The latest V8 swap to bear this burden comes in the form of a supercharged 4.0L in a 1991 Toyota MR2. The owner is making a video series to document the build process, and has just gotten the car. The MC8-R was a heavily modified MR2 with a twin-turbo 4.0 liter V8 under the hood.
It had 600 horsepower and looked the part, but in 1995 and 1996 it was up against some of the toughest. Another reason for stretching the Toyota MR2 was the installation of the engine: a V8 1UZ-FE biturbo of 4.0 liters and 600 CV. However, it wasn't enough to take on some of the toughest Le Mans competitors like the McLaren F1, Kremer K8 Spyder, Ferrari F40 LM, Porsche 911 GT1 or the Viper GTS.
The Forgotten V8 Toyota MR2 GT1 Homologation Special Is Still In Use Today Built to allow the Toyota MR2 to take on Le Mans, the SARD MC8 is a curious homologation special. Another reason for stretching the MR2 was to fit a 4.0L 1UZ-FE V8, which at the time was found in the Lexus LS 400 and Toyota Aristo. It was a brave move from SARD, but a choice backed up by the reliability of the venerable quad.
SARD (Sigma Advanced Research Development) is a company and race team in Toyota, Aichi, Japan specializing in Toyota parts and vehicles. Back in the '90s they built several race cars based on a Toyota MR2 SW20 called the MC8. Mike_H on the MR2 forums has done the World's First V8 2nd gen MR2.
He used the Audi 4.2 V8 (engine code ABZ), and mounted it longitudinal. He used this engine because its around 6.5 inches SHORTER than the 1UZ. The Audi is 20.63 long, the 1UZ is around 27 inches.
V8 MR2 engine swap part 2 I decided to try to find a V8 engine that would fit the MR2 chassis without modification. This meant finding something close to the 3S in critical length. I knew the Fiero guys had been doing V8 swaps for many years (since the late 80's or early 90's), so I checked out the biggest Fiero forum to see what they were doing.
The drivetrain connection is my primary concern, does anybody know if Toyota uses the same transmission bell housing on it's trucks? That seems unlikely, but I wonder if any FWD gearboxes will bolt up to the Toyota V8, and what flywheels will bolt to the crank? For clearance, I might drysump the motor, to lower it down in the chassis a few inches. Based on the mid-engined Toyota MR2, the SARD team assembled the Le Mans prototype. The base of the compact car was stretched by almost half a meter, which, in addition to increased stability allowed the use of a 4-liter engine 1UZ-FE V8 from the prestigious Lexus LS400 and Toyota Aristo, pumped with with the help of two turbines up to a solid.
