This Stretched Toyota MR2 Is Powered By A Supercharged Audi V8

As noted in our recent SW20 Toyota MR2 buyers guide, the second-generation Mister Two is a great platform for modifications. The stock turbo and internals are good for 300bhp, and with further upgrades, impressive power outputs are easily achievable.

Marty Sweatt’s MR2 makes around 400bhp, but you won’t find the original inline-four in its engine bay. Nope, there’s a 4.2-litre V8 from an Audi Allroad, further boosted by a supercharger. We’re thinking of it as a home-brewed R8.

And no, your eyes aren’t deceiving you - there is something a little different going on with the body. Sweatt had to extend the MR2’s wheelbase by 260mm to fit the new engine longitudinally in a car that was only ever designed to take a small power plant mounted transversely. The V8, by the way, is hooked up to a three-speed automatic transmission from an Audi 5000.

As you’d imagine, this was a staggeringly labour-intensive thing to do. As such, the ‘Typhoon’ as Sweatt calls it has been four years in the making. He’s only recently completed it, or at least, as finished as a project car will ever be. No doubt there will be tweaks further down the line.

What’s particularly impressive about the build are all the extra little details Sweatt has worked on. There are new intakes behind the rear three-quarter windows, and two servo-assisted panels on the rear deck that open to keep the engine cool. Elsewhere, there are electric folding mirrors with indicator signals embedded in the glass and puddle light projectors.

At the front, the original pop-ups are present and correct, but they now house LEDs. Inside, the MR2 is a lot more luxurious than it was from the factory, with electrically adjustable leather bucket seats and an infotainment system working together with a rear-view parking camera.

There are plenty more videos from the build than the two we’ve embedded here, so be sure to head over to Marty’s YouTube channel to get some idea of the years of hard work that went into building the car.

Source: YouTube via Engine Swap Depot