Man, we wish they didn't change the MR2. Back in the day when the Mark II Toyota MR2 came out, it was the hot shizzy. Replacing the squared-off look of the Mark I with the smooth lines of the boosted man-missile you see before you was one of Toyota's best moves. Now it has gone and turned that rear-drive, mid-engined, turbocharged piece of testosterone into the quintessential high-school girl's first car. Not that the new car can't be tuned. We of all people were able to do something with it for our giveaway car. It's just that with the new car's looks and power, in stock form, the big T may have dropped the ball. It must be nice to have gotten one of the original Mark II MR2s by accident like James Lee. Chump.
James didn't even start out looking for this car; he wanted a Honda Civic. But you know what happens when you send your dad out to look for something for you: He'll come back with something different every time. Luckily, James' dad has good taste, which was displayed when he rolled into the driveway with this black beauty. James took the next five years to put his own personal touches into this car to get it to look the way it does now. The factory deep-black paint remains untouched and virginal, but a couple of coats of a matching hue had to be laid onto the Border front bumper and rear valance imported directly from Japan. GRacer side skirts tie the front and rear halves together for a smooth, ground-hugging appearance, while an Aerowear rear spoiler keeps the rear planted and gives James something pretty to look at in his rearview mirror. James completed the JDM look with Japanese OEM clear corner lights, one-piece front side moldings, and amber taillight reflectors. Rear-drive, mid-engine cars can be kind of squirrelly to drive, so too many close calls in the canyons prompted James to drop the car on some GAB Gymkhana adjustable shocks wrapped in H&R springs. Now the car not only hugs the road, but it also hugs up on a set of 17x8 and 18x9 SSR Decolte Evolution wheels with their new-style bling-bling dry plating gleaming in the sun like Roel's diamond fronts.
Back in 1995 when James acquired this car, it was OK to have a ride that looked tight but had no guts. It was like stuffing a sock in your pants and heading to the club. As long as nobody looked under the hood, you would have your flock of groupies. But now, if your package is weak you get no play. That's why the factory turbo was dumped in the garbage and a new GReddy T-78 fan was stuffed in its place. A GReddy air-to-air intercooler, a 3.5-inch downpipe, and a Type-R external wastegate also entered the fray. Since James left the engine internals untouched, like Otis' nether regions, a host of HKS electronics was called upon to make sure everything held together under pressure. An EVC III, an FCD, a VPC, and a Twin Power ignition make up that list, while an A'PEXi Super AFC and a Blitz Dual turbo timer round out the rest of the engine management. The tranny setup consists of all Cusco pieces. A Super Single clutch kit, a chromoly flywheel, and a Type-RS limited slip help transfer the power to the big Nittos, leaving 235mm-wide patches of black residue lining the pavement.