It is almost tradition here at Mis-Shift Into My Ass for every writer to review a Toyota Corolla. They’re abundant, cheap cars and if you don’t own one you know someone who does. Abundant for everyone but me. Alas dear readers, I have managed to find something Corolla like. Sure, the motor is in the wrong correct half of the car, its rear wheel drive and there’s no roof, but I am 90% sure this still counts as a Corolla.

This specimen is not exactly factory stock. The owner put on wider wheels to help fit fat tires, messed around with the suspension to fight the MR2’s notorious oversteer, and put a helical LSD in the back. In the back, there is also a 1zz straight out of the Toyota Corolla, with does a much better job in a sports car than it has any right to. This little motor might not make much power, or really any at all, but it does make torque. Most low power sports cars struggle to get off the line, but the MR2 does what it must. Sure it doesn’t accelerate to all that much, but it will get there fast.

Well, it really doesn’t get there all that fast either, but that doesn’t matter anyways. The MR2 has never been about straight line speed, it’s about cornering. It’s no mistake it has so much in common (at least in spirit) with the Lotus Elise, the car is designed with the same philosophy. It is tiny, it is light, and holy fuck can it slalom.

You know how they say to wait 20 minutes after eating to swim? Well that should apply to the MR2 too. I made the mistake of – overindulging – in some barbecue one time, and then immediately hopped into the MR2 to do some runs. And oh boy did I regret that.

I got one run done and was doubled over in the cornfield next to the car hoping I wasn’t going to see barbecue for the second time that day. Or, um, 6th.

Perhaps this is the fault of my eating habits, or perhaps this is the fault of a car that just doesn’t need to slow down. Even though you’re never going faster than 40 mph, you don’t need to. Autocross just doesn’t reward high speeds the same way you’d expect. There is never a reason to hit the brakes, and even if you wanted to, the brake and gas pedal are so close together you might get your foot stuck under one trying to do so. The best way to slow down in this car is to engine brake. Between the surprising amount of compression that little motor has, and a funky (in a good way) transmission it engine brakes super smoothly and reliably.

To end off, I should probably address the elephant in the room. Although this is primarily focused on the older models, the MR2 is known for something called snap oversteer. I’m not sure if its something the owner or Toyota did to this car, but I have never had an oversteer issue in it. Before the MR2, I had only ever driven an oversteery Miata and a deranged GTI, so this car handled like nothing I had ever seen. Truly, the best Corolla ever made.

Some of these photos were provided by KJB Media