There’s nothing like watching a review from 1994 and hearing words that you’d expect to hear from modern cars today.

Indeed, most of the improvements made to the 1994 Toyota MR2 in this Motorweek Retro Review came in the form of its suspension, which had two-way valve dampers and minor geometry changes. That’s the kind of technology that automakers might celebrate today and it helps explain why John Davis was so positive about the MR2’s handling, as tested at Roebling Raceway.

In 1993 the MR2 made a leap forward. As Car and Driver wrote, “Early [MR2s] favor the bold—beware of snap oversteer — but Toyota corrected that in 1993 with a revised suspension and larger wheels and tires.”

Read Also: Guy Buys 1993 Toyota MR2 Turbo Garage Find With 1,461 Miles For Just $500!

Everything about later MR2s stands out, especially the price according to Motorweek. Indeed, the fully kitted-out car they had on the show cost $32,411. Although that might not sound like much today, inflation means it’s the equivalent of about $56,000 in 2021.

More to the point, the MR2 cost only about three grand less than an M3 in 1994. By comparison, Miata prices at the time started at around $17,000, making the Toyota significantly more expensive. With 200 hp coming from its 2.0-liter turbo, though, the MR2 was way more powerful than the Miata of the day. That said, the MR2 was down on power compared to the M3, which in US-spec made 240 hp.

Despite the price, we’re glad Toyota found a way to keep producing this world-class sports car for another five years.

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