Although Toyota is working on its sportscar lineup to add a smaller and a bigger brother to the GT 86, nothing will compare to the straight lines of the 80s if you lived your youth in the period. Thing for which we’ll suggest getting yourself a nice Toyota MR2 and burn some rubber until the new models will appear.
Not just any MR2, but a showroom-grade first generation, like the one seen here for sale at a very low price for its condition - only $8,900.
It’s from 1986 and is 100 percent original, except for the audio system; not everybody keeps their cassettes in good shape, right? The clock says it did just above 42,000 miles, while the papers tell it had two owners so far, who really knew how to treat her, since both the interior and exterior look almost as new.
Power is provided by the stock 1.6-liter naturally aspirated 4-cylinder engine transversally mounted in the mid and coupled to a 5-speed manual gearbox. Brand new, the US model was good for 112 hp and we think much of the ponies are still under that vented little hood, considering the quality offered by Toyota.
Other features include front vented disc brakes, rear solid disc brakes, independent struts and coil springs suspension, air conditioning, and retractable headlights. All says it’s a very nice daily driver which can also offer a lot of fun. Motor Trend even compared it with the Ferrari 308 GTS on a fun-level criteria a while ago.
When the first generation MR2 came to market, people were shocked a bit to see Toyota being able to make something less boring than economical family cars. Some say that the MR2 is the Lotus M90 that never went into production, which seems appropriate when you think that the suspension and other details that define the car’s handling were designed by Lotus engineer Roger Becker.
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