As a kid, you’re exposed to quite a few things that you dream about owning when you grow older. This could range from absolutely anything like a nice collection of Jordans, a fancy home with a swimming pool, some of you may have even dreamt about owning your own amusement park. As the possiblities are endless, probably one of the more common things that we’ve all dreamed about (child or adult) is what car we would like to own when we grow up.

With a “dream big” mentality and as cliche as this might sound, anything we set our minds to can definitely be accomplished. Such a statement is true with time and patience. Some also say that ‘Good things come to those who wait’. Realistically we can all agree that good things come to those who work their asses off and never give up.

A perfect example of “Good things come to those who work their asses off and never give up” is Revwerks captain Rhys Boulanger and his 1991 Toyota MR2.

At an early age of 16, Rhys started work on his first project car, a right hand drive Toyota MR2 that he picked up from a local shop here in Calgary, JDM Source. While other peers at the age of 16 were dreaming about high end exotics, Rhys kept a lower profile and sought after Toyota’s Midship Runner. After a year or so of driving his right hand drive MR2 however, Rhys came to the realization that what he really wanted was a left hand drive project. While still in love with the MR2, Rhys eventually found himself a LHD MR2 shell and his story began.

As mentioned before in other articles here on illmotion, through trial and error can one’s time and patience be really tested; it comes with the territory of having a project car. To make a long story short, Rhys’ MR2 project wasn’t an overnight success and went through a lot of trial and error to get to how it you see it today.

“Trial and Error” is stressed here due to the fact that this MR2 had a few incidents at the track involving things like engine bay fires and blown turbos. None of this of course, stopping Rhys from continuning to do work on this car.

Built with performance in mind, the 2nd Generation 3SGTE that keeps this MR2 going has been rebuilt twice and continues to be the beating heart of this vehicle. With performance goodness from HKS (Intake & Exhaust cams), Greddy (Intercooler, Catch Can), Blitz (850 injectors, Nur-Spec Exhaust) and much more, it’s no wonder that Rhys took his MR2 to the track with every available opportunity that he got.

A quick glance at the interior of this MR2 and it’s no surprise that comfort plays a role as a pair of Recaro SPG Profis and Schroth 3″ 6 point harnesses keep both driver and passenger bolted to their seats; no heads rolling here.

Having gone through about 5 sets of wheels in it’s lifetime, Rhys’s MR2 currently sits on an aggressive set of Advan RG-Ds wrapped in Dunlop Direzza Starspec tires. The stopping power of this beast is found as a Wilwood Big Brake Kit and Carbon Brake Pads bring this MR2 to a precise halt.

The exterior appearance of Rhys’ MR2 keeps heads turning with its low stance thanks to Buddy Club Racing Spec coilovers and JDM pieces such as the 94 JDM MR2 rear taillight conversion, Kei Office duckbill spoiler, Greddy sideskirts, and Shine Auto Carbon add-ons.

Throughout Rhys’s trials and tribulations with his MR2, his hard work definitely shows in all aspects of the vehicle, inside and out. Although having parted ways with his MR2 not too long ago, it’s only a matter of time until we see what Rhys has up his sleeve for his next “dream project”.

It’s because of Rhys’s patience and determination, that good things do in fact come to those who work their asses off and never give up; and this MR2 proves it.

|OWNER: Rhys Boulanger
|VEHICLE: 1991 Toyota MR2

|ENGINE & DRIVETRAIN:
Gen 2 3sgte
AEM EMS Series 1 ECU (Tuned by Tomak)
AEM Launch Control
TVIS gutted
Ford 70mm Mustang TB
Wolfkatz Fuel Rail
Blitz 850 injectors
Walboro Fuel pump
HKS 264 Intake and Exhaust Cam
Shimless bucket conversion
CP 9:1 pistons
Eagle Rods
Fidenza Cam timing Gears
Ferreia Stainless Steel Valves
HKS Valve Springs
Authentic Greddy Intercooler kit w/ Spal Fan
Berk Technology Cold pipe
Synapse BOV
Greddy Catch Can
Berk vacuum line kit
Borg Warner S256 Extended tip Turbo
EMS powered 3″ Downpipe
Tial 38mm VBand Wastegate
Border Racing Dual cone Induction Box
Kirkosaurus engine mount insert
ChrisK Intake Manifold, With Individual Velocity stacks
ARC 1.3 Bar Rad Cap
ARC Oilcap
Blitz Nurspec 3″ Exhaust
Gen 2 TRD LSD tranny
ACT Stage 3 Clutch
Lubromoly Tranny Fluid
Brass Shifter Bushings
B&M Short Shifter

|SUSPENSION:
Buddyclub Racing Spec Coilovers
Tein Adjustable Camber plates / Pillow ball mounts
TRD Bushings all around
High and Tight adjustable Endlinks
TRD Front and Rear swaybars
TRD Fornt and Rear Strutbars

|WHEELS & BRAKES:
Advan Racing RG-D wheels 17×9.5 (Rear) 17×8 (Front)
Project Kics R40 Locking lugnuts
Dunlop Direzza Starspec 245/40/17 Rear, 205/40/17 Front
Wilwood Big Brake kit
Wilwood UHP Kevlar/Carbon Pads
Wilwood SS brake lines
Jeggs Vacuum canister
94+ JDM Rear Brake Calipers

|AERO & EXTERIOR
Greddy Sideskirts
Shine Auto Carbon Rear Add-ons
MadPSI Type B Vented 100% Carbon Hood
Aerocatch Hood pins
VIS Carbon Trunk
Revwerks Carbon Radiator Cooling plate
JDM 1996 Clear front Corners
Rev 6 Projector Headlights
1994 Taillight conversion with JDM corners
APR Custom retrofitted GT-Spec Mirrors
Daie Motors Dry Carbon Front lip and Diffuser
XVRacing Carbon Engine LID
Kei Office Duckbill spoiler
Custom Carbon Inspection Panels
Pheonix power CF Shroud and SPal engine fans

|INTERIOR:
Recaro SPG Profi seats
Schroth 3″ 6 Point Harnesses
Bride LowMax seat Rails
ARC Titanium Shift knob
B&M short shifter
Redline suede w/ red stitching shift boot
Nardi Deep corn 350mm Hub
Works Bell Hub
Works Bell Quick Release
TRD Floormats
Custom Carbon Steering Column
Alpine M505 headunit
Ems powered MR2 sub box
MTX 300watt AM
Alpine Type E Sub
AEM Tru-Boost
AEM EGT Gauge
AEM Wideband UEGO
Cusco/Safety 21 four point Roll cage Custom Coated to match wheels

For more photos, check out the set HERE