Toyota · MR-S

Toyota MR-S (ZZW30)

Years
1999–2007
Chassis
ZZW30
Drivetrain
MR
Toyota MR-S (ZZW30)

Image: Tokumeigakarinoaoshima / CC0

Story

Based on the MR-J concept car, it went on sale in Japan first and in Europe and the United States later. It was Toyota's last mass-produced midship car.

Stories

01

The first MR-S was more fun

As the last chief engineer of the MR-S, Hori improved how it drives in the minor change. In near-limit testing he found the early model unstable and frightening, and given how easily a mid-engine car spins, he decided to increase stability. The MR-S was also sold in Europe, and the sales division had asked for a stronger body for stability and crash performance. About ten years later at the Tokyo Motor Show, an owner who had traded an early model for a late one told him the first MR-S was more fun and it had become an ordinary car, which stunned him.

Chassis

Front

Strut

Rear

Strut

Length 3,895 mmWB 2,450 mm1,235 mmHeightWidth 1,695 mm
Curb weight
960-1,020kg

Production plants

US import eligibility

Earliest cars
Eligible since October 202425 years after sales began in October 1999
Last cars
Eligible during 203225 years after sales ended in 2007 (month not recorded)

Eligibility depends on each car's month of manufacture on its build plate, not on the sale dates shown here (NHTSA).

Japanese cars reaching 25 years in 2024 →

Engineers

Shigeyuki Hori

Shigeyuki Hori

As the last chief engineer of the MR-S, he improved its driving performance.