Jonty's MR2 Turbo

Tyres

When it comes to rubber on an MR2, you don't want to invest in cheap tyres and run the risk of having poor grip and handling.  It's also not wise to use hard-wearing tyres with hard compounds which sacrifice grip for thousands and thousands of extra miles.

Original 14in wheeled MR2 Turbos were kitted out with 195/60/14 (front) and 205/60/14 (rear) tyres, which as of the Rev2 were changed to 195/55/15 and 225/50/15 to coincide with the bigger 15in wheels.  In an effort to reduce under steer, it's not uncommon to see the front's width increased to 205mm.

My choice of tyre is the Goodyear Eagle F1 (GS-D2) in a 45 profile to coincide with my 16in wheels.  Without a doubt, it's a superb tyre with a soft rubber compound and water-shedding directional tread pattern.  Grip, handling, and driver feedback are so positive that the F1 is one of the best tyres on the market -- a view shared by a lot of MR2 owners.

Wheels

The original MkII (the Rev1) was fitted with 14in ally wheels and were 6in wide on the front and 7in on the rear.  As per the Rev2, Toyota changed to 15in wheels as part of the handling changes they introduced.  As seen with a lot of imported MR2s, my car arrived in the UK minus its stock 15in alloys, and instead had a set of 16in split-rims.  When one of the wheels was damaged beyond repair a different set of wheels were fitted.

The Mille Miglia Spiders are a perfect fit for an MR2 given their correct offset and were bought in 16in size so I could utilise the existing tyres.  Given the opportunity, I'd be happy to get some 17in wheels next time.

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