Toyota MR2 Mk2 GT T-Bar (Rev 1)

The Mk II MR2 was introduced into the UK in 

The Mk II MR2 was launched in the UK in 1990 and immediately attracted tremendous attention from the press; at the time the UK was the second largest market in the world for the MR2, with almost 13,600 cars having been sold since its launch here in 1985.

The new car was slightly larger and heavier than the outgoing model and received some criticism for this; the Mk1's success was due at least in part to its nimble handling.  However, the new car received the 2 litre 3S-GE engine with an output of 158bhp compared to the outgoing model's 1.6 litre 4A-GE engine which produced 123bhp in 1988.

Visually, the Rev 1 and Rev 2 cars are similar to each other, and different in many respects to later models.  The 14" wheels shown on the example above and the distinctive rear spoiler identify it as a Rev 1 or 2.  Although some owners upgrade the spoilers to those fitted to later cars, and some fit larger wheels, a car wearing original 14" alloys must be a Rev 1 or Rev 2 because these wheels cannot be fitted over the larger brake discs and calipers of the later models.

In the UK, variants of the car were also available with automatic transmission and with the more economical, but lower powered, 3S-FE engine which produced a mere 119bhp.

In 1990 a GT had a list price of £15,440 whilst the T-Bar was priced at £16,650 while the base spec car (running the 3S-FE engine) cost just £14,000 (plus a premium of £735 for the optional automatic gearbox).  

Even these early models of the car hold their value quite will.  The car was designed during the period when Toyota established their reputation for peerless reliability and build quality and as a result many cars that are 15 years old are still running without any major faults.  In addition, the range doesn't seem to be prone to the rust that plagues many older Mk1 cars.

Throughout the 5 revisions of the MkII Mr2 in the UK, the most common engine was the 3S-GE and these cars hold their value better than the few that received the 3S-FE engine.  Unfortunately, we never received officially the 3S-GTE turbocharged version, though so many of these have been privately imported into the UK, there may well now be more turbos here than there are N/A models.

At its launch, the Rev 1 cars were criticised by journalists for their severe handling after a number of testers found that they could easily get into trouble with the car.  Toyota claimed that this was more down to the testers lack of driving skills than any fault with the car.  Nevertheless, the suspension and steering was modified on later models to make it more predictable, though to this day some argue that the sharpness of the original Rev 1 was slightly lost as a result of the changes.

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