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The Toyota MR2 is a mid-engined, 2 seater sports car manufactured by Toyota Motor Corporation of Japan. It is nice to know that for the price of a family sedan, one can buy an alluring mid-engine Mazda roadster, a layout usually associated with exotics like the Ferrari 360 Modena and Porsche Boxster. Our last encounter with the MR2 came during our 2000 Roadster Comparison Test, in which it beat out the Mazda Miata.
The MR2 was introduced to United States in 1985 and was intended to offer Americans exotic-car looks and excitement without the exotic-car price. With it, Toyota proved they knew how to build sports cars. With its mid-engine/rear-wheel drive and two seats, there was no doubt this was a true sports car.
Driving the MR2 is a lot of fun. Thanks to the mid-engine design the car has sharp reflexes and a race-car feel. The steering is quick and responsive, though this electrically assisted rack doesn't provide as much road feel as other cars in this class. The hard-to-access bin behind the seats holds just 1.5 cubic feet of cargo, and the "trunk" is nearly useless unless the spare tire is removed.
Powered by Toyota's wonderful "Sweet Sixteen" engine, the MR2 was as much fun to drive as it was to look at. It displaced just 1.6 liters, but the 16-valve DOHC electronically fuel-injected engine produced 112 horsepower, and was enough to propel the Toyota MR2 to 60 mph in a little over eight seconds, and on to a top speed of over 120 mph. The original Toyota MR2 featured four wheel independent suspension (of course) and disc brakes all around, the fronts being vented.
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