WHY IT’S JESSE BILLINGTON’S PICK THERE’S SOMETHING QUITE PERFECT ABOUT THE W10 SERIES OF MR2. LIGHTWEIGHT, NIMBLE BUT ALITTLE BIT PRONE TO ROT LIKE MANY JAPANESE PERFORMANCE CARS OF THE ERA
As is to be expected of a Toyota, the MR2 took the mid-engined recipe and made it as usable and practical as the layout permitted, adding a dash of reliability and common sense to the otherwise fanciful layout. The Toyota does well to blend usability with flair and performance compared with other cars at this price point.
Roger Becker of Lotus lent a helping hand, honing the prototype MR2’s chassis. Performance from the fizzy four-cylinder saw it out-gun the Fiat X1/9 and Pontiac Fiero in period. A supercharged variant was later added, boosting power with an electromagnetic clutch-actuated Roots-type blower; this was never offered outside of the US and Japan though the odd grey-market example has made its way over here.
The MR2’s origins stem from a 1976 design project intended to produce a car that would be enjoyable to drive, yet still provide good fuel economy; it didn’t have to be a sports car. Early design work began in 1979 when Akio Yoshida from Toyota’s testing department started to evaluate alternatives for engine placement and drive method before settling on a mid-transverse engine placement and a prototype – the SA-X –was made in 1981.
The car inevitably evolved into a sports car, with further prototypes tested in both Japan and in the US, including at Willow Springs, where former Formula One driver Dan Gurney had a turn at the wheel.
Model year changes bought with them tweaks and upgrades plus little dashes of performance but never at the cost of reliability or usability. In period, magazines frequently put the MR2 into their top tens for imports and sports cars.
On the market today, at auction, you can pick them up for around the £6-8k mark, but often get what you pay for. Privately sold cars and top-notch examples start at around the £10k mark but canny bidding can secure you a very tasty example for a reasonable price. If you are prepared to do the work, some exceptional JDM models can also be had within our price range. With ’80s nostalgia still building and the love for JDM strong, there’s no reason not to see prices for W10s staying stable or possibly even inching up slightly.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
❚ Corrosion is most likely to be found in the rear wheel arches before spreading to the quarter valances – missing rear mudflaps are the giveaway. The seam that runs across the bulkhead behind the spare wheel in the front luggage compartment rots on pre-198
