Issue 15 of MR2 Only Magazine, possibly one of the best every yet is completed and at the printers, not 100% sure whether it will be printed before the Easter break or just after at this moment, but get your order in now and don't miss out.
Spring is in the air as I sit here finishing off the current issue of MR2 Only Magazine, having returned home from the MR2ROC “Ding Day” event with my Roadster, tearing up the Cheshire/Welsh border countryside with the top down, along with another 30 odd Roadsters. I’m feeling a bit sore in the face, not sure if I’m suffering from being wind swept, or sun burn, not sure which.
It’s been an eventful couple of months, with the forthcoming Roadster trip to Corfu I decided to make a few changes to my Roadster to make it look nicer, finally choosing a new set of rims for it after 18 months of deliberation, and with some help from US Spyderchat forum bracing specialists Corky, and Che I’ve began to beef up the bracing to harness all the extra power the turbo adds to the Mk3.
Also by a strange twist of fate, I’ve become a Mk2 turbo owner again, after swearing never to have another one, I must be a glutten for punishment. However, I will swear enginewise, this one is remaining standard. Sadly theres nothing more to report as yet on our Mk1 track car project other than that the donor Mk1 has made the 7 mile trip by trailer, now sitting alongside our own Mk1 waiting for engine transplant, so that we can crack on with the project and make the car track worthy again.
So, issue 15? As you can see from the cover, it’s a pretty special issue. Is that another replica TRD wide body you see on this issue’s cover? Nope, it’s the real deal, Neil Latham’s authentic TRD2000GT No. 15, is one of the 36 authentic race kitted replicas, a very rare and sought after piece of Toyota Motorsport history. This car really is stunning, and it was both an honour and a pleasure for me and Rich to spend a day photographing this car for this issue.
Also featured is a stunning stealth like white Rev 4 turbo formerly owned by Harry Vin who’s ethos for this MR2 project was simple, inertia, aerodynamics, throttle response, acceleration, fuelling cooling, torque, tractive effort, grip, coupled with high speed stability and cornering. What he actually achieved is mind blowing I’m sure you will agree when you read the feature.
We have two red Mk2s featured in this issue, both owned by big players in the U.S MR2 scene, first Anthony Fragola’s unique turbo with so much stunning custom work and a spec so comprehensive we had to reduce the font size. We also have Darren Zhao’s 1MZFE supercharged beast proving that with time, dedication and trial and error you can achieve your dream right there at home yourself saving £1000’s in tuner’s bills.
Back to the 80s and time for yet more rare stuff and you can imagine my surprise when Bob Freita contacted me, the proud owner of a Mk1 convertible. My first thought was that it was a home conversion but I never knew that Toyota actually commissioned the build of 15 such AW11 convertibles in 1987 in California as part of a market research experiment, making this a really rare find.
The already infamous Tony Froude, aka Jinxy finds fame, well at least his stunning blue Mk1 does, in the chart video, 80’s style electronic La Roux video, in for the kill, which must have been a great once in a life time experience and nice to see an 80s cult classic aptly used.
Lastly on the Mk1 scene we have Derek Hampton’s blue Mk1, 13 years of ownership, some creative and custom work has created a car that wouldn’t look out of place in a James Bond or Back to the Future film, which has looks to die for.
Lastly onto the Mk3s Justin Oakley proves you can mix business with pleasure, his stunning white Mk3 turbo spends weekdays doing the normal commute, and at weekend is a serious track contender in Autocross events.
And finally we have Denniss who proudly shows of his Malaysian beauty, a Reckless kitted 2ZZ from Malaysia, which has to be the most striking of all Spyder kits out there.
The start of the motorsport scene sees Mk3s becoming serious contenders, fending off the more powerful Mk2s with the power to weight advantage.
With the summer fast approaching, in just a few weeks we will be heading out on the MR2ROC Corfu trip, once we figure out how to pack two weeks worth of luggage into the Roadster, a full photo report will be in the next issue.
With many great events and meets planned for the summer, and a couple of U.S meets we have sponsored in some small way we look forward to bringing you photos and coverage of the MR2 Club scene for 2009.
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MR2 Only Magazine - Dedicated to all things MR2
Steve Bishop, Editor, MR2 Only Magazine