Although the Volkswagen Golf R32 was not really much faster than the GTI, there was one very good reason to go for it: the sound. Especially with a small adjustment to the exhausts, the VR6 engines from the R32 sound quite ingenious. To add more tempo to the sound, you can do two things. Either you go to tuners like HGP for a neat turbo kit, or you exchange the car that sits around the engine for a lighter one.
The Dutchman Roy chose the latter. He loved his Toyota MR2 Spyder, but the engine didn’t appeal to him. A V10 was at the top of the wish list, but then he really should have bought an MX-5. It even fits a V12. In the end, his choice fell on the VR6 engine from Volkswagen. This one sounds great, is fairly compact and has plenty of torque.
The engine swap took about a year to do. Things like the drive shafts had to be custom made and serve as a transition from Volkswagen parts to Toyota parts. A VR6 exhaust for a Toyota MR2 is also not just for sale, so such things had to be manufactured separately. After adjustment, the roller bench noted 260 hp and 350 Nm. The 0-100 time is about 5 seconds.
Toyota MR2 with the VR6 from a Golf R32 is manual
The gearbox also comes from the shelves of Volkswagen. Originally it was a box for a car with 4Motion four-wheel drive. With this Toyota MR2, the power still goes to the rear wheels. A DSG was briefly considered, but according to the builder it was too heavy – and an MR2 should simply be manual. In addition, a tighter chassis was mounted with a BC coilover, plus a limited slip differential.
And now the Toyota MR2 with the VR6 from a Golf R32 is for sale. The seller wants to have 12,750 euros for his ‘MR32’. You just have to decide for yourself whether you take the car to a Volkswagen or a Toyota dealer for maintenance.
