Toyota MR2: The Unexpected Gentle GT

Growing up in a car-obsessed family aligned perfectly with Japan’s glorious 1990s: NSXs took on Ferraris, GT-Rs set Nürburgring records, and the first 10-second Supras appeared. Toyota was king in my household, although it was the MkIV Supra rather than the MR2 that first won me over. It was the first ‘fast’ car I encountered, because my brother had a twin-turbo replica of the one in Fast and Furious. He even pressed it into service as the delivery car for his chippy.

My childhood habit of badgering my siblings for car knowledge, paired with a talent for absorbing pointless trivia, left only one answer: encourage the obsession with a copy of the newly released Gran Turismo. On my first load-up, one moment from the intro immediately stood out: a vivid yellow second-generation Toyota MR2 held in full opposite lock.

The Toyota MR2 that caught my attention

As soon as I discovered what the car was, I was captivated. The Targa roof, pop-up headlights and compact bodywork tying it together; just look at the way the rear spoiler neatly meets the engine bay. It sparks the same feverish excitement today that it did then.

Photography: Mark Riccioni

Toyota sold 140,000 of them, an impressive figure given that the Mk2 never earned the boxier original’s reputation for exceptional handling. The early cars were known for vicious lift-off oversteer, so Toyota updated the front and rear suspension in 1992, two years after launch, and added wider tyres.

Toyota MR2 GT driving character

However, those updates did not address every shortcoming. This non-Turbo GT has only just enough power, and it becomes properly enjoyable only beyond 2,500rpm. That is not because the power delivery is lacking - it is strong and linear - but because of the soundtrack: initially it resembles a removal van, before developing into a more engaging rasp.

The other major drawback is its missing power steering. At low speeds, and through the first half-turn of lock, the steering is remarkably weighty. Once moving, however, you can sense the load easing away and offering genuine feedback; when everything finally clicks, the MR2 becomes an entertaining car to fling about.

There is a narrow window in which you can provoke it into bad behaviour - I had one such moment following a particularly ambitious approach to a roundabout - yet it generally has plentiful grip. It is certainly no point-and-squirt machine, though its handling has enough liveliness to raise a smirk.

A gentle GT rather than a raw sports car

The MR2’s greatest strength is arguably its cruising ability. On a lengthy mile-eating journey, the softness and cushioning of its lumbar-supported seats become obvious. You sit low and squat, with your feet seemingly in the next town, while the ride is excellent thanks to the small 14in alloys, deep tyre sidewalls and compliant suspension.

The MR2 was one of those heroes that turned out to be nothing like I’d imagined it would...

I had entirely misread this car’s purpose. Remembering that 90° opposite-lock freeze-frame on the shabby television in my bedroom, I expected a low-slung, unruly sports car. I was mistaken: it is a relaxed GT. All my life, I believed I understood the MR2, but I did not. It is not built to devour mountain passes; instead, it is best enjoyed with the sunroof open, vintage funk and soul turned up, calmly travelling along a long B-road.

Maybe that frequently misunderstood nature explains why so many people are happy to abandon pristine examples while pursuing something false. I am completely content with that. The MR2 was one of those heroes that turned out to be nothing like I’d imagined it would... but in the most pleasant way possible.