Toyota MR2 SW20 (1991–1995): specs, 3S-GTE turbo engine and what owners say

Toyota MR2 (SW20) in red, AI illustration

MR2 Turbo (US) SW20 (W20) · 1991–1995

200horsepower

6.30–60 mph, sec

147mph top speed

Mid-engine, rear-drive. 2.0-liter 3S-GTE turbo with 200 hp in the US Turbo; 2.2-liter 5S-FE in the base car. US 1991–1995; Japan built it until August 1999.

Why it's famous

The poor man’s FerrariName
With its mid-engine layout and looks often compared to the Ferrari 348, the SW20 was nicknamed the baby Ferrari or poor man’s Ferrari.
Snap oversteerName
The SW20 is known for snap oversteer, and CarThrottle says it was called the widow maker. For 1993 Toyota revised the rear suspension, with longer rear toe links and wider 15-inch tires, to cut rear-end breakaway in hard corners.
JGTC GT300 record seasonRacing
In 1998 the #25 Team Taisan Jr. with Tsuchiya MR2 won the Japanese GT Championship’s GT300 drivers’ and teams’ titles, winning a record five of the six races held. An MR2 won both GT300 titles again in 1999.
A tuner’s carTuning
The 3S-GTE takes more boost well. CarThrottle says the stock turbo can give roughly 280 to 300 bhp on a safe 1 bar of boost, and a fully built engine about 350 to 400 bhp.

Sold new in the US. Sold new in the US for model years 1991 to 1995, as the non-turbo MR2 (2.2-liter 5S-FE) and the MR2 Turbo (2.0-liter 3S-GTE). Canadian sales ended after 1993. Japan kept building it until August 1999.

On this site: Toyota Supra Mk4, its bigger sibling

Plain text from the sources listed: no race photos, anime stills, logos or likenesses. Items marked "Not fully confirmed" rest on one weaker source. Every JDM car

Sources

SW20 (W20) MR2 · 1991–1995

How fast is the MR2?

2-seat coupe (hardtop or T-top), 1991–1995. 0–60 times are magazine tests where we have one, otherwise the maker's figure.

MR2 Turbo (US)

1991–1995

200 hpat 6,000 rpm

The 3S-GTE turbo with an air-to-air intercooler, manual only. 1993 brought the revised rear suspension, 15-inch wheels and bigger brakes; 1994 brought round taillights and a one-piece rear wing.

Torque: 200 lb-ftat 3,200 rpm; CarThrottle says 203 lb-ft
0–60 mph: 6.3 sCar and Driver (1992) test · Maker: 6.2 s
Top speed: 147 mphToyota figure, per CarThrottle
Gearbox: 5-speed manual, rear-drivemanual only, with a stronger gearbox than the non-turbo car; a viscous limited-slip differential from 1993 (an option per Wikipedia, standard on 1993-on US cars per CarThrottle)
Weight: 2,734 lbper CarThrottle
Price new: $20,2781991 base; $29,238 by 1995

Sources

MR2 (US, non-turbo)

1991–1995

130 hpat 5,400 rpm, 1991–92; 135 hp from 1993

A 2.2-liter twin-cam four shared with the Celica GT and GT-S. It was the only MR2 you could get with an automatic (4-speed); the Turbo was manual only.

Torque: 144 lb-ftat 4,400 rpm, 1991–92; 145 lb-ft from 1993 (Wikipedia; Consumer Guide lists 140–145)
0–60 mph: 8.5 sConsumer Guide (manual) test
Gearbox: 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic, rear-drive
Weight: 1,179 kg (2,599 lb)1991 non-turbo

Sources

MR2 GT-S (Japan)

1989–1999

242 hp245 PS at 6,000 rpm from Rev 3 (late 1993); early cars 221–225 PS depending on the source (JDM)

Japan’s turbo model. From Rev 3 (late 1993) its 3S-GTE got bigger 550cc injectors in place of 440cc and was rated 245 PS. Never sold new in the US.

Gearbox: 5-speed manual, rear-drivemanual only
Weight: 1,250 kg (2,755 lb)1993 Turbo GT-S hardtop

Sources

The engine: Toyota 3S-GTE

2.0-liter inline-4, DOHC 16-valve, turbocharged and intercooled

LayoutInline-4, DOHC 16-valve, air-to-air intercooler (side-mounted in the MR2)

Output200 hp at 6,000 rpm, 200 lb-ft at 3,200 rpm in the US MR2 Turbo; 245 PS (242 hp) in later Japanese MR2s

Size1,998 cc, 86 x 86 mm bore x stroke, 8.8:1 compression (1990–93)

TurboCT26 with a twin-entry turbine housing; a revised CT20b from the 1994 model year

Timing beltNon-interference; CarThrottle says change the belt about every 60,000 miles

Engine's YouTube owner tone 49/100 (videos about the Toyota 3S-GTE in every car that uses it, so it differs from this car's own tone below)

Toyota 3S-GTE engine page →

Known issues

Turbo heat and oil cokingOutlet report
CarThrottle calls the turbo a major sore point: engine-bay heat shortens its life, and non-synthetic oil can coke the turbo bearing. Its buyer’s guides say to check for blue or white smoke at start-up and under boost, and smoke from the dipstick tube.
Fix: Use synthetic oil and idle about three minutes after hard driving, as Toyota recommends.
Cooling system and overheatingOutlet report
CarThrottle says the long cooling system is hard to bleed, and trapped air can cause overheating and a blown head gasket. A coolant hose near the exhaust manifold, nicknamed the hose from hell, can burst around 100,000 miles, and overheating on boost can point to a cracked block.
Fix: Have the coolant flushed and bled by someone who knows the car.
Oil leaksOutlet report
CarThrottle names the cam cover, distributor O-rings and head gasket as common oil leaks, and says a leak can kill the alternator, which is hard to reach in the tight engine bay.
Catalyst in the downpipeOutlet report
On the MR2 Turbo the catalyst is built into the turbo downpipe, and CarThrottle says long high-speed running can damage it.

Engine sources

What owners say on YouTube

48This car's YouTube owner tone, out of 100 · videos about this generation only (the engine's tone above covers every car with that engine)

Owners praise

Looks19%

Handling and steering16%

Power and acceleration9%

Interior and seats6%

Owners complain about

Oil leaks (gaskets, seals, housings)12%

Rust9%

Coolant leaks / water pump / overheating7%

Electrical / wiring / TIPM6%

Share of the 170 most-watched MR2 videos that praise or criticize each topic (a praise or trouble word near it in the title or transcript).

Most-watched videos

Toyota MR2 - Everything You Need to Know | Up to SpeedDonut · 3.1M views

Building a 1991 Toyota MR2 Turbothrotl · 1.3M views

Regular Car Reviews: 1991 Toyota MR2 SW20 TurboRegular Car Reviews · 1.2M views

Should you buy a MR2?

New, the MR2 Turbo (US) cost $20,278 (1991 base; $29,238 by 1995).
YouTube likes the 1993 best (53/100).
Most owner complaints: the 1991 (12). Fewest: the 1992 (1). Raw counts, not per car sold, for every version NHTSA files under this name.
1 recall campaign across 1991–1995 (all Mr2 versions). Check a VIN before you buy.
Repair costs: we don't have owner-reported repair costs for the MR2 yet.

Sources

CarThrottle: Used car buying guide: 2nd generation Toyota MR2 Turbo (updated Oct 2024)

All sources (8)

Wikipedia: Toyota S engine Wikipedia
Consumer Guide: 1991–95 Toyota MR2 used car review outlet
0-60specs.com: Toyota MR2 0-60 runs by magazine (Car and Driver, MotorWeek, Motor Trend) magazine tests, aggregated
CarThrottle: Used car buying guide: 2nd generation Toyota MR2 Turbo (updated Oct 2024) outlet
Wikipedia: Toyota MR2 Wikipedia
CarThrottle: 9 things you need to know before buying an SW20 Toyota MR2 (Matt Robinson, updated Oct 2024) outlet
SlashGear: This car is called the poor man’s Ferrari (Olivia Richman, May 2026) outlet
Wikipedia: 1998 All Japan Grand Touring Car Championship Wikipedia

Owner complaints to NHTSA

NHTSA files every MR2 under MR2, so the 1991–1995 counts cover both the non-turbo car and the Turbo, hardtop and T-top alike.

No Lemon Index for the MR2: the index is complaints per car sold, and sales by trim aren't published. These are raw counts.

17 complaints for 1991–1995.

199112

19921

19934

What they're about

Air bags4

Engine and engine cooling3

Steering3

Latches/locks/linkages2

Tires2

Recalls

91V223000 Air Bags1991–1992
THE DRIVER'S OCCUPANT PROTECTION SYSTEM (STEERING WHEEL AND AIR BAG) EXCEEDS THE 60G THORAX CRITERION IN NHTSA CRASH TESTS.

Source: NHTSA (api.nhtsa.gov). Check a VIN for open recalls on one car.

Quick answers

How fast is the Toyota MR2 Turbo (US)?

The SW20 (W20) MR2 Turbo (US) makes 200 hp and 200 lb-ft. Car and Driver (1992) measured 0–60 mph in 6.3 seconds. Top speed: 147 mph (Toyota figure, per CarThrottle).

What engine does the Toyota MR2 (SW20) have?

The SW20 (W20) MR2 (1991–1995) uses the Toyota 3S-GTE, a 2.0-liter inline-4, DOHC 16-valve, turbocharged and intercooled.

Why is the MR2 famous?

The poor man’s Ferrari: With its mid-engine layout and looks often compared to the Ferrari 348, the SW20 was nicknamed the baby Ferrari or poor man’s Ferrari. Snap oversteer: The SW20 is known for snap oversteer, and CarThrottle says it was called the widow maker. For 1993 Toyota revised the rear suspension, with longer rear toe links and wider 15-inch tires, to cut rear-end breakaway in hard corners. JGTC GT300 record season: In 1998 the #25 Team Taisan Jr. with Tsuchiya MR2 won the Japanese GT Championship’s GT300 drivers’ and teams’ titles, winning a record five of the six races held. An MR2 won both GT300 titles again in 1999.

Was the Toyota MR2 (SW20) sold in the US?

Yes. Sold new in the US for model years 1991 to 1995, as the non-turbo MR2 (2.2-liter 5S-FE) and the MR2 Turbo (2.0-liter 3S-GTE). Canadian sales ended after 1993. Japan kept building it until August 1999.

Spot a mistake or have an idea? Tell us

Toyota MR2 SW20 (1991–1995): specs, 3S-GTE turbo engine and what owners say

Why it's famous

How fast is the MR2?

The engine: Toyota 3S-GTE

Known issues

What owners say on YouTube

Owners praise

Owners complain about

Most-watched videos

Should you buy a MR2?

Owner complaints to NHTSA

What they're about

Recalls

Quick answers

How fast is the Toyota MR2 Turbo (US)?

What engine does the Toyota MR2 (SW20) have?

Why is the MR2 famous?

Was the Toyota MR2 (SW20) sold in the US?

How can we make Lemon Index better?