s my daily and rough around the edges much like this one but a real usable classic daily that turns heads and starts conversations wherever it goes. Welding has been my only issue but worth it to keep the car I love. Maybe a car I’ll never sell.
Yep, another car I would gladly own. As a forty-something guy, I adored these when they were new to market. Yes, I likened them to the Ferrari of the day and they looked just as expensive. At the time though, if I had the opportunity I would have gone for the Nissan 300ZX. That car had flawless design and the top of the range Turbo. 1989 was a banner year for the automotive world and I truly believe that there will never be another time like it.✌🏻🇺🇸
I remember getting a ride in an early example of the MR-2 in 1990, out in Alberta. As a (still) young man at the time, I was, like your friend, smitten by the car. Thank you for this trip down memory lane.
I have many fond memories driving and photographing these when new. I loved how you sat IN the car.
Owned both a F reg AW11 and a S reg SW20 Rev5 back in the 90s. Loved both, but the AW11 was by far the best fun to drive.
Snap oversteer only really applied to Rev1 versions.
Had a red K plate SW20 T-bar as my second ever car in the mid-late 90's and loved it. Loved it to bits, it felt that little bit special everytime I drove it.
Great video. Owned mine for 13 years and currently giving it a complete overhaul. Right on with the rust comment!
Great vid, I remember reading about the car in Autocar in the early ‘90s and being fascinated with the looks and spec. Also, agree with your comment on the T50, hope the looks grow on me!
Brilliant subject and excellent video James! Thanks! Also thought your explanation of appreciation in value was very well conveyed and made a lot of sense. Nice one 👍
Great episode jay, im 47 now in the mid 90s my mate had a series of hot hatches as did i, he bought a grey import Toyota MR2 turbo big spoiler on the back body kit it was mint and fast from what i recall a the time also remapped chipped suspension etc. luv the channel
Love mine.Thanks for the continuous MR2 content.
I bought one off my brother who later regretted selling it and bought another one. Enjoyed mine, loved that cosy little cabin and the pop up headlights :) Only non front engined car I've owned. My main memory though was having to replace the radiator in the street in the middle of winter. Fun times, ha ha.
I've had 2 mk2 MR2s - One was an aquamarine Rev 2 UK NA, the other was a carrabean blue Rev3 UK NA with an import turbo engine fitted into it and tweaked a bit. Ended up getting a 3.0L V6 engine conversion, and although a bit down on power compared to the turbo engine, it transformed the car and really suited both the car and myself. Had it for almost 7 years, 5 as a V6. Rust is the main issue - and was what finally killed mine. Rust in the cills, inner rear wheel arches and bottom of the doors. Ended up braking it up for parts.
Was tempted to get another one and transfer the V6 etc over, but by then even the very latest available was 10 years old so decided to go for something different.
I was commenting to a friend the other day that you don't see many of them on the road these days.
I watched some young fella write his MR2 off right in front of me at no more than 20 mph.
Just started raining after a hot spell, so very slippy.
Pulled off from a roundabout down a dip & then up, it swapped ends so fast he was facing a 30 mph sign side-on & put a lovely crease down his side air intake.
I’ve had 2 of these, one for nearly 24 hrs, the next for 4 years, I loved them and they are hilarious in the snow, my 2nd was Dark Green with a Van Aaken tune and exhaust, I’d definitely have another
Thank you for the review! I had owned a MkI and MkII MR2, and wish I had kept both. The MkI was so tossable and fun, but the MkII was faster, had more space - could fit 4 race tires (1 in the frunk, 1 behind the passenger seat, and 2 on the passenger seat) plus all my gear in the trunk; could also fit two golf bags in the trunk!) - and the t-tops were, as you mentioned, very welcome. I had a 1993 model, which also had the suspension adjustments that mitigated snap oversteer. In the US, these have already climbed in value, but perhaps one day I’ll have another!
Just stumbled across this and I am pleased to see an unbiased review. I have owned a 1997 SW20 MR2 since 2000, but mine is the even rarer MR2 Spider of which I aim to keep until I need a hoist to get me in and out 🤣🤣
They are already staring to move up in price here in Oz. The snap oversteer is as you said, no experience with mid-engine cars. They tend to handle, or maybe that should be go around corners a lot better than a front engine car. So they are pushed and get faster until they let go. With that big lump of an engine now part of the slip, you have to be very quick to catch it. I have had MGF's and TF's for about 20 years and have been caught twice. Both times in competition. Get one now or even a good MGF or TF as there are indications the price is starting to move up rather than down. A really good video Jay.
I owned one of these in GT T bar from 1992 to 2011!!
Fantastic car, great fun and lasted me 165 thousand miles before corrosion finally finished her off.
Same, mine also died due to corrosion
@@asdreww 140,000 miles. Sills rotted to nothing.
Everything else Perfect.
Sold it but felt shitty.
Luv and Peace.
I did hear about Maestro Sills being a possibility but I gave up and bought BMW 320i 2.2 M54.
Nowhere near as exciting but it also did me for 140,000 miles so can't complain.
Had a new family at that time so MR2 was no longer practical.
I probably would have tried the maestro sills if not for Callum but On balance Callum wins!
🙂
Luv and Peace.
I had this car and i loved it! Same model and spec except for all leather interior. Amazing fun and i did a few laps of the nurburgring. Best experience ever!
Anytime you talk about MR2s the RIGHT answer is the MKI (AW11). The MKII was heavy and with a HUGE dose of tail heavy pendulum swing that the MKI didn't have as much of. Yeah, you go the turbo option in the MKII but you have the SC option in the MKI. With some simple boltons I dynoed my 89 SC with it's little 1.6L at 227 RWHP and 221 RWTQ. Still miss that car......
Yeah, a modded turbo would walk me to 60 but once we reached the corners I was gone! They had to manage that swinging rear end too much.
Had two of these, one from new in 1992 K661HMV and bought one again later in 2005 second hand L603CPK. Loved them both.
I spent the last 5 years getting my mr2 back on the road, thousands of euros into it (just like this one, super red 1991 NA) and I love it so much!
Ive had two Mr2s. One Rev3 NA (170hp) and a Rev3 Turbo. Selling the Rev3 turbo is probably my biggest regret in general, let alone in car terms. That car gave me a feeling i have struggled to find in anything else since and I feel as though it made me a better driver for it. Alignment and decent tyres were the key in getting it to feel sure footed. I`d buy another in a hearbeat if i could. Always felt like an occasion taking it out on a summers evening with the Targa tops out.
Great video, and your quite right about prices. BC (Before Covid) I shopped on FB Marketplace and found many doable and roadable 1st and 2nd gen MR2's (but would need work) for anywhere from $1500-3000, just depended on how much you wanted to get into. Those prices have shot up likely well over 100% or more. True for about any of the 80's-90's Japanese coupes, and Toyota 4wd's are even more valuable. A plethora of automatics over here of course, so manuals have the higher values. There is a loaded '92 Celica GTS 5-speed on a lot in town here and I'm thinking it might just be a bargain at under $2000, even with needed rust repair... So what did I end up buying for a sports car project? Why a '59 MGA coupe for $1500! Been sitting in a barn for over 40 years and of course still needs welding. We did get the 200HP turbo MR2 with 5-speed here in the States, which of course has the greatest value. FYI the T-top first appeared on the 1968 Corvette coupe. It was so successful that the roadster version became redundant by 1974. Many bought clear tinted aftermarket "Saratoga" tops for them to replace the solid factory units.
I have a 4.7 V8 Vantage manual and a 93 MR2 Turbo (JDM import), been really enjoying the turbo lately. Tastefully modified the SW20 is very dramatic. Had both on track many times too, never snap-oversteered ever although I can quite see how razors edge it can be at times. It is a gorgeous car and fantastic fun on the track.
Great Video. Owned 28 Mr2s since 1998. Just sold last one in July. Moved on to Lotus and have 3 Evoras. Lifetime of great Mr2 memories but just can't match Lotus for driving experience. Still have St205 Celica WRC to get my 90s nostalgia fix.
Haha, yes, had one in Japan. Very fond memories. Great drive, 'tardis' interior (originally wanted 3rd gen RX7 but too cramped for tall drivers to steer and pedal at same time). A few S/O moments, but only when deliberately provoking in attempt to master. Never did, but wasn't an issue for public road use. I'd go round again if a good one came up :)
Currently in the process of selling my 2nd SW20, i bought it earlier this year because of the nostalgia and the price was good... well too good to be true kinda good, which it was. it had no love given to it from the previous owners, brakes were shot and it was barely drivable, so I fixed it up to a point to where its roadworthy and enjoyed it throughout the summer, doing a roadtrip across norway and back. I will probably regret selling it the second its gone, and then especially in a few years when the prices have become beyond insane.
I’ve got a 1998 MR2. It didn’t do many miles last year as it needed a new nearside sill. Toyota packed the rear end of the sills with sponge that has a habit of holding water and rotting out the sills. It’s not outright fast when compared with a modern hot hatch but handles beautifully when driven properly.
Had a G-Limited and I'm about to get myself a Turbo and I'm so excited. Driving experience is like nothing else.
Well done, James. I originally enjoyed your MR2 video with Lawrie back in 2017 (does he still have it?), which helped me get even more excited about buying my own later on that same year. Hard disagree though about treating the MR2 as more of a GT car, as my USDM turbo's handling and performance is quite firm, planted, and quick -- the car just aches to carve up some canyon roads (well, Rocky Mountain roads for me). The MK3 Supra that I just sold -- *that* was definitely in the GT cruiser category.
I’ve always fancied one of these
Great cars my sister had a lovely blue 2nd gen one for absolutely years was good fun and so reliable she had a clutch and two brake callipers in about ten years of owning it.
Thanks for increasing the price of these jay
Really enjoyable video man 😊
Thanks J, wondered if Lawrie had bought another at the start! 🙏🙏
I've only ever driven a Mk1 in Bristol, but always appreciated the fact my sister's friends trusted me enough to drive their 15-ish month old baby, to their new house, and even for a few miles in the city, it was great :)
There's another not mentioned roof config...Toyota TechnoCraft convertible. JDM only,
I'm glad mine just had mph dials fitted, although it meant my speedo only went up to 110mph, which was fun because on track I could get the needle to hit the bottom of the dash. I never did bother delimiting mine I just learned to lift off a bit around 120mph as the speed limit cut was brutal, pretty sure it's the same method as the overboost cut off where the ecu just cuts fuel to the engine.
The MR2 TRD 2000GT, is a beast of it's own
What a legend
Called the MR2 Spider. And there's one in the U.K.!
Much enthusiastic sense spoken. I recall the first time I saw one, not knowing what it was. It was so jaw-dropping I fully turned around as it passed on the other side of the road. Not a great idea while I was driving in the opposite direction in city-centre traffic, but the driving gods protected me :) 'twas in the same red as your review car IIRC.
I fullfilled a dream of mine when I managed to buy one in mint, low milage bone stock condition from the elderly ex owner of a toyota dealership here in Germany. T-roof, black paint, dark grey leather. It looks absolutly stunning on a sunny sunday morning and I love it! I run it on a seasonal registration (april to october) and have no plans of ever selling it. Dream car.
I had one when i was 20 years old. Some 11 years ago now. I bought it for £1000 and blew the head gasket on the drive home... another £1000 later and it was good as gold! Plus, the t-tops in the summer are great!
These are excellent cars. The next best thing to an Elise. Unfortunately, many have been butchered by amateurs. It's hard to find a decent one here in the US, and probably the UK. Finding that unicorn unmolested one is gonna set you back a pretty penny.
rev5 na in sonic shaddow, 105k miles, moonroof version. paid 4k a year ago. been the daily ever since, with some 14k miles of use in that time
Most of the MR-2 Spyder were not butchered, and are genuinely an Elise-lite. The SW20 is an exciting tourer. Don't try to use it as a track car, they are horrible for heat soak.
Hmm surely the heat soak is something that a bit of backyard garage engineering can fix for not too much money, given the simplicity of the vehicle?
Though, racing is truly not the point of this car. Agreed. Doesn't need to be left COMPLETELY stock given that we've all progressed a lot since then and practical little upgrades with more modern parts could be nice; but this is certainly not the kind of car to turn into a ricer.
@@JohnFromAccounting The NA cars will take a beating all day on track with little modification. For a turbo really you need an oil cooler and something that isn't the standard SMIC. I used the A2W charge cooler from the ST205 Celica GT4 as it's also designed for the 3rd gen 3sgte. I never had problems with heatsoak, I did have the odd thing break but at the end of the day I was tracking a 30 year old turbo car and even with all the preventative maintenance stuffs still going to break.
Factory brakes on the turbo are also well up to the job with good fluid and pads. Also so is the cooling system if it's in good condition.
In the past i have owned two MR2 MK2 2.0 T-Bar both with black leather interiors. One was Red the other was White. While i loved both cars, it has to be said rain would enter where the front windows joined the glass sections of the roof. Both cars suffered from rust. Both cars had issues with the front breaks. The wide rear tyres, which are slightly unusual cost about £500 a pair (this was 10 years ago). I did manage to find a place online that sold a pair of new rear tyres for £250 (they took about 2 weeks to arrive from overseas). It cost me £40 to have them fitted. On rainy days going around roundabouts, was a bit of a test, as i managed to have the car facing the wrong way on more than one occasion. Speed wise, both my MR2's were good for 125mph.
Had a few over the years they are AWESOME !!!! ❤❤❤❤
MK1 MR2 for me. With the mk2 3S-GTE motor. Perfect. I owned the 3rd car to be converted in the UK. Absolute rocket.
I’m one of the people that always wanted one, and picked up a good one last year…one of my best car-related decisions.
Not big on the 2nd Gens, LOVE the 1st, great sharp lines and just cool! Great cars.
My mate owned a mk1 MR2 back in the late 90s at the same time i had my beloved Astra GTE 2.0ltr 16 valve. I got a good few drives and i did really like that car, so, so tiny and SO much fun. It felt pretty quick too, my GTE 16v was a lot quicker but for a 1.6ltr 16v it really zipped round the rev counter and actually went pretty rapid. It felt slower, a big part of that was obviously being down on a lot of torque compared to my extra 30bhp and 40lbft but once the revs were up high it went surprisingly well! I would have loved to try the supercharged Japanese edition with 145bhp (vs 122bhp) and 140lbft (vs 105lbft) which had a closer power to weight. The mk1 MR2 weighed about the same as my GTE weirdly enough, considering how tiny and impractical they were in comparison? Very cool cars though, i`d happily own either the mk1 or mk2 MR2, both are very cool little cars.
The non T-bar cars also had the option for the slightly more powerful engine. The guaranteed way to distinguish the more powerful ones is by rear spoiler. I owned a MKII but the MKIII appeals now for it's Elise like handling and low cost.
I have a factory 91 turbo in my garage, in the process of restoring it. It had sat for 12 years, needed thousands in parts will be finished soon and daily driven no later than Thanksgiving.
I really enjoy installing jdm zz engines, exhaust and a tune for a very enjoyable 3g MR2. Drives so well
I had a rev.2 turbo about 10 years ago. Great car!
My first car was one of these, beautiful in black and only £850. I span out on a roundabout in the rain once and that's the only accident I've had in my nearly 20 years of driving which i am thankful for.
Back in the late 90's, I drove a turbo in the US before I settled on my FD. I really liked the MR2. I remember the accelerator being extremely heavy. It may have been just that car, a linkage problem or something, but it was unwieldy. It wasn't the deal breaker, but I didn't like it the gas pedal. After almost 30 years of FD ownership, I don't regret not buying it, but it was really nice.
Wish more coupes had the targer roof option. Great video
The T-top/removable hard top format is my ideal embodiment for a fun car. The stiffness of a hard top with 80+% of the top-down enjoyment of a convertible. And all of this without any fears of an overly complicated folding mechanism that is massively expensive to fix. It saddens me that manufacturers abandoned it, although I am happy about how unique it makes the cars that have it.
I totally appreciate your comments about the burden of restoration being a source of increased valuation. That's why I've gotten some less than sane unsolicited offers for my aging but fully restored B5 S4. Taking the typical beat up example of it and returning it to top condition is a completely irrational decision. At the same time, there are buyers who want exactly such a vehicle and are willing to pay a completely irrational price for it.
As time advances, I think we will see more and more vehicles like this. There is a hole in the market (and demand to fill it) for these fun cars which deliver a [relative to a modern video game err car] pure driving experience without all of the prissy little annoyances of something like a new M3. Nobody wants the "rented mule" embodiments of these cars, but they're willing to pay for the good (even if not concourse-level) examples.
Great video, lovely car. Top tip: the both knowledgeable and funny SarahnTuned has a lot of great video's on her own MR2 Turbo on her Arizona-based channel
I bought mine nearly a year ago and doing currently a restoration. Make sure to watch a rust video first on the MR2. They rust from inside out.... had to learn it the hardway 😅
Neighbor's kid had one. I had an NSX-T at the time. I thought the MR2 was a smaller version of the NSX.
Just bought a white 1994 t bar last night. It needs a lot of work, but that's all part of the fun 😂
smiling at this video as I look at the SW20 Turbo sitting in my garage right now, that I bought two years ago. Though, it needs a bit of work to say the least.
Picked one up a month or 2 back. It's a project but its 80% complete. In my early 20's so plan to have fun :)
Brillant reveiw
Love your show. Had a very interesting car for your show it’s called Subaru SVX. Was very rare and cost more to repair and maintain than my Ferrari 348. But one of the best cars I owned.
I already got one and i love it!!!
I did had to to allot of labor to keep it preserved well and i take it out everytime that im not working and when the weather is good
Oh and the first type of tail lights are named the zenki's and i prefer them over the kouki's
Thanks for this great video of the sw20 mr2, they are underrated and a true jdm underdog
Great thanks so much ❤
As a former FTO owner who has great memories of my time with that car, I totally get the nostalgia. I've been casually looking for one and was shocked by the insurance quotes I was getting. I'm guessing this is due to the cost of replacement parts.
Fair review, only a couple of very minor fact errors. Fell that the handling ability may have been overlooked.. SW20 can attack a roundabout or sharp bend at higher speeds than most even on modest tyres
I own a Mk1 (AW11), and would never change it to a SW20. I think it looks more interesting, has the revvy 4A-GE engine, is smaller, simpler and better as a fun Sunday car.
I had a black Mk2 t-bar from 2 years old and drove it daily for 10 years, wish I'd kept it. The only time I had a problem with handling was in the wet when it got a bit twitchy on corners, otherwise Yokohama sticky tyres kept it glued to the road, although they only lasted 5000 miles.
Loved all of Mr 2s. Had an early Mk1 and 3 Mk2s. Ended with a Mk 2 Rev.3 168 bhp. Sold that for a BMW Z3.....which I then sold.for a Boxster. .
Had one of these, took it from 23k to 275k miles. Engine was still as good as day I bought it when it went......bodywork on the other hand...😢
Greay video as usual James.
Btw, the opposite of kouki ie zenki
I was fortunate to purchase a rev4 na in Goodwood Green just after lockdown , Iv almost finished restoring it , trying to get it ready for summer 2024
Had a lovely Rev 5 Sonic shadow Coupe a while back. Have also owned Elise, multiple MX5-s, Boxster etc etc. The stories of the MR-2 being 'hard to handle' are nonsense, they are lovely to drive, good characterful torquey 3SGE engine that the Mk1 and Mk2 MX-5 can only dream of too. Great GT car, big boot, good seats, great driving position.
Also standard manual AC was a (rare) option on the UK cars. JDM Had the full climate control with 2 stage AC like in the JDM Celica GT4
What a perfect shifter. Like a hand-sized toggle switch.
I loved my MR2, I had a black 1994 revision 3 GTS turbo model. Same engine as your ST205, but rwd. Drove like a go kart with a rocket strapped onto the back. Had aircon, retracting mirrors, was a rare tintop model, etc, but had to sell it because it wasn't getting any use once we had kids. 😭
Got a 300ZX twin turbo instead now. Probably the closest I can get to the same driving feel but also has room in the back for the kids. It just doesn't have pop ups. 😔
Please do a 300ZX video sometime, find a good one and you'll be pleasantly surprised with how well they drive. 😁
gorgeous car
I used to have a mint Rev 4, they’re great cars - the 3SGE engine is one of the best 16v 4 cylinders to come out of the 90s, it was comfy and easy to drive and turned heads. Main issue I had with it was that it was just a bit too well sorted and civilised for its own good.
The handling was great, and it was difficult to get to the car’s limit (where the fun is) on normal roads so you were either feeling like it was a bit dull or going too fast and probably crashing into something. Similarly the suspension wasn’t ultra rigid which took a lot of the drama out of driving at the speeds that you good have a decent b road blast, but meant it was pretty comfy day to day. The gearing was a bit too long which again, great for driving around but when you were pushing it on a b road you were usually going a bit too fast to have fun - it would hit 60 in 2nd gear. The engine, was absolutely fantastic and sounded great, very linear power delivery but overall wasn’t super exciting from a standing start.
Overall I think that meant that as a road car it felt really fast and capable but just a bit too well sorted, throughout the other cars I’ve driven I’ve always felt it’s the drama that makes the driving experience fun rather that outright performance. My old MK3 supra for example was much slower, heavier and handled worse than the SW20, but it was such a sense of occasion to hear the turbo spool and have the car reach the limit much earlier which made it much more enjoyable to drive.
It’s a fantastic car, but very difficult to really enjoy on the road since you can’t get near the point where you’re absolutely caning it very easily.
Brilliant!!!
The MR-2 Spyder is a superior car and genuinely under-appreciated. I would be concerned about rust on the SW20 at their age, so be careful of bargains.
The mk3 is not a superior car. Apart from its lightness it does everything worse than the AW and SW. It's cheaper made and it feels it
Even racing a popular CZcamsr (DC2Danny) raced the mk3 for ages went through many of them.
Then he got into 2 race prepped by Rogue Motorsport MR2 one mk2 and one mk3. He's unbiased opinion was the mk2 was better
The T-top was introduced on the 1968 C3 Corvette.
My Black '94 JDM Turbo salutes you :)
I had a '94 Rev3, loved it, don't get red paint though, it will fade