Meet the 350bhp Motul-lubricated MR2

For this Michael Knight, it’s not a smooth-talking, self-driving Pontiac Trans Am that fuels his excitement, but an immaculate second-gen Toyota MR2. It took nearly a year to customise it, but the result has been more than worth the wait. This is Mike’s MR2 story.

My first car was an MR2, back when I was 16 years old. I had it a few years but didn’t really appreciate it. I got rid of it and got into other cars. But I always regretted selling it and missed the MR2. There’s nothing quite like the feeling of driving a mid-engine, two seat sports car. Then about five years ago I was finally in a position to afford one and have it as a side car. But it’s not my daily because it’s so impractical.

Yes, I bought it stock and it hadn’t had anything done to it. But I pretty much did a full build on it, with every bolt-on you can think of including a JDM Rev 2 turbo, a bigger intercooler, and a Mishimoto radiator.

Yeah, not at all. It was in the garage for about a full year getting everything done to it. That was two years ago. It’s the dream car that I always wanted and it’s great that it’s finally come true.

It’s my weekend warrior. I take it out to car meets and car shows and park it back in the garage. It only covers about 2,000/3,000 miles a year. The main thing most people comment on is the wheels. They’re pretty aggressive fitment for the body. Also, the car has 350 wheel horsepower. On a car that only weighs 2600lbs. The car came with about 175bhp. So it’s about double over stock.

Yeah, that's right. It’s the only thing I use. My mechanic recommended it from the beginning, and I kind of stuck with what he said. He is a Nissan guy and has a 240Z, which has a similar engine to the MR2: a two-litre turbo. So, if it's been in his car, I’m good with it, too.

My daily is an FJ cruiser. I've always had imports. I’m trying something a little different and I might put it on some bigger wheels and tyres. Where I live there’s a national forest where you can go out and take it through the trails.

It came from my dad and my family. Ever since I can remember cars have always been the biggest conversation at family gatherings. My dad has lots of stories about racing, old 1960s Corvettes and American muscle cars. And I was a teenager when Fast & Furious came out, so that kind of propelled me into the import scene.