TMI VM180 By Zagato Is One Very Rare Toyota MR2 Collab From The 2000s

Anyone who has a sweet spot for rare coachbuilding projects should check out one of the offerings in the BH auction that takes place online from the 30th of August until the 5th of September. We are talking about a Toyota MR2 based roadster created by the Italian design house Zagato, which is known as the TMI VM180.

Not many people know that Zagato designed a custom third-generation MR2, or more appropriately MR-S as it was called in the Japanese market. The TMI VM180 Zagato made its official debut at the 2001 Geneva Motor Show to honor the good relationship between Japan and Italy.

Only 100 Units Were Ever Made

Surprisingly, the roadster was not a concept car, as a limited production of 100 units was announced by Toyota Modelista International – hence the TMI on its name – exclusively available in the Japanese market.

Am I the only one getting some Edonis vibes from this beautiful rear end?

The car featured a completely redesigned body with a styling that significantly deviates from Toyota’s mid-engine roadster. While the overall proportions are the same, the enlarged dark-painted headlights and taillights reaching low in the custom-designed bumpers make the mid-engined roadster look a lot more exotic. The nose sits lower, the fenders are more aggressively sculpted and the intakes look like they belong to a supercar.

Read Also: New MR2 Is “Not A Priority”, Says Toyota Chief, New GR 86 Is

The only thing we would complain about is the additional and fake lower vents on the profile that ruin a rather purposeful look. The large-diameter wheels seem to be an aftermarket option since the presentation model came with a different set.

Check Out That Gated Gearbox Shifter

The interior is mostly stock but it has some nice touches like the gated shifter.

If you look closer, you will notice that the only exterior parts carried over from the factory MR2 are the windshield, the hardtop, and the door mirrors. The interior is mostly shared with the original, besides the sport seats upholstered in red and black leather, the fancy shifter, the logo on the steering wheel, and the aftermarket screen on the center console.

Under the Italian-designed body, you will find the regular MR-2 chassis with a mid-mounted naturally aspirated 1.8-liter four-cylinder VVTi engine. The motor is slightly tuned to produce 155 hp (116 kW / 158 PS) and 178 Nm (131 lb-ft) of torque which is more than enough for the lightweight roadster weighing 1,010 kg (2,227 pounds). Power is transmitted to the rear wheels through a five-speed automated manual gearbox. Despite being 20-years old, the model that is going under the hammer only has 40,070 (24,898 miles) on the odometer and seems to be in pristine condition.

See Also: Rare Toyota MR2 TTE Turbo With 181 HP And Factory Widebody Kit Sounds Like Track Treat

The auction has no estimate yet, but we suspect that this weird Italo-Japanese roadster will fetch a lot more than any other Toyota MR-2 due to its rarity and collectability. Speaking of rare MR-2 based models, this is definitely not the only one as we have seen unique prototypes like the F1-inspired MR2 Street Affair Concept from 2001, plus the GRMN MR2 Sports Hybrid concept duo unveiled in 2010 and 2011.

Pictures are screenshots from BINGO MEDIA’s YouTube video and the official auction page