This second-generation MR2 might not look all that special beyond the skinny front wheels and the fat rear tires, but it hides a monster of an engine under the rear hood. The mill powering this unlikely dragster is a Honda-built K20, which the Japanese manufacturer has been offering in a variety of cars since the early 2000s. But it’s no regular Civic engine either.
Packing an incredible 1,200 horsepower, the four-cylinder pushes the MR2 beyond its limits and toward record numbers on the drag strip.
It’s not something you’d expect just by looking at it, but this thing needs less than nine seconds to run the quarter mile and crosses the line at an amazing 180 mph. How is that possible? Well, this 10-minute video from That Racing Channel will tell you more about it.
Toyota MR2
The MR2 nameplate was introduced in 1984 as a mid-engined, RWD sports car. Called the W10, the first-gen model was produced until 1989 with a selection of small-displacement four-cylinder engines, with the most powerful generating 145 horses. A second-gen model, the W20, followed from 1989 to 1999 with 2.0- and 2.2-liter engines. In the United States, the MR2 Turbo featured a turbocharged four-cylinder mill good for 200 horsepower.
The final iteration of the MR2 was produced from 1999 to 2007, this time around as a two-door convertible. The W30 is often viewed as a competitor for the Mazda MX-5 Miata. The third-generation was offered with just one engine, a 1.8-liter four-cylinder, rated at 138 horsepower and 126 pound-feet of torque. Depending on transmission choice, the MR2 W30 could hit 60 mph in as quick as 6.8 seconds.
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