Toyota MR2 Mk2 SW20 and MR2 Roadster ZZW30 (1989 to 2007)

Toyota's second and third MR2s took the mid-engined idea of the original 1984 car in two quite different directions. The Mk2, coded SW20, arrived in late 1989 as a larger, heavier and more powerful coupe with styling that drew frequent comparisons with far more expensive Italian cars. In the UK it was sold with a 2.0 litre twin-cam engine, as a fixed-roof car or with a removable glass T-bar roof, while turbocharged versions sold in Japan have arrived here in numbers as private imports. Early cars gained a reputation for sudden oversteer, and Toyota revised the suspension, wheels and tyres in 1992; most magazine writers now regard the later cars as the most sorted.

The Mk3, sold in Europe as the MR2 Roadster and in Japan as the MR-S, returned to the lightweight brief. It is a small two-seater soft-top with a 1.8 litre engine, very little luggage space and a kerb weight of about 1,080kg according to Classic and Sports Car. It handles neatly and is cheap to run, though it never had the visual drama of the Mk2.

Both generations are mechanically durable when serviced, but both have important weaknesses. On the Mk2 the enemy is rust, together with turbo abuse on imports. On the Mk3 it is the pre-catalyst problem that can damage the engine, together with corrosion of the rear subframe.

Mk2 SW20

• Years: launched October 1989, UK sales from 1990, production ended 1999 with European sales into 2000 (Classics World).
• Body: two-seater coupe, fixed roof or glass T-bar roof.
• UK engines: 2.0 litre 3S-FE, 119bhp (early base car only); 2.0 litre 3S-GE, 158bhp, rising to 173bhp from the 1994 revision.
• Japanese imports: 2.0 litre 3S-GTE turbo. Classic and Sports Car gives 221bhp at first and 242bhp from 1993; Classics World quotes 225bhp. A later Japanese 3S-GE with about 200bhp also exists.
• Gearboxes: five-speed manual (S54 on non-turbo cars, E153 on turbos, the latter with an optional limited-slip differential); automatic in the UK until 1992.
• Production: no reliable total was found in the sources consulted.

Mk3 ZZW30

• Years: Japanese launch October 1999, European launch March 2000, production ended July 2007 according to Classic and Sports Car; Octane gives 2006.
• Body: two-seater roadster with a fabric hood and heated glass rear window; rare factory hardtop option.
• Engine: 1,794cc 1ZZ-FE four-cylinder with VVT-i, 138bhp at 6,400rpm.
• Gearboxes: five-speed manual; SMT sequential manual with automated clutch from 2001; six-speed manual and SMT from the late 2002 facelift.
• Production: Classic and Sports Car quotes about 13,500 UK cars and 27,941 for the USA, with no worldwide total given.

• Mk2 1990 to 1991 (Rev 1): original suspension settings and smaller wheels.
• Mk2 1992 (Rev 2): automatics dropped in the UK; 15in wheels, bigger brakes, speed-sensitive power steering, lower ride height and revised geometry to tame oversteer.
• Mk2 1994 (Rev 3): 173bhp engine, ABS, side impact bars, colour-coded trim and new rear light clusters. Later Rev 4 and Rev 5 cars brought further detail changes.
• Mk2 1996: limited 10th Anniversary GT T-bar.
• Mk3 2001: SMT option. A Japan-only Zagato VM180 was also built.
• Mk3 November 2002 facelift: revised grille and lamps, extra front and rear bracing, 16in rear wheels, revised springs and dampers, six-speed gearboxes, and revised piston rings and pre-cats.
• Mk3 2004: further floor and tunnel strengthening (Classics World).
• Mk3 2006: TF300 run of 300 UK cars with numbered seatbacks, and the V-Edition.

Bodywork and structure

• Mk2: rear sills, where sound-deadening foam holds water; rear and inner wheel arches; the underside stiffening bars beneath the engine bay; and the inner headlamp brackets.
• Mk2 paint: red fades badly, and dark metallics can lose their lacquer. T-bar seals leak and are hard to replace, and non-genuine windscreen seals can leak too.
• Mk3: the rear subframe is the key rust point and is hidden by an undertray on most cars. Ask whether it has been inspected or replaced.
• Mk3: lift the carpets behind the seats; damp usually means blocked hood drains. Check front inner wings, lower bulkhead, floors and suspension mounts.
• Both: the bolt-on panels make crash repairs easy to hide, so check panel gaps and boot edges.

Engine

• Mk2 3S-GE: head gaskets can fail after overheating. Ask when the cambelt was last changed.
• Mk2 turbo imports: early hydraulic cambelt tensioners, fibre head gaskets, ceramic turbo shafts that can shatter, sump leaks, smoke and bottom-end wear. Look under the engine lid for non-standard intercoolers, boost controllers and wiring.
• Mk3: ceramic pre-cats in the exhaust manifold can break up and be drawn into the engine, wearing the bores. Signs include blue smoke on the overrun, high oil use and lambda sensor warnings. Pre-2003 cars are most at risk. Ask for evidence the pre-cats were removed or replaced, and for a compression test.
• Mk3: rattles on start-up may indicate a worn timing chain or tensioner.

Gearbox and drivetrain

• Mk2: fifth gear on the S54 box can fail. Ask whether a turbo has the limited-slip differential.
• Mk3 SMT: listen for jerky shifts or warning lights, which point to actuator or control unit faults.

Suspension, steering and brakes

• Mk2: worn bushes clonk, and staggered tyre sizes must be correct. Rear calipers can seize and ABS can be over-sensitive.
• Mk2 power steering: a warning light and loss of assistance is a known relay fault.
• Mk3: seized handbrake cables and rear calipers on little-used cars. Alloy wheels pit and corrode. The car is sensitive to tyre pressures.

Electrics and interior

• Mk2: brittle plastics, worn leather and missing T-bar storage bags and sunshade clips.
• Mk3: check the hood for tears and cracks around the rear window. If a hardtop is present, ask whether it was fitted from new.
• Both: electrical faults often trace back to aftermarket alarms and stereos.

Identity and paperwork

• Many cars of both generations are Japanese imports, often with different specifications and less rust protection. Confirm import history and check the V5C.
• Mk2 turbos were not officially sold in the UK, so a "UK turbo" is either an import or a conversion.
• GOV.UK limits the historic tax class to vehicles built before 1 January 1986, so neither generation qualifies.

Mechanical parts and service items are generally available, and several independent MR2 specialists operate in the UK. Some trim and import-specific parts are harder to source. The MR2 Drivers' Club (https://www.mr2dc.com) is recognised by Toyota and covers all generations; Lancaster Insurance gives its founding as 1991, the NEC exhibitor page says 1990. The MR2 Owners Club (https://www.mr2oc.co.uk) runs a members' forum.

• When were the sills, arches and, on a Mk3, the rear subframe last inspected or repaired?
• Is the car a UK model or an import, and is the import paperwork complete?
• On a Mk3, have the pre-cats been removed or replaced, and is there a compression test?
• On a Mk2, when was the cambelt changed, and what modifications have been made?
• Does the T-bar or hood leak, and has the car had paint or accident repairs?