This Car Is Called The Poor Man's Ferrari (And Here's How Much It Costs)

The Ferrari models of the 1990s were stunning, with their aerodynamic wedge-shaped bodies, pop-up headlights, and dramatic fender louvers. The 512, the 348, the MR2... Wait, that last one is a Toyota. Honest mistake; the second-generation Toyota MR2 has been compared to a Ferrari since it arrived in 1991, as it often came in red and featured the same wedge shape and stylish, racing-inspired features. 

The second-generation Toyota MR2 was an aesthetic upgrade from the first-generation — larger, heavier, and curvier. The side gills, extra sharp lines throughout, and tail made it a lot sportier, often getting compared to the Ferrari 348. While similar in looks, however, the two were in wildly different price ranges.

The Ferrari 348 had a starting price of around $95,000 when it debuted in 1989 (about $253,000 in today's money). In comparison, even the Turbo version of the second-generation MR2 was much more affordable, just about $20,000 in 1991 (almost $50,000 today). Today, you can find MR2s for $15,000 to $30,0000, while the average price for a 348 is over $105,000 (which to be fair is on the cheaper side for a Ferrari). The MR2 didn't have the prestige of the 348, but it was still referred to as the "Poor Man's Ferrari" due to the similar looks — and the driving experience wasn't that bad either. 

The second-generation Toyota MR2 arrived in the United States a bit larger than the original, and it needed some extra power to make up for it. It was offered with a 2.2-liter engine producing 130 horsepower as well as a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine producing 200 hp. This made the MR2 not just comparable to to the Ferrari 348 due to its looks, but its performance as well. The MR2 Turbo could spring to 60 miles per hour in 5.8 seconds, nearly as fast as the 348's 5.6 seconds; the MR2's top speed was 150 mph while the 348 was able to reach 171 mph. 

But car enthusiasts know that performance goes beyond the numbers. With improved suspension and wider tires from the previous generation, the second gen of this mid-engine, manual sports car was a blast to drive. In a 1991 review, Car and Driver called it a "delightful enthusiast's car" due to its responsive handling. The review went on: "It just gets down and rips, especially when it's doing what mid-engined cars were created for: powering hard out of a fast bend, with the weight squarely planted on the drive wheels and the engine at full cry shoving against the small of your back."

And it still holds up today. A review from The Drive in 2022 said driving the second-generation MR2 was a soulful experience. The sound, control, and tendency to snap oversteer just made the entire drive feel like "raucous fun." A car doesn't need to cost six figures to do that — let's hope the rumored MR2 revival remembers that.