Since the early 1960s, every Le Mans winner but one has been mid-engined. It seems that after that change, the most serious sports cars—particularly the exotic ones—have had the engine mounted between the driver and the rear axle. While the vast majority of those cars come from European companies that end in a vowel and cost a pretty penny, at least one Japanese company got in on the act with a more modestly priced vehicle. At the very least, Toyota does end in a vowel.
The first MR2 arrived from Toyota for the 1985 model year in the U.S. The formula was simple: a lightweight chassis on a short wheelbase with a high-revving, multi-cam 1.6-liter engine. The car was a success, giving Toyota a driver’s car for those pilots who appreciated the handling benefits of a light, mid-engined car. But it was small, tight and not exactly a brisk performer off the line. For the second generation, like this one-owner 1991 MR2 now listed on Hemmings Auctions, Toyota made a more substantial, perhaps more grown-up car.
With a three-inch longer wheelbase and nearly two inches wider overall, the second-gen MR2 that arrived for the 1991 model year in the U.S. was noticeably more upscale than its predecessor. The new exterior came from the same man who had also designed the contemporary Lexus LS400. In place of the original’s sharp angles, the revised MR2 had curves, giving the car a more exotic look befitting it’s mid-engined layout.
Along with the increases in length and width, improved design and materials ensured a more comfortable interior. Like that contemporary Lexus, Toyota was making improvements across the board to interior quality in the early Nineties and it showed in the MR2.
Handling continued to be the MR2’s strongest suit. Engineers designed a suspension that used MacPherson struts at all four corners with rack-and-pinion steering with power assist optional. Brakes were ventilated discs at all four corners with optional ABS. H-rated 14-inch tires, sized 195/60R14 in front and 205/60R14 in the rear and mounted on alloy wheels, were standard.
Making a larger, better-outfitted car usually leads to a bit of that middle-aged weight gain we’ve seen on plenty of cars over the years, and the second-gen MR2 was no exception. Comparing the base models, the 1991 MR2 weighed roughly 320 pounds more than the original from 1985. However, with a listed curb weight of 2,599 pounds, the second MR2 was still a flyweight compared to just about anything else on the road.
Toyota compensated for that weight gain by replacing the 112-horsepower 1.6-liter engine with a 2.2-liter, DOHC, 16-valve inline-four that was rated at 130 horsepower at 5,400 rpm, more than 1,000 rpm lower than the 1.6-liter’s power peak. Befitting the heavier car, the 2.2-liter engine delivered 140 lb-ft of torque at 4,400 rpm, some 44 percent more than the prior model. The engine was essentially the same one used in the contemporary Camry, meaning it has earned a reputation for being reliable, economical and long lived, with strong parts availability.
All of those improvements must have appealed to the seller of this MR2, which she bought new in California in 1991 and where it has remained since. While a fair percentage of second-gen MR2s have been put through the modification ringer, this one remains stock and unmodified.
The car was repainted in its original Super Red finish in 1999 and the seats were reupholstered in 2007. The car is indicated as garage kept when not on the road and showed 144,687 miles on the odometer at the time of submission. The photos of the underside show no corrosion, befitting a California car.
Take a look at this one-owner, unmodified 1991 Toyota MR2 at Hemmings Auctions and ask yourself if this mid-engined sports car exotic enough for you.
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