Yahoo Autos Why the Original Toyota MR2 Is So Great
An first-generation Toyota MR2 is not fast. Being mid-engined, it's not as predictable at speed as an NA Miata, and don't even think about everyday practicality. Instead, the AW11 MR2 is the perfect childhood dream. A real life toy car that's more eighties than a third-gen F-body, complete with pop-up headlights, a cassette player and Enkei alloy wheels.
Other reasons for buying one include the fact that you can't buy a new, cheap mid-engined car anymore. The Fiat X1/9s and Pontiac Fieros have fallen out of this world without spawning a new breed. What he have now instead is a wide range of much more expensive Porsche Caymans and Boxsters, maddeningly compromised Alfa Romeo 4Cs, and Europe-only stuff that American will never see.
Mr. Regular just got his hands on one of the best MR2s. It's a Mk1-B, meaning it's got the spoiler and the better five-speed gearbox. It was also optioned with air-conditioning, cruise control and a delightfully 1980s blue interior .
There are ways to turn an AW11 into a Miata-beater on track, and back in the day, Toyota even managed to build a Group S rally car out of it. But when you find an unmolested original owner car in Pennsylvania with 75,000 miles on the clock, you don't think about those upgrades. Suddenly, all you want to do is make mixtapes and listen to them while cruising.
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