A No-Compromise Toyota MR2 Named Frog

Joe McGuigan made a bit of reputation for himself with a nicely sorted FR-S. Light, agile, very pointy, and usually driven with a lot of slip angle, Joe’s FR-S was an attention getter. It was genuinely fast, too. He spent a few years developing the car and hit that hard-to-find medium of both playful and quick. Like few other cars in its class, it would genuinely fire off corners while sliding in a way that few vehicles really can.

But the limitations of an FR car are noticeable when you’re trying to find every mid-corner mph available. Basically, its engine placement and suspension design might not strike some as perks. True, an FR car—and particularly the FR-S—is usually an easier car to drive and his is fairly forgiving for how much it slides, but Joe sought more in cornering performance. No compromises, no luggage compartments, and no forgiving weight transfer mistakes.

The nickname “Frog” definitely fits this squat scalpel.

The replacement was about as harsh and confining any streetable car gets. This third-generation Toyota MR-2, better known to fans of Best Motoring as an MR-S, is a truly tiny car.  Surprisingly, the interior is relatively spacious, hence why a 6’3” guy like Joe has not one, but three in his garage currently.

But once he started tracking it, he gelled so well with the little roadster that he forgot about his bruised knees and elbows. Although the MR2’s wheelbase was lengthened to improve stability, it’s still about five inches shorter than the FR-S’. Its overhangs are unusually short, and with an engine placed in the ideal position (mounted laterally, no less), the weight is in the right place everywhere. Speaking of, there isn’t much weight to consider; the MR-S, when fitted with a hardtop, weighs only 2,200 pounds.

“I’ve got a habit,” Joe laughs. “It’s the fifth MR2 I’ve owned, and by far the best. Once I picked this one up, the floodgate opened with all my friends offering parts for cheap. I guess that’s called a good problem to have.”

With the right setup, Joe would be able to get the car to do things that the FR-S simply couldn’t. Swifter steering and shorter braking distances were the obvious benefits, but as he learned, he had easier access to more mid-corner rotation and better traction at corner exit. He could exact his will over this car in subtler ways; its response to weight transfer made it a little spikier and certainly more sensitive to his inputs, but when driven properly, much more adjustable.

That development period was further shortened by having a friend, Tony Rodriguez, who gave Joe a proven modification route to follow with his own track-spec MR2. In addition to following all the suspension leads that his friend gave him, but he learned that the ZZ motors need a little cooling assistance for track work. In fact, the original 1ZZ in the MR-S couldn’t handle the summer temperatures and popped after just eight track days. Though Joe considered throwing in the towel, he grabbed a better motor—one with an oil cooler to keep things in order on August afternoons.

The Link ECU from Panic Wire was used on the 1ZZ. To make life easier for Joe, they have included a subharness for the VVTL-i sensor and oil pressure sensor to make installing the 2ZZ a plug-and-play affair. They actually transfered over the 1zz OEM engine harness as everything plugs in the same

The 2ZZ motor, improved by a Link ECU, a set of cams, and a little optimization from Unrivaled Tuning, is a real lively, top-endy sort of engine that will trump a lot of mid-range turbo motors in terms of sheer exhilaration. Plus, it’s not gutless; the little 1.8-liter makes a healthy 190 horsepower at the wheels. Coupled to a Lotus six-speed with revised ratios, this featherweight MR2 is not a momentum car in the truest sense of the term.

The current modifications are:

Monkey Wrench Racing Stage 2 Cams

PPE Header & Gokey's Garage Custom Exhaust

Konig Dekagram Wheels 15x9 & 15x10

Tires 225/45-15 & 245/40-15

Annex Suspension CSP Coilovers (7K/11K)

Addco Front Swaybar

Raybestos ST43 Brake Pads

TRD Front & Rear Strut Bar

TRD Front Underbrace

TRD Rear Arm Braces

Battle Version Complete Front & Rear Arm Setup (courtesy of Battle Version)

TougeHQ Rear Bash Bar

Custom Front Splitter (Tony R. Special)

Custom Vented Rear Bumper (Tony R. Special)

C-One Replica Sideskirts

OEM Hardtop

GT300 Vented Hood

ARP GT200C Wing with custom risers

The only setup changes made post-swap are a little more rear wing angle, fender flares, and a slight stagger instead of the original 225/40/15 square setup he originally ran. It neutralizes the car, which now enjoys an additional 60 horsepower over the original iteration.

It still verges on oversteer at most times. For that reason, the tired phrase “handles like a go-kart” might actually be appropriate in this instance. This MR2 is pointy, eager to change direction, snappy when trailbraked incorrectly, and on a fast lap, usually dancing under his control. In many ways, it really is like a quick kart.

It should only get easier to drive and less frenetic when the setup is improved, but for now, it’s plenty thrilling, even with a few rough edges.