It's tough being the new kid on the block. Getting a foothold in today's import aftermarket is a lot easier in theory than in practice; to do it, you have to have your shit together. If executing project car build-ups is your thing, the first few you do have to be perfect; after all, they say first impressions are the most lasting.
R2 Autodesign, in the City of Industry, Calif., is relatively new to the import aftermarket game, but for the past year they have been busy building a reputation as a premier custom body shop, specializing in fender flares and wide body kits. This MR2, owned by R2 co-founder Dennis Nolasco, was built as a way of promoting the newly opened R2 garage, and for the last six months it's been making waves all over the scene. It is an ongoing project, that has been fitted with two body kits and three sets of wheels.
Doubtless, the most impressive amount of work invested in this car is the body work performed by Mike Burlas at R2. Topping the list of mods is the TRD wide-body kit, which provides a fairly extreme aggression factor on an already-mean looking car; call me crazy, but I see a little bit of Ferrari F355 in the rear three-quarters view. The TRD kit includes the widened fenders, of course, as well as rear quarter panels, front and rear bumpers, side skirts, a rear decklid extension and a three-way adjustable rear wing.
Other custom additions to the exterior are a custom scoop on the rear trunk lid that directs air to the Spearco intercooler core (more on that later) and a carbon fiber hood. To make it stand out from the masses, R2 went with a color that's sure not to be missed: DuPont viper yellow, with a black roof and pillars.
The interior was carefully planned to match the exterior, and now sports yellow vinyl door panel inserts, yellow Sparco buckets with Sparco four-point harnesses and a custom carbon fiber dash kit. The shifter assembly has been altered with a TRD quick shifter and Ichiban shift knob. Ichiban also provided an e-brake handle, pedals, and a shift boot, which was removed sometime prior to our photo shoot. Mounted directly behind the Ichiban steering wheel, on the steering column itself, are all the electronics supporting the turbo system: Blitz boost controller, GReddy Rebic IV, and GReddy turbo timer. A pair of AutoMeter gauges, providing information on boost pressure and air/fuel ratios, are mounted on the A-Pillar. Rounding out the interior mods is a six-point roll cage which was also color matched to the car's exterior.
With most of the cosmetic modifications complete, R2 turned its attention to enhancing the MR2's performance capabilities. Tucked under the new wide fenders is a set of H&R lowering springs and matched-rate KYB dampers that drop the car close to 1.5 inches all around. Cusco upper braces tie the shock towers together in the front and rear and collaborate to further stiffen the competent MR2 chassis. The car now crouches over color-matched Racing Hart M5 wheels, sized 18x8 front and 19x10 rear. Pirelli rubber, 215/35/18 front and 265/35/19 rear, maintains the contact patch. A set of Power Stop performance rotors assist Nolasco when it's time to slow down.
In order to back its aggressive stance, the engine bay on this MR2 has seen a good bit of modification. First on the list of goodies is an HKS Super Mega Flow intake system and GReddy race exhaust with dual tips to rid the powerplant of parasitic backpressure. The 3SGT mill retains a factory-spec bottom end; more attention has been paid to the head and induction system. The head was modified by Dan Paramore Racing (DPR), Torrance, Calif., and now features a full street port and polish and three-angle valve job. New stainless-steel valves replace the stock units; they are actuated by re-ground stock cams and AEM sprockets and return safely to their seats via DPR springs and retainers. Intake and exhaust lift are measured at 8.70 mm and 9.17 mm respectively, at 264 degrees duration. Once the modifications were complete, the cylinder head was strapped back down into position using an AEM head gasket and ARP studs.
The factory forced induction system has been upgraded with GReddy's Stage 2 kit for the MR2 Turbo application. This system is centered around a T67 GReddy turbine, mated to a custom fabricated, equal-length tubular exhaust manifold. Max boost is located in the neighborhood of 18 psi, regulated by a GReddy Type C wastegate and Blitz SBC boost controller. To ensure optimal operating temperatures for the augmented intake charge, a Spearco air-to-air intercooler system has been installed, and features a 20x10x3-inch core located in the rear cargo bay. The air charge moves from the engine bay to the trunk and back again through 2.5-inch thermal-wrapped plumbing. From the chiller, the charge is directed to the MR2's OE throttle body and a match-ported intake manifold that has been fitted with four additional fuel injectors.
This brings us to the fuel supply. Enrichment is overseen by an SP Engineering reprogrammed ECU. The injectors have been primed to pump out 550cc, and to make sure they do, they're monitored by a GReddy Rebic IV, an auxiliary fuel control unit designed to provide augmented fuel flow through the extra injectors.
Other drivetrain modifications include a lightweight Fidanza aluminum flywheel to allow for lightning-quick revving and a Pro Active clutch to actuate the flywheel. A 1993 MR2 transmission, complete with limited-slip diff, transfers the power to the ground. Nolasco estimates his engine's power output to be about 280 hp at the wheels.
At the time of this writing, the car is still undergoing its final tuning phase and was not prepared to make a dyno run. Nolasco promises to keep us informed about when this run will occur.