2003 Toyota MR2 Spyder: Balanced Platform

Hello everyone,
In this episode we meet Simon and his gorgeous MR2 Spyder or MRS in the Toyota world. He has taken a well balanced chassis and has upgraded a few key components to make it the great handling machine that it is. Simon has had a lot of experience with MR2s! I hope you guys enjoy this build and as always, thank you for the support!

[@desirabledrives44]

After nearly buying an AW11 years ago and having owned 2 SW20's I can honestly say this is a superb car. I'm hoping to own a ZZW30 MR2 in the coming years. From what I've seen and read they are the one to get.

[@AutomotiveAnatomy]

Awesome little cars man. Enjoy it!

[@Zeriel00]

I've owned all 3 models of MR2 and the ZZW30 is definitely the one to get. Make sure you get one 2003 or later. With a couple of mods it becomes an excellent track car.

[@SwisherClippSet]

To the person who gave it a thumbs down., go back to sleep lol another awesome showing. Love the setting of the vlog.

[@AutomotiveAnatomy]

haha thanks man. Only 1 dislike lol

[@danl5632]

MR2, Lotus Elise, Celica. I love them all.

[@kylereese4766]

This car doesn't get enough attention, awesome video AA!

[@AutomotiveAnatomy]

Thabk you Kyle and I agree. This car can be picked up in good conditions under 5k 👍

[@sentree9857]

That’s a good thing though

[@xVerzatile]

Automotive Anatomy damn mr2 spyders are 7k+ where I am

[@jamesmeeks8949]

Love these cars. I’ve always wondered why they’re not popular?? I finally got me a fixer upper for dirt cheap. Noooooow the money spending begins, lol.

[@lavere]

My buddy has one with hardtop,it's nice, pulls strong and handles well on the track. If I didn't have my s2, I would have picked one up

[@mr2bmw]

MR2 Spyder....Best kept secret.

[@AutomotiveAnatomy]

It sounds like it 👍

[@mr2death]

Such a clean spyder. Love this car

[@AutomotiveAnatomy]

Glad to hear man! Seems like a fun car

[@MitchDore]

ABSOLUTELY AWESOME VIDEO THANK YOU FOR SHARING! 100/100

[@danlongyear49]

I picked mine up in April and fell in love with it, straight line speed is a bit lacking but get this thing on a country lane with loads of corners and shes a peach!

[@altimatic2183]

love the MRs. Ran with a friends many times and its a great handling car

[@KrismanX]

Looks like I need an MRS to pair with my AW11 now! Great stuff

[@D1_Shinigami]

Super cool car!😍 The Orange Circle "I've been there before" love the blooper at the end. 🤣🤣🤣

[@AutomotiveAnatomy]

Quieres una galleta o que

[@D1_Shinigami]

Dos galletas

[@jaclynrivera5810]

Love the MRs great vid bro👍

[@feral4mr2]

AW11 FTW!!!! I've been a aw11 owner and enthusiast for the last 26 years, had 5 3/4 aw11's at one stage. I love them. I have recently picked up a mrs spyder, stock 1zz with smt. I fixed the smt and am looking forward to driving it around and see how it feels.

[@jaydenphan8739]

I love the mrs im gonna be driving it for a very long time. nice vid man

[@AutomotiveAnatomy]

sweet! enjoy it man!

[@vizualmrs]

Need some audio and music playing in the background. That leaf blower is wildn'

[@AutomotiveAnatomy]

Lol sorry

[@GianniAdduci]

Very nice car, love the setup

[@AutomotiveAnatomy]

Yes, simple and fubctional

[@coreyrokowski9706]

I bought an MR2 Spyder because of this video... thanks a lot guys!

[@AutomotiveAnatomy]

haha AWESOME man. How you liking it so far?

[@coreyrokowski9706]

Automotive Anatomy it’s so much fun. Can’t wait to start the mods 🤓 thanks again! Love your videos

[@deejaypee7o2]

Same with me lol, I have mine for 2 weeks now.

[@IGDesigns]

Looks great, great job on the video!

[@AutomotiveAnatomy]

Thank you so much for the support.

[@dukelo3680]

Like mine zzw30 aswell,just bolt on with the power enterprise small turbo kit only..with around 226hp..4years owning it.. Its still a very fun car to drive..like it🤗🤗

[@ecnirp9197]

There you go! 🙏

[@AutomotiveAnatomy]

Getting there 👍

[@Riley_1955]

Man what's not to love about this car.....Sure wish I had it setting in my garage....I also think he needs to rethink the K20 swap just put some money into the stock 1zz and you will have a very fast and reliable engine....Nothing wrong with the zz engines with a few good parts and a good tune.

[@AutomotiveAnatomy]

Couldn't agree more!2zz is awesome and so is K. Thanks for watching. I am glad you enjoyed it.

[@ayowser01]

That's a good-looking car. The stance looks good and the tires are meaty. The rfp1 look good on this car.

[@ayowser01]

K20>2zz

[@AutomotiveAnatomy]

Yes indeed. Great platform

[@ElectricMilesLLC]

Love it I have a Celica and want to get an mr2 or a Lexus is300 next.

[@rathesungod4606]

Clean!!!

[@kevinLopezjr]

A balanced Mr-S! 😳 who knew this!?

[@devilsephiroth9000]

Ayy it's Simon! 😍😍😍😍 Do my car next 😭

[@frshkidg]

Great car, and I did not know Bride was pronounced as "Brid" haha

[@AutomotiveAnatomy]

Makes a few of us man 👍

[@cocx88]

Very under rated car, if i had one id throw in a 2zz for cheap

[@AutomotiveAnatomy]

Zz sound great with just a few bolt ons

[@slypanda3655]

My names Simon and own a gorgeous MR2 MK III too

[@zahemi914]

I hardly driven my MRS, everytime im thinking of selling it, i always end up getting back the thrill whenever i start to drive it again. So always end up giving it another second thought..

[@neuronaut8030]

Build it into your dream car or sell it to someone who will. Don't sell it to some Joe Schmoe who just wants a gas saver though, make sure he wants to bring out it's full potential ;)

[@TheArtofBoxing101]

Dude....... I know the EXACT feeling youre describing. I ended up with tranny failure and spun rod @ the same time and couldnt afford @ the time to do the 2zz swap so I had to let it go. I miss it SO MUCH nothing even comes close. Not even my C6 Z06 idgaf what anyone says don't EVER SELL IT. Build it up. The greatest mod you can do is coilovers dont even waste time with a Koni Yellow & H&R setup I did first. That shit will roll like a mofo and bottom out anywhere. Get you decent coilovers I ended up with BC w Swift springs 7k/10K full whiteline sways and man let me tell you... that alone was enough. It needed nothing else, I'm def gonna be building a 2zz MRS in the future.

[@ninjashidan]

I'll never sell my mrs. It's a wonderful car.

[@zahemi914]

@@TheArtofBoxing101 thanks bro, I have the absorber repaired with some other parts (first time it gets the absorber repaired after 20yrs) and it gives me great smile when driving it. The feeling is priceless when somebody comes to you asking what brand and model it is, because it is very rare in my country..

[@olivevideogames]

Hey Simon, / Kamina86. Your MR2 is a huge inspiration. Please....PLEASE go with a 2ZZ. Keep it all Toyota. I can assure you it's sufficient enough for your track days, and equally as reliable.

[@AutomotiveAnatomy]

Haha yes keep it toyota but a k20 is sonething special 👍

[@olivevideogames]

@@AutomotiveAnatomy I wouldn't hate on a K20. It's a great motor. I'm just a bit of a purist and it really bums me out when people put k20s in these. It's really all about preference in the end. I see R33 & 34s, supras, etc around and could care less about them if a nice mr2 or ae86 pulls up...it psyches me up 100% more. It's about the driving experience for me, not going fast.

[@AutomotiveAnatomy]

@@olivevideogames i hear ya. I have experienced the zz n it was fun 👍

[@bobfranks6445]

K20 with all the tranny / parts you need ends up being 28 kg more than a 2ZZ and 45 more than a 1ZZ (with a 5 speed, 6 speed heavier). You end up with a more Elise like weight balance....the MR2 is less rear biased than an Elise, even a Rover engined one.

[@lhaveocd5117]

Him: Anymore horsepower and that would be insane Me with the 2ZZ Swap and CAI making 190WHP: 👁 👄 👁

[@AutomotiveAnatomy]

190 is more than enough man.

[@guanhumiisking603]

If your exhaust isn't full ppe and have a pfc i call bs.

[@kamikazu4392]

Ive 3sgte swap in zzw30 at 600hp. At that point its mostly that i fear to drive.

[@neuronaut8030]

Only European models came with the LSD as far as I know. Swapping a 2ZZ into mine next week, pray for me lol never swapped or tuned an engine before. Nice video man, the 1ZZ is a torque machine, gonna miss that low end torque.

[@andrasjuhasz7011]

Other markets had LSD too, but it was an option. It's a pretty weak lock though, I can't really get it to drift on dry asphalt(not that I care about drift). If you miss the 1zz low end power, you can get an mwr or piper stage 3 cam, they add some low rpm power back. An aftermarket ecu and a good tune also helps. You can also lower the lift point with an ecu. Finally, the C60/64's shorter gearing also helps, 2zz swap is not that great with the stock tranny, even though it fits.

[@neuronaut8030]

@@andrasjuhasz7011 it's a torsen lsd, I actually bought one from Europe I figured they were the most reliable, maybe they don't grip as hard as a clutch pack lsd but it should be enough to get sideways. Do you know if you have a stock Torsen lsd and if so are you sure it's functioning correctly? Btw I did go C60 trans, AEM standalone and piper stage 2 cams, just got it running now I need a tuner but there's no one within 200 miles of here so I might have to butt tune it for now :/

[@andrasjuhasz7011]

@@neuronaut8030 It's a german market mr-2 and has the torsen according to the vin plate(there is a chance its not the original tranny but i doubt it isnt). I could put power down on track out of a corner without the inside wheels spinning. However in rain, it had the differential kicking/hopping/unpleasant misbehaving characteristic of open diffs(when i gave it full gas in 1st). As far as I know, torsen acts like an open diff in low grip scenarios so it wasn't exactly unexpected. Torsen is indeed reliable and doesnt need friction modifier in the oil. Since its on the same oil circuit as the tranny, it doesnt need extra maintenance next to the normal tranny oil changes.

[@86surge90]

I want one with a hardtop bad!

[@AutomotiveAnatomy]

Yea!!

[@T.R.A.N.C.E]

How do you remove the storage containers behind the seats, got to do that to my MR-S, looks racy! I was considering Enkei RPF1 for mine as well, but I wanted staggered and they don't come in good staggered sizes/offsets in 4x100, so I got a set of staggered Lotus Elise S2 wheels, 17" rear, 16" front, looks nuts.

[@sett215]

Damm awesome vid man hope to see more but alsoo dont rest your hand on the lever ahaaha

[@restless-ghost]

putting a k24 in mine in a few months! love this car

[@AutomotiveAnatomy]

Yes!! The power will be great and the aftermarket support will help

[@neuronaut8030]

Have you got a plan to keep the AC? I almost went K20 but the added cost and difficulty of retaining things like AC made me decide on 2ZZ. Nothing like Honda bulletproof power though, if it were a track only car and I had the funds I would've gone K series all day. Good luck with it man, I start my built 2ZZ swap next week, nervous that I'll blow something up lol. Rebuilding the engine from the ground up seems like a cake walk compared to the swap process imo!

[@restless-ghost]

@@neuronaut8030 I live in the PNW so I don't really need it, but Monkeywrench Racing sell an AC bracket if I change my mind later.

[@neuronaut8030]

@@restless-ghost True that, I live in Louisiana so AC is a MUST lol. Best of luck with it, bound to be sick. If I ever blow up the 2ZZ (very likely, right at startup) I'm going K swap. My daily beater Honda has 300k miles on it and runs like a top, love Toyota but Honda is uncontested in the 4cyl engine category.

[@LAwrx03]

This dude humbly listing all the crazy shit he bought for this car in a 6 month period. Of course it's in Southern California.

[@jonj4357]

Fr hahahaha

[@abelalaniz9158]

still need to get my integra on here

[@AutomotiveAnatomy]

Shoot me a DM 👍 @automotiveanatomy

[@itheus]

Did you need to do any fender mods with your enkei 15x8 with 225/45 set up?

[@jdmisthrh]

He should go hard top to save a little more weight.... i think. But the hardtop looks better. Love this car ive been wanting one for a while.

[@AutomotiveAnatomy]

Hardtop is lighter? Carbon fiber and remove all the softop components right?

[@bobfranks6445]

@@AutomotiveAnatomy It weighs about the same, they are both about 50lbs. You need to use part of the hardtop brackets to fit the hardtop on its own though. If you remove bits of the drain and some other bits and bobs it works out about the sand give or take a lb.

[@andrasjuhasz7011]

That's weird, I thought hardtop is heavier, Touge Time runs better times without hardtop on slalom. It adds a bit of rigidity, but I thought it adds considerable weight.

[@bobfranks6445]

@@andrasjuhasz7011 It is fibreglass so it ain't that heavy

[@andrasjuhasz7011]

@@bobfranks6445 Factory hardtop has a much larger rear glass than the soft top. Dimly Lit garage weighed the soft top to be 50 lbs(with the crossbrace) and the hardtop to be 48 lbs(without the crossbrace which is 5-10 lbs). If you add the crossbrace, hardtop comes out slightly heavier, but that shouldn't be noticable. 48 lbs high up however is very much noticeable, no wonder Touge Time runs better times without hardtop. Best option for slalom is deleting soft top, using hardtop on the way there, but taking it off for the runs(unless it rains ofc). For track I'm not sure because of the aero. A CF hardtop with plastic glass would change a few things(don't know if it exists or not). Personally I don't like how the hardtop looks, it keeps the weird shape on the rear. It's a shame that an aftermarket fastback hardtop doesn't exist like on older mx-5s.

[@carloscrod_]

0:05 how did he down shift like that? Can someone explain what steps? I know he probably did the heel toe method.

[@AutomotiveAnatomy]

You got it right..he is just a great driver. Track and canyon experience. I mean this dude pushes his car on Angeles Crest Highway at midnight lol real initial d type of stuff.

[@chrisr2543]

Pick your method (heel'n'toe / side-foot / accelerator extension next to the brake), but if you drive these cars much (road/track) you just get used to rev-matching on downshifts as these cars are so light you can really unsettle them in corners if you don't, even at low speeds.

[@belcebu5907]

Nice 🕷️ fanaly un Chino on your Chanel

[@AutomotiveAnatomy]

Weve had a few lol

[@belcebu5907]

The fist Chino. He ain't Chino looks fily 😂😂

[@hawkrider88]

MR2 or Miata?

[@belcebu5907]

SAMUEL 😂😂😂😂😂😂.

[@AutomotiveAnatomy]

Epic faillllll

[@Alohabruddah]

I highly recommend sticking with Toyota motor 2zz swap(for obvious reasons)and if he or anybody decided to turbo or build the 1zz/2zz with forged Pistons & etc check out www.monkeywrenchracing.com/ they been in busy for last 15+yrs👍🏽

[@HumblyDriven]

They are cute little cars just don't see them a lot.

[@peterblacksmith3817]

did you know you aren't supposed to rest your hand on the gear shift?

[@crazyperson1822]

How hard is it to work on the car? Not that hard. Oof wait till the alternator needs to be changed😂

[@crazyperson1822]

I speak from experience lol 😓

[@gbrav24]

It's not as bad as I thought it would be, honestly! Had mine for a couple months, and hope the alternator is a ways a way. Did you have to drop the engine to get to it? That thing is right on the firewall.

[@nfs321983]

Those wheels are so worn out. Too many people have them on cars now.

[@AutomotiveAnatomy]

They still look good man.

[@lavere]

Same can be said about TE37s.

[@nfs321983]

@@AutomotiveAnatomy yeah they do lol! Damn it!

[@olivevideogames]

@@AutomotiveAnatomy He just switched to some TE37s! Good choice, I agree with you. The rpf1s are a great, cheap track option but are unimpressive.

[@olivevideogames]

@@lavere I'd be surprised if you ever ran into anyone with an authentic set

[@bustedpiggybank]

Typical asian sell his tired car for a fresh one.

[@DGAFyou]

Bout the dumbest thing i've heard.