MR2 W10 (MK I)

About the MR2 W10 (Mk I)

Japan's first mass-produced mid-engine car, and Toyota nailed it on the first try. The W10 put a screaming 4A-GE twin-cam behind the seats of a wedge-shaped two-seater that weighed barely over a tonne. The result was a car that felt like a shrunken supercar — mid-engine balance, rear-wheel drive, and an engine that begged to be revved past 7,000 RPM. The chassis was derived from the Corolla, which sounds like a compromise until you realize that Toyota's engineers used the compact platform to keep weight low and the center of gravity lower. Pop-up headlights, a razor-sharp nose, and proportions that looked fast even in a parking lot. In supercharged form, the W10 made 145 hp — modest by modern standards, but in a car weighing 1,050 kg, it was enough to embarrass Porsche 924 owners at every stoplight. This was Toyota proving that a mid-engine sports car didn't need to cost as much as a house.