Mk3 MR2 - Can you give one 190bhp?

[RDE]

I'm pretty uninformed on Toyotas, which was why I was surprised to learn that a friend's Celica made 190bhp from the 1.8 VVTi. I kind of assumed the Integra DC2 was still the only 1.8 to achieve this kind of specific output.

It made me wonder why the MR2 (which I think has the same engine as the less powerful Celica?) wasn't offered with the more powerful engine. Is it a packaging issue or something? Is it possible to alter the existing engine (with different cams and so on) to get it up to the 190bhp that the Celica makes?

Just curious really.

Cheers.

[Marf]

Yep you can swap in the 190hp Celica engine, or a Camry V6, or even a 3SGTE if you want to.

[Wadeski]

Or you can use a TTE turbo kit on the 1ZZ engine for a bit more torque.

None are that cheap, unfortunately - its bloody silly that Toyota didnt offer a 2ZZ powered MR2 Roadster. It would have been a real PH hero car by now.

[Mr E]

RDE said:

I'm pretty uninformed on Toyotas, which was why I was surprised to learn that a friend's Celica made 190bhp from the 1.8 VVTi.

VVTLi

/pedant

[OlberJ]

To clarify, the Mk3 comes with the 1zz engine, the celica a 2zz engine.

[RDE]

I see, so they are quite different engines. Thanks for the replies chaps - might make an interesting project one day when I have some money!

[mikey P 500]

As said the conversion has been carried out quite a bit. Sadly the converted cars are still quite rare. I surprised companies like Rouge (who do a lot of the conversions) don’t carry a stock of converted cars. As I would have seriously considered either a 2zz or turbo converted mk3 mr2 if one was available ready to go when I bought my s2000.

[Mr E]

RDE said:

I see, so they are quite different engines.

Not really. Same block, the 2ZZ has trick valve lift and more revs.

[RDE]

So could you turn a 1zz into a 2zz then? Or is it expensive enough that it's easier to simply swap one for the other?

[RobCrezz]

Mr E said:

RDE said:

I see, so they are quite different engines.

Not really. Same block, the 2ZZ has trick valve lift and more revs.

Are they? I thought the 2zz was totally different as it was a yamaha designed engine, rather than the toyota designed 1zz.

[RobCrezz]

RDE said:

So could you turn a 1zz into a 2zz then? Or is it expensive enough that it's easier to simply swap one for the other?

Most places just swap the engines. Quite a few companies do it. Rouge, Woodsport etc. The 1zz responds to turbocharging well though, so I think that is easyer and more common than swaping as you get more power and torque than the 2zz.

[Mr E]

RobCrezz said:

Mr E said:

RDE said:

I see, so they are quite different engines.

Not really. Same block, the 2ZZ has trick valve lift and more revs.

Are they? I thought the 2zz was totally different as it was a yamaha designed engine, rather than the toyota designed 1zz.

Yamaha has done valve and head work for Toyota for the past 25 years I think. My 3S-GTE has yamahas hands all over it.

Looks at the power and torque curves of a 1ZZ and 2ZZ. They're identical until the 2ZZ hits valve lift.

[RobCrezz]

Mr E said:

RobCrezz said:

Mr E said:

RDE said:

I see, so they are quite different engines.

Not really. Same block, the 2ZZ has trick valve lift and more revs.

Are they? I thought the 2zz was totally different as it was a yamaha designed engine, rather than the toyota designed 1zz.

Yamaha has done valve and head work for Toyota for the past 25 years I think. My 3S-GTE has yamahas hands all over it.

Looks at the power and torque curves of a 1ZZ and 2ZZ. They're identical until the 2ZZ hits valve lift.

I noticed my 3sGTE has had Yamahas work.

I stand corrected

[Mr E]

RobCrezz said:

I stand corrected

I always wondered why the 2ZZ didn't make it into the MR2.

I wonder if it's simply because it makes the car a bit too scary for Toyota to sell to people who may have little experience with high powered Mid-Rear cars....

[RobCrezz]

Mr E said:

RobCrezz said:

I stand corrected

I always wondered why the 2ZZ didn't make it into the MR2.

I wonder if it's simply because it makes the car a bit too scary for Toyota to sell to people who may have little experience with high powered Mid-Rear cars....

Yeah I guess thats why we didnt get the mk2 MR2 turbo in the UK market also.

[blank]

The 1ZZ and 2ZZ engines are very different. I have a fascinatingly boring SAE technical paper on the differences in fact. It might have the same actual cylinder block, but the vast majority of the internals are different.


I'd be tempted by a VVTL-i engined MR2 aswell. There is someone on the Toyota Owners Club with a supercharged on aswell...

Edit for pic:

Edited by blank on Thursday 11th June 22:25

[Prolex-UK]

Did a 1zz with turbo conversion which put out 220 bhp thing was a tad exciting............

[rjo64]

Don't know why Toyota did'nt offer this car for sale with a similar kit I recon it would have sold by the bucket load. Just a few extra bits lowerd suspension and a little plastic can make all the difference. Would love to turbo the engine but can not justify more than the cars worth to do it.

Edited by rjo64 on Thursday 18th June 19:58

Edited by rjo64 on Thursday 18th June 19:59