As proven by research such as J.D. Power’s Vehicle Dependability Study, cars are getting less reliable. And, as each of us tries to find a way to fight the phenomenon, more and more people look to Toyota, a brand that owes a lot of its reputation to the reliability of its vehicles. Of course, there are scenarios that not even an 80s/90s Toyota (this is believed to be the Golden Age) can navigate, such as a tornado. Or can it? Well, a 1990s MR2 sports car recently proved that, sometimes, not even such a natural disaster can completely ruin it.
Back in late April, the town of Andover over in Massachusets was hit by an F3 Tornado. As described by the Fujita scale, which goes from 0 to 5, the said level involves wind speeds between 158 and 206 mph (254 and 332 km/h) and causes severe damage.
While the tornado took its toll on the town, this didn’t result in any casualties or severe injuries, as reported by YouTube Tyler Hoover (aka Hoovie’s Garage). And one of those affected by the natural disaster was a young car lover named Chance, whose second-generation Toyota MR2 was lifted by the heavy wind and crashed through the walls of the local YMCA, ending up in the building’s daycare.
Given that Andover is Tyler’s hometown and the vlogger has a massive following (1.39M subscribers at the time of press), he was able to help Change by promoting the latter’s GoFundMe campaign for a new MR2. The enthusiast now enjoys a turbocharged example of the Gen II, which is a clear step up from the N/A model that got ruined by the tornado.
The MR2 is a big deal
The MR2 is a rare car, with just over 33,000 second-gen models like this one having been built for the North American market between 1989 and 1999. Given the status of the mid-engined, rear-wheel-drive toy, Tyler wanted to get up close and personal with the vehicle once this was rescued after spending about one month upside down in the said building.
Of course, the fact that the aficionado describes himself as a “self-proclaimed automotive idiot savant with a proclivity towards vehicular masochism, who suffers from compulsive buying disorder” might’ve also played a part here.
Regardless, Tyle called in his mechanic, David Long (aka The Car Wizard) who’s also YouTube-famous. And, much to their (and our) amazement, they were able to get the 5S-FE 2.2L engine sitting in the middle of what is now unfortunately a pile of scrap metal running.
Sure, the four-banger needed some convincing (think: starting fluid) before it got going and tried to act like a dragon, spitting fire at the Wizard, but, for a few moments, it ran!
While there might be nothing in this MR2 left to actually use, the whole thing has a Top Gear air to it, reminding us of the days when Clarkson, Hammond and May took a 1980s Hilux to hell and back in for the 2003 season and the pickup truck just refused to give up—check out the second video below for a roof drop sample.
To put things simply, the main secret behind the resilience of these senior Toyotas has to do with simplicity, which is the opposite of what we get in the ever-more-tech-laden modern vehicles (here’s Toyota’s supposedly-MR2-replacing EV sports car concept). So yes, nostalgia has its perks.
