Sometimes nicknamed a “junior supercar,” the Toyota MR2 was far ahead of its time when it launched over four decades ago. It was a mid-engined, rear-wheel-drive (also, “runabout”) two-seater — thus the “MR2” name — and when it debuted, it was Japan’s first production mid-engined vehicle. It went on to be produced for three generations until 2007. Let’s look at the car that started it all.
The first-generation MR2 (W10 platform) was manufactured for model years 1985-1989 and embodied many of the engineering elements that made the 1980s era so iconic: a distinctive wedge-shaped design, pop-up headlights, and available removable T-tops. The Kyusha Club, an Arizona-based car community with an emphasis on 2005-and-older European and Japanese…