Toyota MR2 With 1,200 Honda Horsepower Does 0 To 60 In 2.5 Seconds

And it's completely street legal.

Toyota MR2 With Honda K20 Engine

10:41

Jacob Oliva

By: Jacob Oliva

Jan 3, 2021 at 7:43am ET

Add Motor1.com as a preferred source in Google

Comment

Much has been said about the Toyota MR2. The mid-engine coupe, which was arguably one of the most exciting machines that the marque has ever created for the road, was born in the '80s and ended its life in a sedate manner in the 2000s. But up until now, we still see several examples of the MR2 running around – most of them tuned to incredible numbers.

One of those surviving MR2s is this – a gray second-generation W20 that's obviously built for drag strips (check those wide drag radials). Featured in this video by That Racing Channel, it's owned by someone named Josh and it's carrying something unassuming behind the seats.

Josh's MR2 went under the knife of course, with an engine swap to a Honda K20 power plant, but that's not all. It's also boosted by over 50 PSI, which catapults the power output to 1,200 horsepower (895 kilowatts).

Engine Swaps You Shouldn't Miss:

Bonkers Classic Mini Has 370-Horsepower Honda Civic VTEC Engine

As mentioned, this MR2 is made for the drag strip, and that's the point of the video atop this page. The target, of course, is to do a quarter mile as quickly as possible, purposefully targeting the 8-second range.

The first try was already a success, hitting 8.99 seconds to complete the quarter-mile. The second attempt was even better, with the Honda-powered MR2 registering 8.87 seconds at 176.30 miles per hour (284 kilometers per hour). It was also on this bid where the MR2 did a zero to 60 mph (97 km/h) of just 2.56 seconds. That's even quicker than most supercars out there.

What do you think?

View

Comments

Then again, the final shot was the best run, clocking in 8.785 seconds for the quarter-mile with a blistering speed of 180.60 mph (290.6 km/h) at the line. While this isn't the quickest MR2 out there – we've seen an 8.5-second run from a guy named Kyle (video below) – that speed at the end is the fastest so far from the mid-engined Toyota.

We're sensing a tough contest between these two.

Source: That Racing Channel (YouTube)

We want your opinion!

What would you like to see on Motor1.com?

Take our 3 minute survey.

- The Motor1.com Team

Share this Story

GO TO COMMENTS

(

)

Got a tip for us? Email: tips@motor1.com

View all comments ( )

Popular

Forget The Sedan: This Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio Is A Two-Seat Convertible

BMW Kept This Hatchback A Secret For Decades

Fiat's Weird Multipla Revival Could Actually Reach Production

EU Moves Closer To Keeping Gas Cars Alive After 2035. Here's What's Changed