In my opinion, one of the most unlikely cars ever to be produced by Toyota is the MR2 Spyder. One of these is our Pick of the Day, a 2003 Toyota MR2 Spyder listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a dealer in North East, Pennsylvania.
Toyota is a car company that makes many very rational and few emotional decisions. Even the first- and second-generation MR2s made lots of sense in the sports car market of the time, offering 5/8-size exotic car looks, strong performance, amazing handling, and super reliability. At the same time, both the first- and second-generation MR2s were comfortable for two people, had plenty of storage space in their trunks, and offered a sports car experience without any compromises having to be made.
Introduced in 1997 at the Tokyo Motor Show as the MRS concept car, the new MR2 was not a coupe with a sunroof or T-Tops as an option, but a full convertible. It was actually more of a mid-engined roadster, something completely different from Toyota, but the company had some specific goals in mind. According to the project’s chief engineer, Harunori Shiratori, “First, we wanted true driver enjoyment, blending good movement, low inertia, and lightweight. Then, a long wheelbase to achieve high stability and fresh new styling; a mid-engine design to create excellent handling and steering without the weight of the engine upfront; a body structure as simple as possible to allow for easy customizing, and low cost to the consumer.”
I will say that they accomplished all of that – but one thing was lacking: a trunk. This seemed a bit crazy to me, especially from Toyota. But after driving the MR2 Spyder on numerous occasions, I soon forgot about that. This is a fun, engaging, and smile-inducing sports car. From behind the wheel, it reminded me somewhat of a cross between a Lotus Elise and a Porsche 986 Boxster, but in a more reliable and inexpensive package.
I have been looking for a nice example of one these cars in this spec for over a year and now have finally found one in this 2003 Toyota MR2 Spyder. It is finished in Spectra Blue Mica over a black interior, which is my favorite color combo on these cars. Although some will not like this, I also absolutely love another interesting option it offers: a factory sequential manual transmission. This is not an automatic, but an F1-style gearbox that works amazingly well, and – unlike the F1 box from the Ferrari and Maserati cars of the time – is also amazingly reliable.
Both the exterior and interior of this MR2 appear to be in excellent shape. The paint looks terrific, and it seems like a well-cared-for car. I also love that it still rides on its factory alloy wheels.
The interior also seems to be in great condition, with no serious wear to be seen. The only change from stock is the addition of a modern Bluetooth-enabled radio. The seller notes that this car has recently had its convertible top replaced.
Because these cars are so much fun to drive, it is hard to find any MR2 Spyder with less than 100,000 on the clock. If you do find one, it is usually a super-low-mile example that has a premium price tag attached. This 2003 MR2 Spyder has covered a total of only 83,682 miles, which puts it in that sweet spot of having enough mileage to be in good shape without having to deal with every seal leaking, but not too many miles, which often means the car is near the end of its life. The lack of modifications on this example also makes me believe it has never been tuner-owned and, as a result, there are no budget or crazy mods on the engine or the chassis.
I think these cars have a serious future in the more modern collectible sports car market, and this one, with a price of $13,991, seems like a great deal. So why not get yourself a present this holiday season and park this MR2 Spyder in your garage? Tell your significant other Santa must have left it.
Click here to view this Pick of the Day on ClassicCars.com
