Why People HATE the Toyota MR2 Spyder
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- Опубліковано 7 лют 2025
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The Toyota MR2 Spyder unfortunaely gets a pretty bad wrap.As the follow up to the Toyota MR2 SW20 - the MR2 Spyder with Its lower horsepower, smaller displacement engine, and decisive looks… it was tough for this car to have its chance in the limelight. I had never driven the MR2 Spyder and I was curious to see how drove compared to the legendary older brother. So does this car deserve more credit? Let’s talk about It!
#sw20 #mr2 #toyota
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It’s a perfect car in stock form. It’s just a car that doesn’t have a “stock” audience in the US market. It out performed it’s rival of the day(Miata), in almost every criteria on road and track.
Agreed, although struts and roll bars won't hurt as light modifications.
Suspension, a few bolt ons, and a trd strut bar in the front. And my zzw30 out performed my friends c5 vette and focus ST at tail of the dragon 💀
Definitely out perfomed the miata. I did a review of my brothers zzw30 on my channel
I’ve owned a lot of MR2’s over the decades and the ZZW30 chassis is still my favorite. It is well balanced from the beginning. High quality, sticky tires is really all these little weapons need to surgically dismember a track. A lot of basic bolts on do very little, if nothing for the over all balance of the car. My favorite mods were lighter wheels, sticky tires and top down.
Eh I would've preferred the 2zz stock instead of the 1zz.
The spyder is the best handling of all three generations, and the cheapest to maintain. If I were to buy an MR2 for daily driving with weekend track duty, it would be the spyder, without a second thought.
The fascia and rear is very ugly
@@tony_5156 that's what the aftermarket is for bud🤷🏻♂️😂
No brainer!
@@shaggy_e210 even then they don’t do much for those hideous dont lights vans rear bulbou ones
No doubt. poor mans Lotus
Mid engined rear wheel drive, very direct and sitting front of the high revving engine is such an undiluted driving experience. Best car I've ever owned.
This is just the porsche boxster from wish lol.
@@kaksidaksi3455 I call it the PoorSche 😂
@@kila_whale 😂
@@kaksidaksi3455 which Porsche weighs 2200 lb?
@@helonlee6265 i dont speak in freedom units?
One of the easiest cars to drive. People not thinking it's quick is half the fun.
🐸 man
@@nickkings2220 🐸reacs only
🐸
🐸
The Tog Frog king himself spoke!
Don’t hate on it. Some old dudes still win trophies with those things
Old guy with a trophy winning mr2, checking in!
Had one for a couple years, it was great, everyone thought it was an exotic car that cost more and was newer than it actually was.
Haha yeah was pretty futuristic when it came out so guess that is why it still holds up compared to contemporary designs. Hell even the 00 Toyota Celica looks better now than it did when it came out. I think people hated on it cause it was too futuristic looking as well, but the design has matured better than some other turn of the century cars.
@@BFKAnthony817 that year Celica was always beautiful to me! I always thought that car should have came rwd tho! They look even better with a proper wide body kit and wide fitted wheels and tires
@@petrolhead8851 Agreed!
I get the "what kind of porsche does ur dad own" a lot. They kinda get salty when I tell them its a 2001 toyota with a corolla engine that I bought on Craigslist for 4k.
@@l0rd-z851 wots ur insta 👀
The Spyder really only had 2 issues: 1. It only came with the 1ZZ and everyone knew how much better it would be with the 2ZZ. And 2. It didn't have a trunk. The SW20 and AW11 both had trunks and its competitor the Miata had a trunk.
1zz is plenty for daily use and backseat storage is slightly better once those two lids are taken out. Still doesn't rust nearly as bad as Miata and even if it does, you can just swap the panels out.
It’s got the room behind the seats, but it’s inconvenient
@@FredaricoIsCooL agreed, it's not very practical.
It has a front butt... and you'd be surprised how much groceries you can fit behind the seats/in the passenger seat
@@kila_whale you don't buy it to be practical. You can't put a carseat in it either. Wouldnt recommend Rock crawling with one either
3rd Gen MR2 was made to carve corners, and not yeet straights. It's an incredible cornering chassis for the price.
It's cornering speeds are incredible, just gotta be mindful of the snap oversteer but I think the recent models didn't have this problem as much
@@James.c i never really had a snap oversteer moment with mine, worst that happened was spinning it in the rain.
Now prices are getting higher and higher😅 but from my experience i know that it’s worth that money
The only close call with snap oversteer that i had in my spider was right after a 800hp dyno session i didn’t realize that both of my rear wheel bearing were trashed which caused the car to shoot off in random directions under load.
At 200000 miles my original engine died. Cats completely clogged and burning oil. I put a low mileage 1ZZ in car, parts and labor was 1350. Its now like brand new.
they're great cars, they didnt come with the 2zz because the lotus had it and they couldnt price it out. but its pretty damn easy to get a 2zz out of a 7th gen celica and pop it in. As both cars have been dismissed for their styling.
That was the biggest problem for the car down here. The 7th gen celica was hated because it didn’t have a gt-four variant meaning nobody wanted it compared to its turbo AWD older brother. The MR-S was lumped next to the Celica because it was from the same time and had a worse motor. Personally I wouldn’t buy either because, i loved the 6th geni owned with the double round lights and sleek body, and while mid engined is cool the NA Miata is my baby for roadsters and id never sell mine (except to some sucker dumb enough to buy it for $12k NZD)
@@Pheatan I literally pulled the motor out of my 6th gen celica today. Im in NZ too haha
@@Pheatan i understand your point about the 6th gen it was a car made whit more expensive parts a cool interior and all but unless it was a gt four the 7th gen can beat the shit out of it in driving experience
@@cristianseminario7899 That is a blatant lie. The 7th gen Celica can never beat the 6th gen and that's coming from someone who had seen and even been in both.
The 6th gen GT-Four is awesome and with that solid 3S-GTE, you can give it up to 400hp no problem with just a change of intercooler and a new ECU map. Besides, even when it's stock, it was pretty quick up mountain passes and even on race tracks.
The 7th gen is just bad that it doesn't have any form of acceleration taking 0-100 in about 9sec (Mind you, the 6th gen does about 6.5sec stock) and it doesn't have any LSD unless it's the Japanese models which meant that even when you're trying to corner with just 180hp from the 2ZZ (Still pathetic considering that the K20A has about 220hp on the crank), it has constant torque steer and you'll be fighting understeer under heavy cornering coupled with the bulbous weight of the Celica.
It's seriously bad and I still barf every time I see a 7th gen Celica. Thank god no one retains it anymore in my country. It's sooo bad that the owners all chuck it away.
@@MrLolx2u unless you have a gt four you won't be gapping any 7th gen 3sge whitout turbo is worthless. a k20 is an engine made for a newer model. remember it's from 2000 the main antagonist is the integra and guess what's inside? exactly a 1.8l whit lift whit more or less the same power. dream on and don't think a k20 fwd honda has less torque steer whit those crappy cheap ass shafts honda uses. i'm not defending the 7th gen those are facts. i hate the internet know it all that only knows how to spit worthless numbers and shits on cars that don't deserve the hate i want to see you try get 400hp out of a gt four whit an intercooler and a tune whitout a craked block as a result. the handling is due to wet road i know my car and this is exactly the accurate description on how a 7th gen celica handles on wet asphalt and what the fuck is this 0-100 km/h? mph? if it's km/h no not even the 1zz version is this slow unless there is literally no traction just the fact that an engine has lift explains for itself why the 0-100 is slower than other cars but apparently we are talking whit a keyboard warior so it's a waste of time
It's the Japanese Lotus Elise.
It's not about power, it's the experience.
-A now former Spyder hater
I’ve driven and owned many Japanese sports cars including skylines, supras and chasers and more, but the mr2 spyder is one of my favorite cars to drive. Of course mine is not stock but damn, its sooooooo rewarding to drive and is really quick in the corners! People should try one before bad-mouthing these!
I mean the it could've had so much sells if it did not look so damn ugly
@@ramovx7726 looks is a question of taste. Not everybody thinks its ugly. I also thought it was less good looking than the sw20 (predecessor) but in the end if you modify them, they can actually really really look amazing. Its like the Toyota Chaser. Bone stock it looks super boring… but if you start modifiying it 😍👌🏼
Most ppl that talk bad about the mr2 never actually owned one.
@@ramovx7726 I actually like the look it has hahaha
@@walterflores51 True. And wait until the meet one on a race track hahahah they usually dislike them even more because they've gotten a propper beating hahahah
This video nails it! I've owned one AW11 and x 7 SW20's over the years, and I never gave these the props they deserve. After owning some of the most killer SW20's out there, I figured why do a repeat? Just this weekend, I picked up a 100% stock 2003 and I'm completely blown away by its awesomeness.
It's music to my ears finally seeing another person thoroughly enjoying these cars, thank you for giving it a chance 🙏
This is the only MR2 I would get, I remember seeing these when I was a kid. A lot of people talk shit about early 00s cars but they're the most nostalgic for me as I remember seeing them all on the road when I was younger. This is the I've always been with everything; I don't care about what's popular, if I think it's cool I want it, plain and simple
I'm right there with you man. This is why the 350Z is my all time favorite Z car, because it was the one I grew up seeing and hearing as a childhood car enthusiast at the dawn of the early 00's. Also why the 2000-05 Pontiac Bonneville is my personal favorite boat performance car of the era, specifically the SSEi. I know one cares about a big automatic sedan in a comments section about JDM cars, apples to oranges but...I have a soft spot for this one.
@@hakeemsd70m I owned both a 3800 Impala and a 2.4 cobalt, neither were the performance version but they were still fun enough to drive. Had my Impala tuned faster than a stock supercharged one 🤙
Isn't it hard to judge the whole of the MR2 spyders, when your driving a heavily modded one?
Wouldn't it be better to drive a stock or near stock, then give a review of the MR2?
The stock one is also the best handling out of the 3 generations. It also is kinda fast with the semi-auto version doing 0-100 in about 6 seconds. It's extremely light weighing at around 900 kilos. It's an amazing machine both for daily and track use
Its not heavily modded mechanically, but cosmetically yes
I appreciate the modded car reviews personally because a lot of cars have defects that the aftermarket has addressed. It’s nice to hear an opinion on a car that’s had its weak areas improved on to see how it improves the car as a whole. There are plenty of cars out there that got a bad rap because of minor easily addressed issues. This type of review answers the main question I have with any fun car. “Is this worth modifying?” If it’s not worth modifying, I don’t have much interest in buying one.
@@Matt-vz5wy stop it your gonna make me cry
@@ryanmaharajh4945 lol.
Ive had mine for six years as a daily driver and it still puts a smile on my face every day. Its never left me stranded and if mine didnt burn oil(notorious pre 2003 spyder issue) it would be perfect. Id happily buy another one if mine were to meet its end.
The older I get, the more I appreciate reliability, and the transient response that comes along with NA motors. I realize now how much I overlooked this car.
Same here.
Same. Wish I had put more thought on the Spyder.
This is actually making me consider getting an MRS. I always liked them, but the way that ZZ just roars and how it handles, god this car is beautiful.
Loved my Spyder, handling was incredible.
Drop in k&n, decatted and top speed resonated exhaust was perfect. Had a deep tone that wasn’t ricey. Sold it with 66k miles for $12,300 this summer.
You guys do realize that the 1zz engine actually has better torque and hp output than the 2zz until the turbo hits, who cares about top speed? how often are you guys actually driving over 200km/h, the spyder is meant to be drifted through corners, being RWD and mid-engine and all
I drove this car in a parking lot for two seconds and fell in love, i knew it was the perfect car.
Carbon fiber bonnet, check, Bride seat , check. Fancy steering wheel , check, special shift gate, check, Giant crack through windshield , check!
I've been a AW11 owner and enthusiast for 26 years now, after owning 5 3/4 aw11's at one time I only have 2 left now. The one I bought back in 1995 and one I bought in 2006. I love the aw11 sooo much. One is a street car, one is a full blown track car.
I now also own and drive a spyder and honestly I find nothing wrong with the 1zz, it powers the car along fine being much lighter and will out handle a poo barge (sw20) anytime. That said, I will be putting a small turbo on my 1zz.
The mr2 spyder is an absolute pleasure to drive.
SW20 was the outlier in the MR2 lineup, the ZZW30 emulates a lot of the original first gen mk1a AW11 MR2 of being a lower powered great handling car.
people tend to look at the Turbo SW20s tbh. NA SW20s do exist, but they’re overshadowed. Can’t really blame Toyota, the Turbo SW20 beat the NSX around Tsukuba, and that was huge news back then.
You're absolutely correct. It is the spiritual successor to the aw11. But the SW20 gets the most love IMO, including from me.
Agreed. Owned all 3 and Mk1 is the best, especially considering it came out in 1984, with Mk3 second. Mk2 was the most disappointing by far; not helped by the fact i came from a Mk1 to a Mk2, which really highlighted the Mk2's shortcomings to me.
Wish the car’s specs and mods were covered more. Especially since it sounds like the owner kept the 1zz. That’s an amazing exhaust note from that motor.
Every MR2 mk3 video the driver gets a huge smile on their face. The car rocks. So much fun driving down the coast in California on the windy 101 hills.
Picked one up a month ago today, best decision I’ve ever made (coming from miata and corvette ownership), this car is so balanced and has really quick steering and a really notchy shifter, and stupid light.
The issue with the mr-s is Toyota didn’t have a clue as to who they should market to. They made it without a trunk or frunk which eliminated any short of practical use for the car, but then they gave the mr-s an econo engine and soft stock suspension. They made a grand touring car with Suzuki cappuccino levels of practicality.
Personally test drove one to buy. Definitely my favorite handling car next to the Miata.
A car with so much potential.
It’s a good car. Best handling out of the three. I don’t think the real killer is the engine. The real killer is lack of storage space. The AW11 AND the SW20 both have trunks and real frunk space.
ZZW30 chassis just has a small storage space behind the seats.
SW20 is a better touring car in a MR2 and makes more power making it tons of fun with a reliable 3sgte setup. However that being said even a AW11 will out track a SW20 in the handling department just because Spyder and AW11 are very very nimble chassis’s.
Probably the most underrated car ever
I had a 2003 MR-2 for about 10 years as my daily driver. I plotted my commutes to incorporate every twisty, windy, narrow back road I could! Astonishingly fun to throw through the corners. Only drawbacks: expensive to maintain and, of course, highly impractical. But the outright fun factor was priceless! People who hate this car can't have ever driven one.
Love the MR-S(prefer to call it this over MR2) :) Happy to see it getting more love!
U.S. - MR2 Spyder
U.K. - MR2 Roadster
Japan - MR-S
Agreed MR-S sounds a lot better
Man reviewing car where people have mixed opinions about, dude forgets to review the car and has only joy behind the wheel. I'd say you got my attention. Liked the video!
Same can be said for the 7th gen Celica
It was definitely one of the best FWD cars and the GTS/SS-II is definitely the one to get
Yup! When Honda just splooged out the RSX Toyota made a whole sports car that ruined the DC5
Tbh I liked the 6th gen more but the 7th gen is still good
and lets be honest quality of the car itself is superior in every way interior is actually not just a cheap honda interior the mechanical parts and everything else is on another level also rust is a non issue
@@negnarddingus2613 My first car was a 6th gen. I loved it even if it was a rusty shitbox.
hashtag donor car for 2ZZ power plant.
I own an MR-S... My only complaint is the horsepower. Otherwise, I love this car.
I can't wait to have mine finished currently putting a k20a into mine 😁
I don't hate it, I love it
I owned a AW11 for 15 years and it is actually the best MR2
I have always only hated the SW20 for been fat ugly and too heavy, they fixed that with this
Watching your reaction to this car reminds me why I love the 86 platform. Toyota can deliver any car they want honestly and it’s better than most companies attempts for a fraction of the price,.
I have one with the 2zzge, c60 6-speed swap and oem hardtop. The thing is just ridiculously fun. Every point made in this video is incredibly accurate. The car is incredibly well balanced and lightweight. You'll kill just about everything in corners, turns, and agility. Sigh, its winter and I put mine away for the season. Thanks for giving me depression!
I've been putting off my 2zz/c60 swap. Please consider making content showing off the better reasons to get one up and going.
I feel like I have been singing the praises of the ZZW30 MR-S for years and finally people are getting it. Bought a 2001 in yellow back in 2011 to go with my Celica GT-S and both cars are way better than most people ever give them credit for. Nice to see it getting attention finally, even if it is someone's modded up version.
Lot of people slept on it and still doing it, one day they'll realise but might be a little too late 😅👍
@@kila_whale funny part of it was I had brought my GTS into the dealership for warranty work and was waiting for my pick up. Did not expect to buy a car that day let alone an MR2.
Thats cool you have the celica and MR2 of the same generation, I wanna get a 94 celica to go along with my 94 MR2 I think that would be sick
@@padraigrab08 it was all luck really, that and a smart salesman who chatted me up. Hope you can find a good Celica, I know I have thought about trying to find a convertable from the 5th or 6th gen just cause I think one of those would be cool to have!
These have a bad rep because people arent capable of taking care of them. Some don’t deserve to have these gems.
I still dunno how fujiwara was able to beat the MR-S in the anime. Even Keiichi and his mame 86 lost to the spirit MR-S
Plot Armour is how lol
we were in the mr2 spyder page WAITING for this damn video to be done so we can watch it lol
Glad the spyder is getting some love.
Just got mine last week. A happy man here. 👍👍👍
the MR2 spyder is the car everyone hates until they drive it.
Too true.
I have a Spyder and its fucking awesome! 140bhp is plenty in a car that light and it handles so well stock. Only negatives is impracticallity but it is the PERFECT summer fun driver
You can't hate the mr-s when you know about the techno pro spirit mr-s and dannydc2
Cheap, light, manual, mid-engined, and underappreciated, I guess I'm starting to look for MR2s lol.
How expensive would an example be that is daily drivable with lower miles?
Depends on your budget my friend lol
@@kila_whale Let's say 20-25k which is pretty accurate
@@joeleonard9965 You're gold with that budget. You should be able to find a real gem.
Normal used ones are in the 10k range right now but I've seen super clean ones go for 16kish.
I bought a very clean one for 14k but I'm in Australia.
I live in Jamaica and there's one that pass me everyday, he put an upgraded exhaust on it, sounds awesome.
the mrs is my favorite mr2 as it looks like a porsche boxster and miata had a child ! i love them sooo soo much
Miss mine so much right now. Can't wait to get it out of storage!
i dont think the mr2 is bad, i just REALLY dont like its styling. i think many people would agree, especially when the earlier mr2s all look quite amazing.
The MR2 Spyder should for sure not be hated. When I was 16, I saved up forever to buy one, but I couldn’t find one in my price range. I lived in the middle of nowhere and didn’t even have the Internet, and the internet sucked in 2003. I ended up getting a 76 Nova, but I always think the MR2 Spyder is the “one that got away”.
Still not too late to get one
One of the fastest cars on the Gunsai Touge is an MR-S, it's a great handling platform
I used to hate everything about these, even though I have a celica with the same engine, but after meeting someone with one and how it drives, I started to change my mind. His was 2zz swapped too, so imagine near 9k rpm with this.
The only people who don't like it are the ones who have never driven one. It's the fastest NA out of the 3 generations. It handles the best, is the lightest, makes the best track car, has the biggest engine bay and imo looks the best. It beats the MX5 in all those departments too.
You gotta review something with a 2zz! Like a celica gts or an mr2s with a 2zz swap
I test drove a $13k beautiful s2000 and then a $3k mr2 spyder 8 years ago and I loved the mr2 a lot more. Yeah it was slower in a straight line but there’s nothing like mid engine grip, handling and response. Not to mention the mr2 spyder is 600lbs lighter. Needless to say mine is one of the most modified examples with a sti 18g turbo and a whole celica front end and brz widebody fender flares and tail lights but it is by far my most favorite car I’ve ever owned and wouldn’t sell for even $30k now.
$40k and I’ll buy another and redo everything I’ve already done to mine and throw a built engine in.
A very underrated JDM car
I was in the market for an SW20 because, at the time, I was a racerboi and thought all else was trash. Then I figured, "I already have a 2jzgte platformz y0, why not get the better race car?". The first zz30 I test drove I brought home with me. 2001 white and still the most fun car sitting in my garage. I literally daily it because it's fun as heck and does wayyyy better on gas.
It's the car scene where mr2 spyder doesn't go. Just look at how jdm cars were modified in years you will know. In US power is the most important factors, but the reality is handling far exceed the importance of horsepower. And btw snap oversteer is just a name from bad drivers who doesn't know how to drive them.
The 1zzfe engine is a really good sounding 4cylinder. It’s so deep sounding and aggressive for no reason. I been trying to get my hands one put a 2zz into
If David ever gets one of these to add to his fleet of cars, all he needs to do is just use this video as justification.
No one HATES this car.
Its a very cool car.
But its became a poormans boxter instead of a poor mans ferrari.
It wasnt what people expected at the time.
You should find a 2zz toyota with itbs to drive... you're gonna love the sound!!!
if you swopa 2zz-ge from a corolla t sport compresor with 220 bhp this car goes flying
its funny everyone hates them until they drive them. i got one cheap to flip and never got rid of it haha bone stock and it handles amazing flying around corners its so fast until you are leaving from a red light and get gapped by the mini van but hey nothing a little 2gr swap won't fix
2zz/k20 or nothing
@@arcanevoid9199 2ar Frankenstein
@@cutliss can make good power but no character and doesnt sound great as its an economy focused engine
If you want to see a fast MR2 Spyder that still feels like it maintains the feeling of the 1zz-fe, you should see the 2ar-fe swap kits. The 2ar-fe is the 2.5 liter, really undersquare camry 4 cylinders, frankenstein motorworks started the swap ideas and he's been supporting them for some time now. Those motors can support 250~ hp fairly easily if you use the double atkinson mod, and the weight increase is not very large since the motor is still a 4 cylinder. They're great fun.
I had a brand new MR2 when I was going through my "car phase", LOL. Living in Philadelphia it was probably one of the best sports cars for city living. You could turn going 35 - 40 mph with precision . The sales guy who went with me for the test drive was scared to death. He was like "this car was made for you" and I agreed. LOL, funny thing is I wasn't working at the time and he was like "take it home try it out for a couple days". Which I've never experienced before or since but anyway, about two weeks later he called me and said "hey, you going to come in and sign the papers?". When I got there, with almost two thousand miles on the car I told him that unfortunately, it was a pass for me. He was like WHAT? WHY? I told him that I've been out of work for the past month so it doesn't fit in my budget right now. What followed was right out of a PG-13 Mob movie. He brought me down to an office in the basement where the manager had salesmen (I'm guessing) circled around me why I explained my situation again. Man, I had zero fear when I was in my late 20s. Anyway, my plan worked. They gave me an amazing deal on the car. The payments were very cheap. I never went back to that dealership for service, LOL. Anyway, I got a lot sidetracked! The MR2 was amazing. The only real issue with it was the top speed, that was a joke. Since I was 95% of the time on city streets it didn't matter much. I traded the MR2 in for the new 350Z and the Z for my very last amazing car, the 2005 STi. The MR2 was no STi but as far as handling goes, it was a very close 2nd. Take care, -Eric 🏁
r/thingsthatdidnthappen/
I own two and it's the most underrated jdm of all time. Which makes it even more special
i think its a fun car, like you say you feel confident in it i feel like Toyota did some overengineering to make it handle better than the SW20 MR2.
I went to an mr2 rally in NY where we ripped around the mountains and it definitely opened My eyes up to the platform.
I bought one of these a few months ago. It is the best driving feel I’ve ever had from a car. The whole philosophy of the ZZW30 is light, nimble, reliable.
I would trust the 1ZZ to go across the country and back at high mileage, I cannot say the same about a 3SGTE
Here in the UK. I have a red mr2 mk3.
Lowered
Spoiler
Different style front lights
Double sports exhaust /induction kit
In red
The kids at my secondary school I work at all think it's a ferrari. Nearly every week I get a comment from the kids. Not bad for 04 model and by far the cheapest car in the car park.
Also have a red mk2 as well.
It is an amazing car. amazing stock, amazing modified, amazing swapped. If you love driving for drivings sake the mr2 is the car for you.
Bought one 2 years ago. Love it. Headers and new cat. 6 speed out of england with 3.9 gears and limited slip, don't know why NA didn't get that set-up. Nobody seems to talk about the brakes on the Spyder, only car that would stop with it was the NS-X. It is my daily driver.
The problem is that "out of the box" its NOT that good. Its soft, floaty, and uninspiring. Now start modding it, just like with any other car, it turns into something MUCH different.
It's not soft or floaty lol, what tyres are you running on?
@@kila_whale probably cheap stock tires
@@AFellowDoktuh that explains 😂
When i drove it it had hankook ventus v4. I ended up with my 02 miata instead. The interior of the mr2 is not the greatest.
@@38tech Strange as I left my rusty 05 NB Miata to MR2 😂
Toyota didn’t want to recreate a widow maker in the 3rd gen MR-2. Toyota was also leaving the sports car market to focus on their sedans. The reason it got the 1ZZ was because Toyota was supplying Lotus with the 2ZZ. It was also affordable! It was never a bad car.
It might come with a 1ZZ but it's a 1ZZ-FED instead of the widespread 1ZZ-FE. The main differences include a larger cam profile and larger valves, a "sportier" ECU, and the fact that the FED is made in japan where as the FE is made in Pennsylvania(Only the Celica and MR2 Spyder can be found with the 1ZZ-FED)
The Porsche Carrera GT is like a $900k Toyota MR2 Spyder.
I had one with all the right mods. It's the funnest car I've ever driven. Amazing on mountain roads. Damn, I miss it every day.
What do you consider the right mods for these? Which ones are necessary, which ones are nice to have and are there any you would not bother with?
@@IsentropeMachzahl Hey, Chris! I didn't put too much energy into chasing horsepower except for a few things that helped make it come alive. That includes header and exhaust as well as the MAF mod, which is a super cheap, effective mod to trick the computer to allowing more airflow. It'll get you a nice increase in torque. Look it up on the forums. Corkey's undermounted breast plate does wonders to stiffen up the chassis. This is also an inexpensive mod. I also went with BC racing coilovers which were great bang for the buck. The car just had to get lower. the coilovers plus sways made the car astonishingly good on twisty roads.
@@kurtnebiker8319 Kurt, thank you for the detailed rely, I truly appreciate it! I will look into the options you suggested: Header, Exhaust and MAF for power, breast plate and coilovers for handling.
I have two of the most "hated" cars of their series. An RX8 and a MR2 Spyder. I have *never* seen anyone trash the two cars who had actually driven them.
I often think what it would be like to have a garage of all the least popular JDM legends.
The MR-S, RX-8, MX-5 NC, MX-3, MX-6, R33 GTS (Non Turbo), 300zx (Non Turbo), EVO X, Celica (7th Gen), Any Imprezza (Non Turbo), Civic Type-R (9th Gen) etc.
@@absolutezero7344 I love the facelift NC Miatas personally. If I ever bought another Miata, it would probably be one.
@@e8ios Oh yeah don't get me wrong, I wasn't bashing these cars, it's just that they are the "ugly ducklings" and often fly under the radar. If anything these are often the best value for money cars of the lot because of it.
It can look really cool with body kit and it looks alright stock but It had weak engine that turns ppl away
140 ain’t weak for 2100 lbs bro you complain about that when you drive your moms hundi
I mean if you cant figure out a way to make a 900kg car fast..... then dont get into cars lol
Like my bodykit? :)
@@lastke1877 it weighs 965kg has enough power for a 1.8l
Engine was weak but not the reason why it did bad. Ppl don't buy impractical cars which is why this car wasn't popular. No trunk. Frunk had a spare only. Very little storage space behind the seats. The Miata beat the Spyder cuz of this. Not enough Spyders on the road equates to weak aftermarket cuz not enough customers for tuning companies to make money. Weak aftermarket support still makes it plausible to choose the Miata over the Spyder. The Spyder is phenomenal but has a small community and weak aftermarket support
I want one. Ive noticed a bunch of these driving around in my area over the past couple months and they just started growing on me again. One day, it may be in my driveway
I absolutely loved mine. Had a hard top as well. Wish I never sold it.
I have a completely stock one, it ain't mega fast but the handling is very quick and outstanding for a stock 20 year old car. It surprises people
I love the MRS, its a dope little car and you can make it fast and nimble as hell!
Don't tell them how good it is, I've been waiting for the prices to bottom out lmfao
They've already started to rise, at least where I'm from. But it could also just be the Covid Tax.
I have a Spyder with 2zz and a 6 speed. it absolutely rips around road courses and is much faster than it has any right to be.
I've owned one for 18 years now and have loved every minute of it.
I've thought for years these things were way underrated. A 2zzge swap would be the perfect mix for these though!
They're about as easy to do as a B-Swap into a 90's Honda, harder to put the roll cage in honestly
You don't know till you drive one. Makes me smile with anticipation walking up to it. Mine is now a 2ZZ with a C60 LSD as the next mod. 2ZZ hard to find in good condition. 1ZZ turbo an easier acquisition. It's not a money pit, it's a glory hole! The most fun I've had with my pants on.
I love this car so much. I’ve never driven one granted, but I would love to 2gr swap one. It gives me Japanese Porsche vibes.
DUDE.. you gotta drive one.. handling is something else. nothing like you ever driven before. you gotta drive one to understand. the handling... is nuts.
2gr is too heavy u will lose that swiftness
@@oljackie35 you right
The supercharged 2zz versions clean up track days and autox in my parts.
There comes a time in a mans life, when speed isnt important. What matters is the realisation of not getting hurt. And reliability too Toyota make good cars.
Doubtful
Better question to ask would be:
"Why is American car culture obsessed with only straight line power?" It feels whenever I talk to anyone from the states they have a completely disregard for low weight being an important factor in a proper sports car, why?
I believe it’s fundamentally down to our roadways and the car culture that spawned from it in the US. Our society is very centered on individuality and doing everything yourself, so basically driving everywhere yourself lol. we have lots of long highways and interstates that connect all the states so it’s bound to happen people wanna go faster to get where they need to go, on long straight highways lol.
Could you imagine dropping a K24 motor with a turbo in one of these. That would be an absolute blast
I have a friend doing that build. I'm doing a 1zz turbo build.
I had a k20 turbo, going k24 NA now :)
@@RoadsterAlex Yea the K24 is definitely a good option especially from a torque aspect.
@@Tain950 that’s the whole reason, k20 turbo is nice but I think rather have an NA 2.4. Maybe SC later but definitely NA for now