When it was first introduced to the motoring world in 1984, the Toyota MR2 was a ground-breaking car. Up until that point, mid-engined sports cars had largely been the domain of specialist European marques such as Ferrari, but the MR2 was the first such car to be produced by a Japanese manufacturer. The MR2 remained in production through three generations from 1984 until 2007. Our feature car is a second generation MR2 Turbo that was built in 1993. You will find it listed for sale here on eBay. Located in Tellico Plains, Tennessee, it is offered for sale with a clear title. The opening bid on this little MR2 has been set at $12,500.

For me, it isn’t just the mid-engined design that the MR2 shares with so many Ferraris, but like the Italian cars, I really think that both look at their best in red. This one is painted in Toyota Super Red, a color that was available on the MR2 from 1993 until 1995. The condition of the car overall seems to be quite good. There is some fading in the paint, and the seller also goes to great lengths to point out a couple of small chips and dings that don’t really show unless the photos are taken in close-up. Otherwise, the body looks to be straight, the panel gaps look consistent, and all of the exterior plastic trim looks to be intact and free of cracking. The seller also indicates that the car has traveled a mere 39,650 miles, but as usual, I would be seeking some form of verification on this. Having said that, the general condition of the car certainly indicates that this is very plausible.

The interior of this Toyota looks to be completely original, and the condition appears to be very good. I can vouch from personal experience that those sculpted seats are not only superbly comfortable, but they really do hold you in place should you choose to be more than a bit enthusiastic with your driving style. There have been no modifications performed on the car apart from the previous owner fitting a car alarm. The console still contains the original CD player and cassette player. The car has air conditioning, but this may need updating, as it blows cool, but the owner feels that it should blow colder.

This is the area that really makes the MR2 stand out from the crowd. Under the hood rests the 3S-GTE engine which produces 200hp. It is mated to a 5-speed manual transmission, which on the Turbo version was not only stronger than the transmission in the normally-aspirated version but also featured different gear ratios. The Turbo version also featured up-rated front brake calipers as standard. The seller claims that the car goes and drives really well, and the MR2 has also had some fairly major servicing completed in recent months. This includes the replacement of the timing belt, water pump, thermostat, clutch, hoses, plus many gaskets and seals. The seller is including receipts for this work in the sale.

The Toyota MR2 is a car that not only was a success on the road but also turned in numerous giant-killing performances on the track. They are an enjoyable and satisfying little car that is shown at their best when they are pointed at a twisting piece of bitumen. As with so many Toyotas, they are also notoriously long-lived, and an MR2 Turbo with 200,000 miles on the clock is not a rare find. This one has traveled a claimed 39,650 miles, and if this is true, then the mileage is well below average. The nearest equivalent vehicle that I could find had traveled 62,000 miles and was listed at $20,000. If the mileage is accurate on this one, then it could be a fun little car to own that should be good for quite a few years to come.