As I debated on whether I wanted to make the plunge and swap my 93 MR2 Turbo from a perfectly good Gen 3 3SGTE to a 2GR-FE I really hoped to find a detailed review of the results of the swap. Maybe it is out there somewhere, but I didn’t find any that were readily found with a Google search. Either way, I am hopeful that my review here will prove helpful to people considering the swap.
The primary reason that I am sure you are reading this is about the power, and I can confirm that the increase in power is great. Power is certainly a great reason to consider this swap, but for me there needed to be a lot more since I already had a lot of power (for a 2) and an easy path to more. It is hard to describe the power in full as everyone has different points of reference based on what they have owned and or had a chance to drive. I will start with my most obvious comparison, prior to the swap my car had a Gen 3 3SGTE swap that put down 276 wheel horsepower and 248 pound feet of torque. My 2GR put down 289 and 260 respectively on TCS’ more conservative in Ty’s opinion (their owner) new dyno. So with only about an extra 5% more power in actual dyno results and maybe closer to 10% more power in reality, was it worth it? If that increase in peak power were the only improvement, then the answer would clearly be no, as I could have gotten that far cheaper by improving my Gen 3. Let’s look at some other improvements and see where we end up.
Less is More-
Well let’s start with a (possibly) surprising thing that the swap gives your MR2 less of (when compared to a 3SGTE), and that is weight. By replacing the old school iron block 3SGTE and all of the associated turbo goodies in favor of an aluminum block naturally aspirated v6 a not insignificant estimated 100 pounds is lost. With that said, let’s then estimate that my peak power to weight ratio is now about 12% better than before. That still isn’t enough of an improvement to justify it alone as 12% more (and a whole lot more) was easily accessible on my Gen 3 for far less coin. However, I must say that I can feel the impact of that missing weight (mostly from the rear) in the handling and even ride quality and I really like the subtle improvements there.
More is More-
Stop the presses with that earth shattering observation, but I couldn’t resist. However, what I really want to say here is that far more noticeable than the peak power increase, is the famous “power under the curve”. You simply can’t assume that a 291 wheel HP 3SGTE (especially Gen 2 or Gen 3) will have the same real world performance as a 2GR. For my review I am assuming that my 2GR swap has a 12% better power to weight ratio than my old Gen 3, but I am going to say that it usually feels like 20-50% more power. For those of you keeping score at home, yes that means that it can feel like the difference between a stock US NA and a stock US Turbo, it can be that big of a deal.
The Feel-
Different types of engines have a different feel from how they deliver their power. Unlike the previous paragraph, I am not talking about quantity anymore, I have now shifted to (perceived) quality. A C5 Corvette with an LS1 makes its power with a wave of torque that sometimes seems to make what gear you are in close to irrelevant. You can rev it out to its 6000 RPM redline, but it doesn’t really beg you to do it. On the opposite end of the spectrum you have an AP1 S2000 that has a tiny amount of torque compared to the HP it finds a way to put out. To take advantage of that HP though you have to wring it out and at least come close to its 9,000 RPM redline. Both are fun, but if given only the choice of the extremes I will certainly take the torque monster Corvette. For once though, I find myself gravitating towards the middle ground where I feel a 2GR swapped MR2 lives. My comparison car here would be the BMW Z4 M Roadster example (or an NSX would be another). This middle ground is a free revving engine that still begs to be revved, but makes real world power at all RPMs. Such engines typically still make a good deal more HP than torque, but torque remains respectable unlike the S2000. As far as NA engines go I have found that these engines are my favorites as they provide the best of both worlds type situation for me. So what about turbocharged engines? Modern turbo set ups from the likes of BMW (I most recently experienced this in my cousin’s 2020 3.0 Supra) can take this best of both worlds to an even higher level. What about the turbos typically in play with the older 3SGTE? Well the Gen 4 closes the gap, but all that I have driven fall short of the kind of nirvana of the M Roadster or Supra (especially when the 3SGTE is a gen 2 or Gen 3). The turbo lag has its own character, and some actually really like that surge of power, but for me I like the linear power that builds as the car begs you to rev it up to redline again and again, like the M Roadster, and my 2GR reminds me of that engine, only a bit less revs with extra torque to (in my opinion) more than make up for a few less revs. I think most people will pick the feel of the 2GR here, but only you can decide on this one.
-The reliability
Ok, this one isn't the most exciting category, but it is pretty important. As much as I love my MR2 it is now almost 30 years old, and the 3SGTE engines are all that old, older, or close. The 2GR is much newer, far more modern with less systems to fail, so it is almost surely a big step forward on reliability. Another related matter is super easy parts availability for many years to come.
The Dance-
Ride and handling seem to always be battling in the car world, usually you have to compromise with a gain in one causing a loss in the other. Weight loss is a gain for both though and the aforementioned weight loss while small in the grand scheme of things is something that I feel like I am feeling with small gains in both areas. What I know that I feel definitively is that the power delivery and the feel of the power take the canyon carving ability of this car to the next level. With the Gen 3 this was a very good handling car that I thought was close to my 08 Boxster S (that I loved but gave up about a decade ago to afford to get married) as far as canyon carving ability. With the 2GR those type of drives far exceed the previous version and even the Boxster S. It inspires more confidence with the linear power delivery, it makes virtually every spot in the RPM range very usable in gears 2 and 3, and it just simply feels better (more fun to me at least) doing it.
The Song-
One last thing that really causes my 2GR to shine far brighter than the Gen 3 is the sound that it makes. Listen to some YouTube clips if you haven’t already. OK, so I don’t know what to say for you if you don’t like that sound. The best explanation that I have come up with is it sounds like an F1 car at street legal volumes and street car RPMs. If the feel of the power delivery makes you want to wind this engine out and feed it more throttle, the soundtrack will make you want to do so even more. I won’t say anything more other than that and then this, I think there is a chance that I actually saved the best for last. As good as the increased power, better power delivery, better feel of the power (to me at least) and increased handling enjoyment is, I think the sound may very well be my favorite part of the swap if I were forced to pick, but I wasn’t, I feel like I got it all!
The Whole Enchalada-
So in my world when you add it all up I think the 2GR MR2 is the perfect car for me. I have heard ithe 2GR MR2 described as a 90s Evora, a 90s Boxster/Cayman S (truly a hybrid of the 2 if you have T-Tops) and of course a budget Ferrari (now with the sound to match even). The thing is I think other than possibly the Ferrari comparison (depending on what model you are imagining) the others are selling it short unless you preface it by specifying Evora 400 or Boxster/Cayman GTS 4.0. Though I haven’t driven one yet, I feel like putting nearly 30k miles on my 08 Boxster S puts me in a fair position to guess that my 2GR MR2 is a “budget” Boxster GTS 4.0, but it is so good that I am not aspiring for the Porsche as my desire is for my own car, not the $85k “new version” of it.
The Stats –
Some final stats that I will leave you with:
-I estimate that my 2GR MR2 should be able to get from 0 to 60 in the very low 4s. This is based on it having a virtually identical (ever so slightly better) estimated power to weight ratio to an 05-07 C6 Corvette and the aforementioned Boxster GTS 4.0.
-Speaking of power to weight ratios, I found a couple of fun comparisons, my 2GR MR2 has an estimated 9.34 lbs/whp while a Ferrari 360 Spider checks in at 9.47, an 07 Audi R8 V8 checks in at 9.63 and a 2020 Supra 3.0 comes in at 10.23 (using the magazine dyno results that had the whp virtually match the rated flywheel power, so quite the overachiever).
-Under $10k, that is the cost of a full turnkey, professional 2GR swap into your Turbo chassis if you are fortunate to live near TCS Motorsports in KY (minutes from Cincinnati, OH). I highly recommend them as they have now done 3 engine swaps for me and some non-swap work on my current MR2 while it was a Gen 3.
-2GR or not 2GR
If you are considering this only you can decide, but if the swap fits in your budget and you currently have an NA or a US spec Turbo I say go for it. Personally I gave up a well sorted 276 whp Gen 3 to get mine, but I have no regrets at all! Prior to the swap my most recent (out of about a dozen MR2s owned) MR2 was in my Mount Rushmore of cars owned along with the 08 Boxster S (the Limited Edition Orange by the way), my 04 Viper Roadster, and my 07 BMW Roadster. At that time, if I had to pick keeping it or trading it straight up for one of my previous cars I would have traded it for the Viper or the Boxster any day and depending on the day also for the M Roadster. Now that it has the 2GR there is no need to look back, it is my number one, if only one gets a monument it is the 2GR MR2. So now you know my answer, and I hope this may help a few people out there make their own decision.
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The primary reason that I am sure you are reading this is about the power, and I can confirm that the increase in power is great. Power is certainly a great reason to consider this swap, but for me there needed to be a lot more since I already had a lot of power (for a 2) and an easy path to more. It is hard to describe the power in full as everyone has different points of reference based on what they have owned and or had a chance to drive. I will start with my most obvious comparison, prior to the swap my car had a Gen 3 3SGTE swap that put down 276 wheel horsepower and 248 pound feet of torque. My 2GR put down 289 and 260 respectively on TCS’ more conservative in Ty’s opinion (their owner) new dyno. So with only about an extra 5% more power in actual dyno results and maybe closer to 10% more power in reality, was it worth it? If that increase in peak power were the only improvement, then the answer would clearly be no, as I could have gotten that far cheaper by improving my Gen 3. Let’s look at some other improvements and see where we end up.
Less is More-
Well let’s start with a (possibly) surprising thing that the swap gives your MR2 less of (when compared to a 3SGTE), and that is weight. By replacing the old school iron block 3SGTE and all of the associated turbo goodies in favor of an aluminum block naturally aspirated v6 a not insignificant estimated 100 pounds is lost. With that said, let’s then estimate that my peak power to weight ratio is now about 12% better than before. That still isn’t enough of an improvement to justify it alone as 12% more (and a whole lot more) was easily accessible on my Gen 3 for far less coin. However, I must say that I can feel the impact of that missing weight (mostly from the rear) in the handling and even ride quality and I really like the subtle improvements there.
More is More-
Stop the presses with that earth shattering observation, but I couldn’t resist. However, what I really want to say here is that far more noticeable than the peak power increase, is the famous “power under the curve”. You simply can’t assume that a 291 wheel HP 3SGTE (especially Gen 2 or Gen 3) will have the same real world performance as a 2GR. For my review I am assuming that my 2GR swap has a 12% better power to weight ratio than my old Gen 3, but I am going to say that it usually feels like 20-50% more power. For those of you keeping score at home, yes that means that it can feel like the difference between a stock US NA and a stock US Turbo, it can be that big of a deal.
The Feel-
Different types of engines have a different feel from how they deliver their power. Unlike the previous paragraph, I am not talking about quantity anymore, I have now shifted to (perceived) quality. A C5 Corvette with an LS1 makes its power with a wave of torque that sometimes seems to make what gear you are in close to irrelevant. You can rev it out to its 6000 RPM redline, but it doesn’t really beg you to do it. On the opposite end of the spectrum you have an AP1 S2000 that has a tiny amount of torque compared to the HP it finds a way to put out. To take advantage of that HP though you have to wring it out and at least come close to its 9,000 RPM redline. Both are fun, but if given only the choice of the extremes I will certainly take the torque monster Corvette. For once though, I find myself gravitating towards the middle ground where I feel a 2GR swapped MR2 lives. My comparison car here would be the BMW Z4 M Roadster example (or an NSX would be another). This middle ground is a free revving engine that still begs to be revved, but makes real world power at all RPMs. Such engines typically still make a good deal more HP than torque, but torque remains respectable unlike the S2000. As far as NA engines go I have found that these engines are my favorites as they provide the best of both worlds type situation for me. So what about turbocharged engines? Modern turbo set ups from the likes of BMW (I most recently experienced this in my cousin’s 2020 3.0 Supra) can take this best of both worlds to an even higher level. What about the turbos typically in play with the older 3SGTE? Well the Gen 4 closes the gap, but all that I have driven fall short of the kind of nirvana of the M Roadster or Supra (especially when the 3SGTE is a gen 2 or Gen 3). The turbo lag has its own character, and some actually really like that surge of power, but for me I like the linear power that builds as the car begs you to rev it up to redline again and again, like the M Roadster, and my 2GR reminds me of that engine, only a bit less revs with extra torque to (in my opinion) more than make up for a few less revs. I think most people will pick the feel of the 2GR here, but only you can decide on this one.
-The reliability
Ok, this one isn't the most exciting category, but it is pretty important. As much as I love my MR2 it is now almost 30 years old, and the 3SGTE engines are all that old, older, or close. The 2GR is much newer, far more modern with less systems to fail, so it is almost surely a big step forward on reliability. Another related matter is super easy parts availability for many years to come.
The Dance-
Ride and handling seem to always be battling in the car world, usually you have to compromise with a gain in one causing a loss in the other. Weight loss is a gain for both though and the aforementioned weight loss while small in the grand scheme of things is something that I feel like I am feeling with small gains in both areas. What I know that I feel definitively is that the power delivery and the feel of the power take the canyon carving ability of this car to the next level. With the Gen 3 this was a very good handling car that I thought was close to my 08 Boxster S (that I loved but gave up about a decade ago to afford to get married) as far as canyon carving ability. With the 2GR those type of drives far exceed the previous version and even the Boxster S. It inspires more confidence with the linear power delivery, it makes virtually every spot in the RPM range very usable in gears 2 and 3, and it just simply feels better (more fun to me at least) doing it.
The Song-
One last thing that really causes my 2GR to shine far brighter than the Gen 3 is the sound that it makes. Listen to some YouTube clips if you haven’t already. OK, so I don’t know what to say for you if you don’t like that sound. The best explanation that I have come up with is it sounds like an F1 car at street legal volumes and street car RPMs. If the feel of the power delivery makes you want to wind this engine out and feed it more throttle, the soundtrack will make you want to do so even more. I won’t say anything more other than that and then this, I think there is a chance that I actually saved the best for last. As good as the increased power, better power delivery, better feel of the power (to me at least) and increased handling enjoyment is, I think the sound may very well be my favorite part of the swap if I were forced to pick, but I wasn’t, I feel like I got it all!
The Whole Enchalada-
So in my world when you add it all up I think the 2GR MR2 is the perfect car for me. I have heard ithe 2GR MR2 described as a 90s Evora, a 90s Boxster/Cayman S (truly a hybrid of the 2 if you have T-Tops) and of course a budget Ferrari (now with the sound to match even). The thing is I think other than possibly the Ferrari comparison (depending on what model you are imagining) the others are selling it short unless you preface it by specifying Evora 400 or Boxster/Cayman GTS 4.0. Though I haven’t driven one yet, I feel like putting nearly 30k miles on my 08 Boxster S puts me in a fair position to guess that my 2GR MR2 is a “budget” Boxster GTS 4.0, but it is so good that I am not aspiring for the Porsche as my desire is for my own car, not the $85k “new version” of it.
The Stats –
Some final stats that I will leave you with:
-I estimate that my 2GR MR2 should be able to get from 0 to 60 in the very low 4s. This is based on it having a virtually identical (ever so slightly better) estimated power to weight ratio to an 05-07 C6 Corvette and the aforementioned Boxster GTS 4.0.
-Speaking of power to weight ratios, I found a couple of fun comparisons, my 2GR MR2 has an estimated 9.34 lbs/whp while a Ferrari 360 Spider checks in at 9.47, an 07 Audi R8 V8 checks in at 9.63 and a 2020 Supra 3.0 comes in at 10.23 (using the magazine dyno results that had the whp virtually match the rated flywheel power, so quite the overachiever).
-Under $10k, that is the cost of a full turnkey, professional 2GR swap into your Turbo chassis if you are fortunate to live near TCS Motorsports in KY (minutes from Cincinnati, OH). I highly recommend them as they have now done 3 engine swaps for me and some non-swap work on my current MR2 while it was a Gen 3.
-2GR or not 2GR
If you are considering this only you can decide, but if the swap fits in your budget and you currently have an NA or a US spec Turbo I say go for it. Personally I gave up a well sorted 276 whp Gen 3 to get mine, but I have no regrets at all! Prior to the swap my most recent (out of about a dozen MR2s owned) MR2 was in my Mount Rushmore of cars owned along with the 08 Boxster S (the Limited Edition Orange by the way), my 04 Viper Roadster, and my 07 BMW Roadster. At that time, if I had to pick keeping it or trading it straight up for one of my previous cars I would have traded it for the Viper or the Boxster any day and depending on the day also for the M Roadster. Now that it has the 2GR there is no need to look back, it is my number one, if only one gets a monument it is the 2GR MR2. So now you know my answer, and I hope this may help a few people out there make their own decision.
... I have a '93 T that I would love to do this to... Hard to find reliable tuners who know the MR2 out here. And I'm not one to do it myself.
