“Hanami” or “flower viewing” is an important festival in Japanese culture, which takes place in March and celebrates the onset of cherry blossom season. Toyota Collection Deutschland, Germany’s largest Toyota collection, decided to mark the festival by having a public opening that celebrated their mid-engine marvel, the MR2. Over 900 guests were present, some having traveled from neighboring countries, and 70 examples of MR2 were present at the event, including a few gems from the collection, which were admired by the visitors with no regard to somewhat rainy weather.
Multiple examples from the model’s three-generation run spanning 1984-2007 were present, showcasing its evolution from the origami-styled, go-kart-like original, through the larger and more comfort-focused and powerful second generation, to the third generation which morphed from a coupe/T bar form factor into a full convertible and reverted closer to the first generation in size and purpose.
Related: This 1,377-Mile Toyota MR2 Is As Good As New (And Costs As Much As A New GR Supra)
Visitors had opportunities to climb into several MR2s at the event, but the undisputed star attraction was the “Black Beast”, the MR2-based Toyota 222D WRC Prototype that was developed by what is now known as Toyota Gazoo Racing – Europe (TGR-E, then known as Toyota Team Europe or TTE) in 1985 to compete in the group S category of the WRC. Boasting 600 HP from a 2.1-liter turbo engine, a bespoke chassis, and wild bodywork, the potential of this machine was never showcased because Group S was canceled due to serious accidents in the even more extreme Group B, which made the WRC decide that rally cars needed to be made significantly slower for safety.
Besides the MR2s, visitors were also able to take free guided tours of the 85 classic cars in the collection, while the Lexus RZ450e was on display to show off Toyota’s modern electric offerings. Meanwhile, for the petrolheads, a Lexus RC F Track Edition was parked out front doing a “sound check” full of glorious V8 noise!
The next opening of the Toyota Collection Deutschland is scheduled for May 23rd, with the theme being “Off Road Day,” celebrating the legendary Land Cruiser and other Toyota 4x4s.
