1994 Toyota MR2

Toyota MR2 MK 2 (W20) 1990 - 1998

The replacement to the original Toyota MR2 sports coupe was introduce to the UK market in April 1990. It was a visually a big departure from the angular lines of the first generation model, with fully integrated body-coloured bumpers, retractable headlamps, side intake scoops and a tilt/ removable sunroof. It's lines, designed by Kunihiro Uchida, earned it te nickname 'the baby Ferrari'. It was offered in standard spec with 1998cc 4-cylinder, 16v fuel-injected DOHC 3S-FE catalyst engine producing 119bhp and in GT spec with the non-catalyst 3S-GE engine producing 158bhp. The GT was offered in sports coupe and T Bar styles, the latter with leather upholstery and removable glass roof panels. A turbo option, available to the Japanese market, was never sold in the UK market but has been a popular import since.

All cars came with a 5-speed manual gearbox, and there was a rare 4-speed automatic option on the base model. Disc brakes were standard, as were electric windows and central locking. Toyota spent a huge amount of time honing the handling, with some success, except there was a tendency to snap oversteer at the edge, that was later improved through suspension and tyre modifications.

In 1992 the base model was discontinued, and the GT gained PAS and a catalyst as standard. In 1994, the engine was uprated to 174bhp and ABS was added as standard. IN February 1996, a 10th Anniversary Limited Edition version of the GT T-Bar was offered with improved interior trim and special colours: Caribbean Blue and Lucerne Silver.

Today, second generation Toyota MR2 W20 models are starting to become collectable modern classics. They have Toyota's usual high build quality but due to their age do have some problems. Exhausts can be expensive to replace, and any sign of overheating could indicate a blown head gasket. With imported turbo models, a coolant leak from behind the turbo could indicate one of two hoses that are prone to cracking, and are extremely difficult to replace.