That went quickly. All of a sudden, here we are in the first full week of March, with just eleven days of winter left in the northern hemisphere. Spring may start officially on March 20th, but we Chicagoans know better than to put any serious stock in that. It could snow again (and again) in April, for all we know. But still, spring brings with it the promise of open windows, hat- and glove-free weather, and fresh air. Regardless of all of that, a Monday is still a Monday, and the driver of this car on that day of the week was making the kind of haste away from the office in afternoon rush hour traffic that I might have. Spring, coincidentally, was also the time of year (in 1990) that the second edition of the MR2 was introduced in the U.S. as a ’91 model.
I’m not necessarily wishing my life away by pining for the next Friday night the moment I clock in on Monday morning. So far, winter 2017 – ’18 has been a blur, seeming to have moved very quickly. Speaking of “blur”, it was hard to tell if this MR2 was a turbo by any identifying badges, and nothing I researched seemed to indicate that the rear spoiler was an giveaway that it was Toyota’s 200-hp, turbocharged 2.0L four positioned behind its two seats. If so equipped, and according to a Car And Driver article from May of 1992, a car like this could do 0-60 in just 6.3 seconds with the 5-speed. That’s pretty fast for the early ’90s, and if I may say so, the styling of this car is pretty darned close to “peak Toyota” for me.
I was in love with the styling of this car from the moment I first laid eyes on it. I had begrudgingly liked the first MR2 (the co-assassin, along with the also-great Honda CRX, that had shamed my would-be car-crush, the homegrown Fiero, into a hangdog exit despite the Pontiac’s eventual excellence), but this new model now also brought some extra visual fire. No longer styled to look like something a kid could make a model of with posterboard, a ruler, scissors and scotch tape in art class, the new MR2 had beautiful curves in all the right places. Don’t get me wrong – I have come to genuinely appreciate the more angular, geometric designs of the ’80s (the third-generation Celica and Supra are still stunners, and I do actually find the first MR2 attractive), but at the time the ’91 MR2 came out, it looked organic and genuinely beautiful. It appeared almost more like something that had been grown as opposed to manufactured.
Getting back to the workweek, sometimes we have to find little things to make ourselves just feel better after a day of dealing with the demands of earning a paycheck. Bravo to this driver for finding one source of (what must be) joy in the form of driving this little, red MR2.
Downtown, The Loop, Chicago, Illinois.
Monday, February 26, 2018.
Related reading from Paul Niedermeyer: Curbside Classic: 1992 Toyota MR2 – A Camry In Italian Drag.
I was never a real fan of these cars. i know they are really good handling and toyota reliable……………………but and you may think i’m crazy………………………….but i prefer the Fiero hands down over this car.
Haha, couldn’t resist! 🙂
Hey!!! i remember this guy!!!!…………..lol!!!
I would still really love an ’88 Fiero – in that one-year-only, beautiful deep blue color. Or a yellow GT. Call me a sap, but I remember watching the news story on the 6 O’clock news with the last Fiero rolling off the assembly line in Pontiac, Michigan, with more than a bit of reverence.
The hangdog Fiero. Love it! I almost liked the original Mr. 2 better because it wasn’t trying to be as good looking. But I understand this one’s charm, being more polished and all.
Almost-spring was a big fail for me this morning when the Miata made it clear that she is really serious about wanting a new battery.
The 1st-gen Miata’s battery is a weak spot, it’s just too small and too far away back in the trunk. I had one too many failures to start recently and put it on a Battery Tender for the winter.
When I got my ’87 Celica styling was a big part of my excitement about the car. I found the MR2 to be an exciting drive but it was just a box on wheels. This MR2 is way more attractive.
Excellent photography! You tracked the car perfectly, it’s so sharp.
Thanks, Mike! I, too, was a fan of the styling of the ’87 Celica – in all of its three body styles – when it first came out. That would have been concurrent with my first trip to the North American Auto Show in Detroit as a middle school-aged kid.
I can kind of see your point – to me, the initial Fiero was much better looking than it was capable, which must have been really frustrating for those in the market for this kind of new car back then. The MR2 didn’t have 100% of the Fiero’s looks (IMO), but it seemed to have delivered performance, handling and reliability from Day One.
Joe, I always marvel at your ability to capture sweet shots of the most interesting cars at the drop of a hat. And your luck too…. the only red Toyotas I ever see barreling around corners downtown are “bold” Camry SEs.
I am with you on the 2nd Generation MR2 being one of Toyota’s best designs. I liked, but did not love, the origami styling of the Gen1 MR2 (the Fiero really was better looking–shame about the mechanicals and interior). But I thought this Gen2 MR2 was stunning, and actually even contemplated getting one. They are wonderful driving cars too, very nimble and responsive. Plus the Turbo was quick as stink (at least in the context of the times). I miss the abundance of very nice but still affordable little performance cars that made the early 1990s so interesting for car enthusiasts. And I bet that MR2 is a blast to drive through the streets of Chicago–at least when the weather is good.
Thanks, GN! The funny thing was that right after I had gotten the shots for this post and finished the first draft (same day), I saw the same car and driver in traffic the next day. He definitely looked like he wasn’t hating life. 🙂
I prefer the 1st generation MR II. Actually drove a new one in 86. Only a test drive, I couldn’t possibly afford it. Took some getting use to the fact that you shifted at 7000 rpm for best performance. I was only use to low rpm sixes. But it was fun for the 10 minutes I had it.
I have to say that first pic with the MR2 making that turn is frame worthy!!!!
Thanks so much, Eddie.
My favourite thing about these is how the model name is pronounced in French: “EmmAirDeuh”, which when spoken realistically sounds very similar to the correct pronunciation of Merde, which is French for “Shіt”.
The car in the picture looks like it did not come from the factory with turbo… The 91 turbo had raised vents on the deck over the engine… for sun, only available with t-top, not removable sun roof like pictured car… also dimly remember different wheels for the turbo… but it was a long time ago… I bought the same color Turbo in 91…traded a white 86… both ate rear tires for lunch even without aggressive driving… The 91 was cute, but heavier and less flingable…
Thank you for the pointers – I was hoping someone (like you did) could cue me in to what to look for. Researching the Turbo versus non-Turbo cues online proved to be somewhat difficult.
That’s not completely correct re the T-tops, while very rare it was definitely possible to get a turbo with a regular sunroof instead. I spent a lot of time in my neighbors white ’91.
The main tells are the raised vents on the decklid as mentioned, and of course the turbo badge on the back, however since the badging was all body color it’s hard to tell…
The same 5-spoke wheels were available on the turbo and non-turbo, however the base non-turbo had an even smaller option available. I think for ’92 the turbo got a larger wheel upgrade though.
For US spec MR2s of this generation, the easiest way to tell, at a glance, a turbo from a non turbo, is the plastic body moulding on the side. If it’s bare black plastic, it’s a non turbo. If it’s painted, it’s a turbo (or it’s a non turbo with a cheap paint job).
Turbos also had stock fog lights in front.
Given the original wheels (changed in 93), the original style tail lights (changed in 94), and the original lip up front (changed in 93), this is a non turbo model with the desirable moonroof — most likely a 1991 model, given how quickly sales dropped of a cliff in 1992.
The t tops leaked. The unicorn is the hardtop turbo, but even the hardtop non turbo is rare.
I got to drive a non-turbo car virtually identical to this one in 1997. The interior was really nice for its class and it was an absolute hoot to drive. The only car I imagine as being similar would be a Honda S2000, but I’ve never had the opportunity to drive one of those.
Sweet pics Joseph… Especially your lead photo. Besides contributing to Paul’s site, I hope you consider submitting some of your choice pics to Shutterstock or one of the major stock image sites. You should be making money on your work.
Thank you, Daniel. I haven’t looked into a stock image site, but I have made more than a few bucks from my images over the years. Great suggestion – I have all these ideas in my head… it’s all about prioritizing my time and various projects. Have a great weekend, my friend.
Another excellent site for selling photography is creativemarket.com. In my free time I enjoy illustrating, and was planning on submitting more of my vector (editable) images for sale. I’m still completing this Farmall tractor illustration which I will need to make generic of course, for sale. You are a very talented photographer (and writer), and it is a great passive way to earn extra using our talents!
Pan shots are tricky. Kudos to pulling off a whole series of nice ones.
Count me as another fan of the 1st gen MR2 (and the Fiero)
Fantastic shots Joseph. That red really pops, and the CBD backdrop sans cars accentuates the positive. Schweet.
A cool thing about the 3SGTE turbo was the Yamaha designed cylinder head, the YAMAHA script molded into the timing belt cover. I should know because the same engine powers my 93 Alltrac which I still have (pic below).
The regular 5SFE 2.2L? Low revving truck based engine.
Since there is alot of talk about Fieros in this post I’ll throw in a pic of another car I own.
Beautiful – and it’s a Formula. *Swoon*
A little late here but these are truly splendid photos, Joseph, especially the top one. Utter perfection!
Awesome – thanks, everyone! This sighting made me very happy.