Project Car: 1991 Toyota MR2 Turbo

During this unusual time, I am spending more time at home, which turns out can be a good thing. On my limited spare time, I love and hate working on my 1991 Toyota MR2 Turbo. It is a break from design work but at the same time designing in a different way. The 91’ MR2 was my dream car when I was 16, and it is one of the few cars from Japan that has an engine in the rear. The running joke is, this is the poor man’s Ferrari. The reason I hate working on the car is because of the engine location makes it difficult to work on. I am currently installing a new bigger turbo, radiator, ecu and exhaust system. The part I love is when I am done working on it and get to enjoy driving it. I fell for the design of the MR2 because aesthetically it is different than a traditional car. When you look at the MR2, there is a great variety of examples of form following function. For example, the hood vents and side vents: they do more than just look interesting. They work to funnel air to cool down the inter-cooler, intake and radiator. Other examples of form following function are aerodynamic spoilers on the rear and front of the car. The spoilers are there is help create down force to keep the car from lifting at high speeds.       

I favor Toyota over any other brand of cars because of their quality and reliability. Every year I add upgraded parts on the car to change the look or feel. I am not designing a car from scratch but enhancing its features. When you look at my MR2 and a normal one on the street, you will notice a difference in stance and overall look. I modify cars because I like adding details that create a personalized look that is unique compared to other cars out on the road. It’s the same focus on details that I like to use when I design any of my products. It’s the little details that make a design stand out.