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This Mad Genius Made a Turbo V6 Toyota MR2 That Shoots Fire
If you ever felt like the last-gen MR2 needed some more shove, this builder's more than addressed that deficiency. The post This Mad Genius Made a Turbo V6 Toyota MR2 That Shoots Fire appeared first on The Drive.
There’s a lot to love about the third-generation Toyota MR2 Spyder. Its quirky looks, ultra-low curb weight, and mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout make it a fantastic little classic sports car to pick up cheap on the used market. But if there’s one complaint about the MR2, it’s that it was always kind of slow; its 1.8-liter four-cylinder only brought 138 horses to the party. Fortunately, Brad Glasgow, aka G Mech, over in New Zealand has spent the better part of two years correcting that issue by swapping in more powerful engines. One such engine was a Mitsubishi 6G74 V6 with a massive turbo that spit flames.
While Glasgow’s 6G47 V6 came from a Mitsubishi Pajero, it ain’t the same one as in your dad’s SUV. His was heavily built and given a big old turbo, so it made gobs of power and torque. He also paired that engine with a four-speed sequential manual transmission. When on boost, it looked violently powerful, each shift accompanied by a massive kick in the back and a hilarious turbo whoosh. Oh and did I mention it shot fire? During his simulated launch control, with flat shifts, the MR2 actually blew flames several feet from its side exhaust.
Unfortunately, all of that power, violence, and fire-spitting also made it the MR2 from hell. It was just too uncomfortable and difficult to drive, so Glasgow stopped driving it much, defeating the whole purpose of building a fun mid-engine sports car. “I don’t drive it much because it’s a bit of a pain in the ass, a hard starter,” the builder said in one video. He decided to swap the engine once again, for something a little more manageable, lighter, and easier to tune—a 1.8-liter turbocharged four-cylinder from a first-gen Audi TT.
Of course, there was no way he was leaving the humble Audi four-pot alone. He fitted it with a bigger port cylinder head from a different 1.8T and another huge turbocharger from a Volvo. The turbo required some custom welding of intake pipes, but that didn’t prove much of a problem. He also fitted the engine to a six-speed manual transmission from a 2011 Volkswagen Passat diesel, and it surprisingly came with a limited-slip differential. A six-speed box will make a huge improvement to drivability versus the old four-speed “manualized” auto. It’ll probably be more fun, too. The new setup runs, but Glasgow doesn’t have any videos of it driving just yet. Given the level of skill and attention to detail he puts into his builds, we have no doubt it will be a blast to drive.
Additionally, Glasgow is planning another MR2 project with a second car: an EV-swapped roadster using Tesla-sourced motors and batteries. Unfortunately, it’s quite a bit harder (and more expensive) to cram energy storage in the tiny MR2 than fitting a new engine. So that plan has been paused, while he sorts out the Audi-powered car.
Glasgow deserves a follow, on his YouTube channel, Facebook, Instagram, or all three. All of his videos are interesting, the cars are great, and he goes into great detail about his entire process. I can’t wait for an update on the Audi-powered MR2, and to finally see it on the road.
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The post This Mad Genius Made a Turbo V6 Toyota MR2 That Shoots Fire appeared first on The Drive.
