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Review in July 2004
MR2 Spyder by
1:18 scale ; Right hand drive ; Silver metallic color ; Made in china
As far as the United States was concerned, the Mid-engined Runabout (MR) from Toyota was discontinued in 1995. A glimmer of light emerged from the horizon with the introduction of the MR-S Concept vehicle, first shown to the public at the 1999 Tokyo International Motor Show. However, there was something very different about this car. The designer, Tadashi Nakagawa, wanted to create an uncomplicated car that was more about how fun it is to drive and not how fast it can go. The result is a small open top sports car that is as exciting to look at as it is to drive. Toyota also found their concentration of sedans and "sport-utes" elevated the average age of their customer. The new Toyota MR2 Spyder, as it was called in the US, was the first product to lighten up Toyota's stodgy image and recapture market share among younger drivers.
As the third generation vehicle in the MR-series (Mark III), the new MR-S (as it's known in Japan) shared the mid-engined, rear drive configuration as the Mark I and Mark II. The weight was pared down to just under 2,200 pounds and the car was given the engine of the new 6th generation Celica GT, rated at 138 hp. The MR-S began it's release in Japan in the latter part of the summer of 1999, and hit US shores in March of 2000. Rumors began that 2004 would be the last year the Spyder was imported into the United States due to less than stellar sales results. Of course, Toyota's goal was to import only 5,000 a year.
One of the most exciting and nimble little cars from Toyota is the MR2 Spyder. This distinctive sports car has attractions encompassing style, financial and performance considerations, a rare combination. New technologies make the Toyota MR2 Spyder even more of a high performance auto.
Toyota MR2 Spyder include a bolder look in front with a bumper/fascia, combination lamps with cylindrical turn signals, modern sport spymirror model and dual-bulb projector-style headlights. Attractive and sport look car as you seen on porsche face, so i called "Japanese Porsche" with less power. The front grill used glass plastic with black web pattern, this will be amazing if didin't made from glass plastic.
The rear side very sexy and feminim with attractive rear lamp construction, third brake lamp using red plastic and airflow engine hood make this model as attractive as the real car. The rear shape of this car as same as front shape cut, it must be more great looking with additional rear spoiler:) there is a strange in this convertible roadster, there is no rollbar? maybe should use helmet to ride like F1 driver:)
As i said this is very attractive model, all function door, hood and truck can be opened. The strange is the hood, there is spare tire box but no luggage room. If spare tire box can be opened this must be interresting model, but it can't. The side air intake didin't have any hole. This model rating is well just need small touch detail, like grill, airintake and openned spare tire box, rest of this is very well. This car is very unique or unusuall car, not a sport car, not city car, maybe showcar?
The mid-engine MR2 Spyder receives exterior and interior design refinements and a six-speed sequential manual transmission (SMT) option, allowing drivers to enjoy racer like clutch free gear changes using shift paddles on the steering wheels. The MR2 is capable of 0-60 mph in slightly over seven seconds yet has low maintenance and fuel costs. The Toyota MR2 Spyder has a bountiful offering of standard features and few factory options. They have designed the package to be optimal as-is and don't expect you to need much. 42.2 inches of legroom and bolstered bucket seats make for pleasurable short drives and longer trips. The leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob add to the interiors sporty look. A glass rear window with a defroster is part of the manually convertible soft-top, which folds away completely. A 3-in-1 AM/FM/cassette/CD audio system with four speakers, air conditioning, power windows, door locks and exterior mirrors, keyless entry and a security system with engine immobilizer are all highlights of the standard equipment package.
The model detail is precision, colored dash trimm radio, air condition, pedals and speedometer made cabin looked comfort and real looking. The door trim using brown sponge, very nice and detailed.
On top of the SMT, the MR2 has plenty to boast about in the performance department. The 1.8-litre double overhead cam (DOHC) 16-valve four-cylinder engine is taken from the much larger Celica GT and it pumps 138hp at 6,400rpm to the wheels for this little car at 6400 rpm. Meanwhile 125 lb-ft of torque at 4,400rpm and VVT-I (Variable Valve Timing with Intelligence) system make for ample power throughout the engine range.
The VVT-i system is used to improve fuel economy and engine performance as well as reduce exhaust emissions. This system controls the intake camshaft valve timing so as to obtain a balance between engine output, fuel consumption and emission control performance. By varying the cam timing, and thus the valve overlap, the engine can run more cleanly at low revs, boost its torque in the middle and still manage powerful high-rev performance. The engine is positioned near the centre of the chassis. This has the effect of of lowering the centre of gravity, thus improving the handling of the vehicle when cornering at high speed. The vehicle uses a mid-engine drivetrain with rear-wheel drive and five-speed manual transmission.
This is a peppy, road-hugging racer. I think this model describbed quiet detail, you see the cooler uder the airflow hood, this engine is typical japanese engine car maybe not very interesting look but it was detailed.
Handling is further improved with the car's specifically designed suspension system. This includes a front independent MacPherson strut and rear independent dual-link MacPherson strut, with damper struts, lower control arms, coil springs and anti-roll bars. Steering is aided using a rack-and-pinion with electro-hydraulic power-assist, which enables a turning circle of 17.4 feet.
The vehicle is light but also capable of reaching high speeds. The emphasis was therefore on developing an effective braking system, and the vehicle was fitted with four-wheel power-assisted ventilated disc brakes with anti-lock brake system (ABS). For maximum grip, the vehicle was fitted with P185/55R15 at the front and P205/50R15 at the back. Brake testing showed that the vehicle could achieve 70–0 mph in 3.26s and a distance of 166.7ft.
The Scale Point is:
Body = 10
Paint = 10
Decal = 10
Break = 10
Wheel = 10
Light = 10
Interior = 10
Grill = 8
Engine = 10
Chassis = 10
Average Point = 9 / 10
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