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<< IndexMR2
MR2 is a twin seater sports car from the Toyota stable. The car was first launched in 1984 and will be in production till july 2007. The car is a rear wheel drive and is pitched against the likes of Honda S2000, Lotus M90 and the Mazda MX-5. The car was designed as a mid engined sports car with looks similar to the more premium Ferrari. The latest MR2 called the MR-S, has its own distinct look.
The first generation of this series was launched in 1985 and continued till '89. Although its was a sports car, it had a comparatively smaller 1.6L engine. The car was very light and agile and had tremendous handling capabilities. The 2 door coupe was produced in close association with Lotus. The 1.4 L power plant gave a decent 145 bhp. The MR2 came with a choice of 4 speed automatic and 5 speed manual transmission.
The second generation MR2 was launched in '89 and stayed till '99. It was much different than its ancestor. Although still a 2 door coupe, it underwent a complete makeover. It had much more qualities of a sports car than the previous versions. It was heavier and bigger. The resemblance of the car was very close to the Ferrari F335. The powerplant was a 2.0L L4 DOHC engine with 16 valves. Also in offering was a tubocharged GTE engine attached to the MR2 Turbo.
The 3rd generation MR2 was launched in 1999. The car retained the features of the 1st generation MR2's in being light weighted. The car was sold with a choice of a 2 door convertible and 2 door coupe versions. The convertible was called the MR2 Spyder. The engine capacity was also dropped down to 1.8L giving a modest 138 bhp of power. The pop up headlights of the previous versions were also not retained in the new MR2. The car gave an urban roadster appeal and was comparable to the Porsche Boxter and the Lotus Elise.
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