・Japanese import MR2 turbo

・Dyno-tested to over 300bhp

・Extremely quick car with new MOT

・Great project for further improvement. 

Much of the development work for the second generation Toyota MR2 was done in the UK, with American racing driver Dan Gurney and a team of British motorsport engineers making sure that the ‘SW20’ generation of the MR2 would have the handling dynamics to match its mini-Ferrari looks. 

Over three decades later, it’s still a great looking car and one that’s rapidly growing its classic following, as well as being an extremely popular car on the JDM classic modifying scene, which is where this one fits in.

A 1996 MR-S GT-S imported from Japan in 2002 as a ‘grey import’, the car is a turbocharged MR2 similar to the UK-spec models, but with added performance.

It has been further tuned and modified since with work carried out by a couple of very well-known MR2 specialists to make it even sharper and faster, as the rolling road printouts prove…

The current owner has had the MR2 for the past 14 years but has used it sparingly over the past few years as a second vehicle – and that’s why it’s for sale. He simply doesn’t use it, and would rather it went to someone else to enjoy.

In the time he’s had the car, he’s attended to regular servicing and any mechanical work it may have needed, but admits that the car is now at a stage where it would benefit from some cosmetic fettling to get it looking its best once again.

There’s quite a bit in the folder that’s supplied with the MR2, including the original Japanese maintenance handbook and a few documents relating to the car’s life prior to being in the UK. 

The UK V5 is in the name of the current owner, who has had it since 2007, whilst the MOT is in the process of being renewed and will run until November 2022. 

There are also several bills from well-known specialists including Fensport and Turbo Technics relating to the Toyota’s maintenance and performance modifications, including one for a new turbo. 

Also in the file are some print-outs from a rolling road, which show a power output of around 323bhp at the flywheel and 318 bhp at the wheels.

This is a straight and solid Mk 2 MR2, and that’s hugely important as they’re  a car that does know how to rot. 

The underside looked good as far as we could see and there are no corrosion advisories on the MOT. 

However, there are some cosmetic areas that would really give the car a lift. For example, there are various scuffs and marks around the body and a small amount of damage on the nearside front bumper corner, while the alloy wheels all show signs of kerbing and delamination and would benefit from a complete refurb, which would give the appearance a huge boost. 

As it stands, it’s perfectly presentable and (critically) very solid, but a bit of fettling would really bring it up to its full potential.

Everything inside is in good, serviceable order with some general wear and tear to the interior, but nothing that really detracts from its appearance. 

There are a few extras included, with a supplementary boost gauge and a digital calibrated speedometer ahead of the gear lever for the full Fast and The Furious impact. 

It also has an incredibly powerful Alpine sound system, with a subwoofer behind the passenger seat and a separate amp mounted in the front luggage compartment spare wheel well. Above it is a front strut brace, which is matched by another in the engine bay, further amplifying this car’s performance credentials.

With over 200bhp on tap, the Japanese spec turbocharged MR2 could go from 0-60mph in 5.5 seconds and onto a top speed of 155mph. So quite what it can do with over 320bhp on tap is implausible – needless to say, we didn’t open it up on our photo shoot, but the vendor described it to us as a “very, very quick car”. We don’t doubt it for a second!

It appears to be in good order, firing up straight away and revving eagerly, with a barking loud exhaust note that begs to be exploited. 

The seller reports that the car is in good mechanical order and that the steering and (uprated) brakes are all in good order.

This is a very quick car that’s also pretty discreet in its stealthy black colour scheme. It has been modified, properly and by respected specialists, to produce blistering performance and with a brand new MOT it’s ready to be enjoyed.

The long-term owner will be sorry to see it go, but a combination of no longer using it much a need for something more practical means he’s reluctantly ready for it to be passed on to another enthusiast to enjoy and personalise as they choose. 

It’s an incredible machine, and one with a huge amount of potential to develop further or to simply enjoy ‘as is’, as an absolute weapon of a Japanese performance car and something very cool with which to enjoy the JDM scene…

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