2005 Toyota MR2 Spyder Driving Impressions
The engine's 138 horsepower moves the 2200-pound car briskly, with acceleration from 0 to 60 mph in just under 7 seconds. Toyota's VVT-i engine uses variable-valve timing, but it doesn't generate a big surge of power when it switches to the high-power cam profile. This is good in a small engine, because it means the powerband feels broader. The maximum torque of 125 foot-pounds comes at 4400 rpm, so you have to be in the correct gear to get those revs if you want to zip away without bogging.
The game little engine feels and sounds quite willing to rev beyond 6800 rpm, where the rev limiter kicks in, but that's an illusion because the power peaks at 6400 rpm. At 70 mph, it hums along at 3500 rpm, happily and with no significant vibration. But on a grainy freeway the road noise hums as loud as the engine, apparently from the tires.
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