Toyota MR2 (W10) | Spotted

Remember when the only Toyotas you could buy in the UK were dull hatchbacks, a fancy city car and the Prius? We did get the Land Cruiser, after all, and several appearances on TG helped boost the Hilux’s on-road credibility – but the rest of its offerings throughout most of the ’00s were about as tempting as a bout of scurvy. Thank goodness for former company president Akio Toyoda and his push for a performance car presence that gave us both GT and GR86 models, the return of the Supra and the blockbuster GR Yaris. Although he is no longer technically at the helm, Toyoda San continues to push for additional racy offerings and greater motorsports involvement at board level – and long may it continue.

What we haven’t seen yet from “Morizo” (the pseudonym he uses when racing, as if he couldn’t get any cooler) and his big performance ambitions is the return of the MR2. Understandably, reviving the Supra was a priority when Gazoo Racing was in its infancy given the model’s cult following, but in recent years calls for an MR2 successor have become louder and louder because a) the Supra is quite expensive and man b) you can never have enough affordable sports cars, especially when the GR86 has such a short lifespan.

It’s not like the MR2 isn’t an established name here either. We’ve received all three generations of the mid-engine sports car, with the original W10 arriving in the mid-’80s and a few years before the arrival of the almighty Mazda MX-5. While the MX-5 perfected the idea of ​​a modernized British roadster, the MR2 nailed the wedge-shaped sports car that was all the rage in the ’80s. Of course, it was never equipped with a V8, but it was equipped with two powerful four-cylinder engines (plus a smaller 1.5-liter engine for the home market), with the top-of-the-line supercharged model producing a respectable 147 hp. This made it more powerful than the MX-5 of the time and, because the engine was in the middle, gave it additional prestige as a sports car.

This example isn’t a supercharged model, so it makes slightly less power at 128hp, but it’s still on par with the entry-level third-generation MR2, which was very popular here (all the more reason to get a new one Build a model, Toyota!) . Then why did it catch our attention? Well, just look at it. MR2s may not be a rare sight on British roads, but many of them are pretty grubby these days. This is clearly not one of them as the black paint looks just as shiny as it did in 1986 and the decals are neither dog-eared nor faded. Of course, you’d have to do some digging around to make sure it’s in as good condition as it seems – given that corrosion can be a problem with most Japanese cars of this vintage – but from the pictures the underside looks really neat out of.

It’s also a real journey through time inside: the original seats, steering wheel and gear knob are all there and in top condition. Even the old stereo has been retained and looks great along with the wonderful analogue heating controls. The dashboard is just as blocky as the exterior (it looks not unlike the cockpit in the new GR Yaris) and is littered with buttons and dials. Additionally, if you look at the instruments, you’ll see that the track covered just over 31,100 miles. Who knows if there is a better example out there, but there certainly can’t be many.

How much will a completely original, sparkling clean MR2 cost you? The seller is asking £19,995 for it, which is quite high. This higher mileage car can be had for under £9,000, while this supercharged import (albeit with an aftermarket body kit and wheels) can be had for £14,250. Not to mention the plethora of Mk3s available in a huge range for under £5,000. But the car we have here is absolutely remarkable and would fit in well with anything Toyota has up its sleeve with its FT-Se concept.

Engine: Four-cylinder with 1,587 cm³ displacement
Transmission: Five-speed manual transmission, rear-wheel drive
Horsepower): 128 at 5,750 rpm
Torque (lb ft): 105 at 5,000 rpm
MPG: 29
CO2: N/A
Year registered: 1986
Mileage recorded: 32,000
Price new: N/A
Kind regards for: £19,995