255 HP Toyota MR2 Street Affair Concept Was High On Formula 1 Steroids

At the 2001 Essen Motor Show, Toyota unveiled the MR2 Street Affair Concept based on the third-generation MR2 mid-engine sports car.

At the time, the bold design study went largely unnoticed, possibly because Toyota focused the communication about the MR2 Street Affair on the German market. Now, however, Toyota Motor Europe looks back at the unusual concept which featured design input from Formula 1 – the following year, Toyota would debut in Formula 1 with its own works team.

Developed by Toyota Motorsport GmbH (TMG) which launched in 2001, the Street Affair project was a combination of the MR2 roadster (W30) and the Toyota TF102 Formula 1 car.

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It featured an extremely flat, wind-resistant windscreen, sharply-cut glass fiber body with TF102-style front nose and spoiler, xenon headlights, high-intensity diodes at the rear, a visible engine block with carbon air ducts directing cooling air to it, and a cover reminiscent of the F1 car’s huge rear wing. Additionally, the lightweight construction concept meant the conventional doors were reduced to a minimum.

The two-seat cockpit saw huge changes as well compared to the standard Toyota MR2, adopting a U-shaped steering wheel with paddle shifters, reduced instrumentation, and massive screen at the center of the dash used to relay video feed from a rear camera. That’s because the MR2 Street Affair ditched the traditional rearview mirrors to improve aerodynamics.

The concept saw significant technical upgrades as well, with the highlight being the 1.8-liter 16V four-cylinder engine upgraded from 140 PS (138 HP) to 258 PS (255 HP) via turbocharging and a Remus exhaust system. Mated to a sequential 6-speed gearbox with electro-hydraulic clutch driving the rear wheels, the turbo-four unit enabled impressive performance. 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) took 6 seconds and the top speed was 249 km/h (155 mph).

Besides upgrading the engine, Toyota engineers also worked on the chassis, lowering the ride height by 30 mm (1.2 in) and fitting extreme low-profile tires on 9.5 x 19 inch rims at the front and 12.0 x 19 inch rims at the back, shod with massive 345/30 ZR 19 rear tires for better grip.

The braking system was also upgraded with 370 mm ventilated disc brakes at the front and 295 mm at the rear. According to Toyota, these were responsible for deceleration values ​​of a genuine racing machine.

Unsurprisingly, the Toyota MR2 Street Affair remained a one-off, though it inspired a limited-edition model named MR2 Competition. Launched in 2002, it was limited to 100 units which adopted Toyota F1’s red and white livery, sports exhausts, white 17-inch alloys and optional sequential 6-speed gearbox.