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The MR2's life began in 1976 when Toyota launched a design project with the goal of producing a car which would be both enjoyable to drive, yet still provide decent fuel economy. Initially, the purpose of the project was not a sports car, not to mention a mid-engined one. The actual designwork began in 1979 when Akio Yoshida from Toyota's testing department started to evaluate different alternatives for engine placement and drive method. It was finally decided to place the engine transversely in the middle of the car. The result was the first prototype in 1981, dubbed the SA-X. From its base design, the car began evolving into an actual sportscar, and further prototyes were tested intensely both in Japan and in California. A significant amount of testing was performed on actual race circuits such as Willow Springs, where former Formula One driver Dan Gurney tested the car.
Toyota made its SV-3 concept car public in the Autumn of 1983 at the Tokyo Motorshow, gathering a huge amount of publicity both from the press and the audience. The car, scheduled to be launched in spring 1984 in the Japanese market under the name MR2 (initially standing for "Midship Runabout, 2-seater" but later claimed to be "Mid-engine, Rear-wheel drive, 2-seater") was to become the first mass-produced mid-engined car to come from a Japanese manufacturer.
The small and light MR2, model AW11, was perhaps something no one had expected any of the Japanese car manufacturers, known for their economical and practical cars. The two-seat MR2 was definitely not practical as a family car, but the design criteria were different from that of most previous cars. The most important features of the AW11 were its light bodyshell, superior handling and relatively powerful small-displacement engine. Thanks to these features, the AW11 is very enjoyable to drive - its behavior mimics that of highly expensive supercars, still being both easy to control and nimble in its movements. Toyota's cooperation with Lotus during the prototype phase can be seen in the AW11, and it owes much to Lotus's legendary sportscars of the 1960sCenturies: 19th century 20th century 21st century Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s Years: 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 Events and trends The 1960s was a turbulent decade of change around and 1970sMillennia: 1st millennium 2nd millennium 3rd millennium Centuries: 19th century 20th century 21st century Decades: 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s Years: 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 Events and trends.
As a powerplant, Toyota chose to use the 4A-GEThe 4A-GE (or 4A-GEU) is an internal combustion engine manufactured by Toyota. It was used in the company's flagship car, the Corolla, in the 1980s. This engine is part of the company's 4A engine series (as noted by the name). Description The 4A-GE was on 1600cc inline-fourThe straight-4 or inline-4 is an internal combustion engine with four cylinders aligned in one row. This is the most common configuration used in cars with an engine size up to 2. 0, in some cases up to 3 litres displacement. The straight-4 engine is not engine with two overhead camshaftThe camshaft is an apparatus used in piston engines to operate poppet valves. It consists of a cylindrical rod running the length of the cylinder bank with a number of oblong lobes or cams protruding from it, one for each valve. The cams force the valvess ( twincam) which allowed the use of 16 valvesA poppet valve is the type of valve system used in most piston engines, used to seal the intake and exhaust ports. The valve is usually a flat disk of metal with a long rod known as the valve stem out one end. The stem is used to push down on the valve an for a better gas flow through the combustion chamber. The engine was also equipped with a Bosch L-Jetronic type multi-point fuel injection and a variable intake geometry ( T-VIS), giving the engine a maximum power output of 128 bhp (112hp for US-spec, 124hp for Euro-spec). The engine had already been introduced earlier on the sportier Corolla models (AE86 and AE82), gathering a lot of positive publicity. There was also a JDM model AW10 which used the more economical 1500cc 3A-U engine, but it didn't gain too much popularity.
The press received the AW11 with open arms and praised its innovation, great feeling, and responsive engine. The American car magazines Road & Track and Car & Driver both chose the AW11 on their lists of ten best cars which included some really tough competition, such as the Ferrari Testarossa. The Australian Wheels magazine chose the 1988 AW11 as its favourite sportscar.
For the 1986 model year, the AW11 went through several changes which affected both its looks and performance. The most important addition was probably having the option of a removable targa top. The exterior was modified by color-coding the bumpers and side stripes, adding small side skirts and a translucent spoiler to rear of the roof. Other new options included a leather interior and a four-speed automatic transaxle. Some further changes were made to the exterior the following year but more notable were the addition of larger brakes and a heavier C52 transaxle which replaced the older C50.
In 1988, Toyota brought a new choice for an engine for people longing for more power. Based on the same block and head, the 4A-GZE was equipped with a roots-type supercharger and therefore the compression ratio, valve timing and ports were modified. The engine produced a maximum power of 145 bhp and accelerated the small car from 0 to 100km/h in 6.7~7.0s. In addition to the new engine, the MR2 SC was also equipped with stiffer stabilizer bars and reinforcements in the bodyshell to improve rigidity. Unfortunately, this model was never sold in European markets, although some cars were privately imported from the USA.