Produced from 1984 to 2007 Toyota has made three generations of the MR2, the W10 (1984–1989), W20 (1990–1999) and W30 (2000–2007), sticking to the same recipe of a mid-engined, rear wheel drive sports car. You may be wondering what MR2 stands for, and in classic Japanese obscure abbreviation tradition MR2 stands for "Mid-ship, Run-about, 2-seater".

mr2

mr2

The example here is from 1986, the original MR2 and at 33 years old it's dripping with 80's retro! With it's wedge like exterior, pop up head lights and over-engineered chunky controls it feels like an event, even when you're stationary. On the road it feels surprisingly agile due to its low kerb weight plus having the 1.6 Twin Cam engine right behind your head only adds to its quirky appeal.

mr2

mr2

Theres a Lotus like feel to this car which makes sense considering Toyota had help from Lotus engineer Roger Becker designing the MR2's suspension and handling. The MR2's characteristics hark back to Lotus's 60's & 70's sports cars which is no bad thing. Designed for twisty roads this car will make you smile and will probably make others around you smile too. It has an abundance of character that will allow you to rock up at any classic car show and not look ostentatious.

mr2

Want to find out more about this little time capsule of a car? Read the full details in the Torque GT showroom here