| Please note: This is the first in a series of articles on | | | | What I realized was that they were attempting to |
| this subject. | | | | "keep it in the family" and use a Toyota or Lexus V8. |
| For many years, I have dreamed of owning a | | | | There wasn't really any valid engineering reason to use |
| mid-engine exotic supercar. Unfortunately, they | | | | this power plant. It did not bolt up to any of the MR2 |
| remained out of my reach financially. I decided that the | | | | transaxles, and it was too long. The Toyota V8 used, |
| only way I was going to get one was to build it myself. | | | | engine code 1UZ-FE) is about 26 inches long from the |
| I have always been fascinated by mid-engine sports | | | | crank pulley to the rear face of the engine, or bell |
| cars due to their superior handling, braking, and traction | | | | housing interface. This is the critical dimension. |
| over a front engine sports car (even those front | | | | Compare this to the stock MR2 engines like the 2.0L |
| engine cars with a rear transaxle, or as I like to call | | | | 3S-GTE turbo motor which has a critical dimension of |
| them, the "dumbbell cars"). | | | | 20 inches. This dimension is critical because it fits |
| In the realm of affordable mid-engine sports cars, there | | | | between the unibody pseudo-frame rails of the MR2 |
| are Pontiac Fieros and there are Toyota MR2s. In | | | | chassis. |
| each case, the cars came with 4 cylinder motors. The | | | | I decided to take a different approach. I started |
| Fieros also got V6s, but those V6's were very | | | | searching the internet for a V8 engine that would fit |
| underpowered, with a whopping 140hp. In 1990, Toyota | | | | the MR2 chassis, preferably with no cutting, or possibly |
| redesigned the MR2 and upgraded the power as well. | | | | with only a small amount of cutting of the MR2 |
| Base models got 130hp and the high-end Turbo was | | | | unibody. My requirements were that it be a V8 with at |
| 200hp, which at the time, was quite a bit for a car that | | | | least 300 horsepower, that it is available, that it would |
| weighed 2700 lbs. | | | | cost somewhere under $50000, and that it would be |
| The new body was very good looking, much like the | | | | short enough and narrow enough to fit the MR2. I |
| Ferrari 348 at the time. The build quality was also | | | | succeeded in finding one. Audi has an interesting habit |
| superior as it was, after all, a Toyota. I decided to | | | | of making very short V8's. They do this because they |
| purchase a 1993 Toyota MR2 turbo in 2005 with the | | | | want to use their Quattro drive train, but at the same |
| intention of doing a Toyota V6 swap, which up to that | | | | time, not compromise handling too much. Audi seems |
| point, had been done by many people. At about that | | | | to prefer longitudinal engine and transmission |
| same time, I found that there were some attempts to | | | | arrangements over transverse. The Quattro drive train |
| install a V8 engine into the earlier MR2 (Generation 1, | | | | involves a driving front axle, which they had to locate |
| 1984-1989 body style, or mark 1). There were also | | | | behind the engine. If the engine is too long, it puts too |
| attempts to install a Toyota/Lexus V8 engine into a | | | | much weight in front of that axle, so they compensate |
| MR2 mark 2. The attempts at doing the V8 into the | | | | by making a shorter engine. This has the added benefit |
| MR2 mark 2 were not completed, and the project | | | | of allowing Audi to install this engine in smaller cars that |
| owners gave up. The reasons were not clear, but it | | | | were originally intended to have a 4 cylinder power |
| appeared to be due to the fact that the Toyota V8 | | | | plant. For my purposes, I found that the 1991 through |
| was simply too long to fit in the car transversely, even | | | | early 2000 Audi V8 engines are approximately 20.6 |
| after cutting the car severely in an attempt to make it | | | | inches long at the critical dimension, and about 29 |
| fit. | | | | inches wide, not including the headers, or other easily |
| As a Mechanical Engineer who happens to be a | | | | removed items. |
| mid-engine sports car nut, I became intrigued with the | | | | I purchased a 1997 Audi 4.2L V8 (engine code ABZ) |
| possibility of putting a V8 into my MR2 mark 2. With a | | | | and a transaxle, and started working on my project. |
| strong V8 engine, the MR2 would be transformed into | | | | Unfortunately, after much trial and error, I finally decided |
| a supercar, with supercar performance. The Fiero | | | | that the Audi V8 was not suitable for this engine swap. |
| guys have enjoyed swapping V8s into their cars for | | | | The problem laid in the fact that the engine was |
| many years. Fieros have an advantage over MR2s in | | | | always designed to be longitudinal. In my case, with a |
| that their engine compartment is wider allowing for a | | | | transverse layout, the right size axle had to run along |
| larger and longer engine, like a V8. Fieros and MR2s all | | | | side of the engine, and Audi did not design the engine |
| have transversely mounted engines. Another | | | | with that in mind, so there are large portions of the |
| advantage the Fiero guys have had is that the stock | | | | block in the way of that axle. The starter, oil filter |
| Getrag transaxle bolts up to a Cadillac 4.9 L OHV V8 | | | | cooler and engine mount are also in the way on that |
| from the late 1980's/early 1990's. The later Cadillac | | | | side, however, I did solve those problems. The nail in |
| Northstar also bolts up without an expensive custom | | | | the coffin of the Audi was the adaptor plate. I |
| machined adaptor plate. | | | | determined that the adaptor plate required some of |
| In late 2007, another V8 in a MR2 mark 1 (1st | | | | the mounting bolts to be located inside of the bell |
| generation) was completed by a guy in Europe. The | | | | housing, so it was impossible to tighten them. At that |
| car was crazy fast, and would do cookies at the drop | | | | point, I decided to change my approach and use a |
| of a hat. What fun! So, I took another hard look at the | | | | different engine. |
| prior attempts to install a V8 into the MR2 mark 2. | | | | Please stay tuned for the next in this series of articles. |