How to distinguish UK car from imports

[Anonymous]

Hi,

I going to look at a couple of MR2's tomorrow that are being sold privately. How can I check to make sure the car is a UK car and not an import.  Any other tips on what to look out for would be welcome.  They are all 02 cars.

TIA,

Hector

[Slacey]

Badging is the only real clue, as EU imports didn't come with the Roadster badge on the right hand side; Jap imports will be badged as MR-S and have the 'Eagle' badge on the nose.
Other than that, there isn't really a lot else, and let's face it, the badges can be made to look right. I'd say the biggest clue would be the log book, but as long as the car was brought in by the individual or registered to the buyer from new, this won't help much either  s:? :? s:?  
If you really want to check, take the VIN number of each car and go to a Toyota dealer.. they will be able to tell without fail if the car is a UK or import model.

[markiii]

Well, assuming that it hasn't had changes made by the owner.

J-Spec has MRS not MR2 badging also has a Midship runabout nosebadge and wheel caps

Also has a square rear number plate holder.

Also has no 3rd 02 sensor after the main cat. This is going to be a major ballache to check.

Euro spec is identical to Uk except for no Roadster badge on teh rear, leather seats won't have the Roadster stamp in teh back  and it won't have the Sony double din size stereo fitted.

[Comer]

A dead give-away on a black car will be the cloth interior colour.  Black UK cars have red cloth interior whereas my EU import has black cloth.

[Anonymous]

Just talking about telling the difference between a Euro import (and Trade-sales) and a UK supplied car..

As Mark says... but the biggest giveaway will probably be the 3rd party alarm installation. It's very unlikely that a UK supplied car will have had the standard alarm/immob changed - I don't think anyone has done this?

I have technically have an import, which I bought from Trade-sales, but there isn't really any physical difference. I changed the number-plates (to lose the dealer stamp) and bought a Roadster badge anyway, just to fit in!   s8) s8)  

I guess knowing that it's a Euro import could give you a slight bargaining advantage.. but selling privately I wouldn't expect mine to sell for much less than a UK supplied car.

If you're looking at an 02, then there won't be any trouble with the warranty on a Euro car anyway, if this is your concern - as proven by the work quite a few of us have had done!

Good luck!
Tim.

[Jap GT300]

The Import odometer will show up to 180 mph.  Also when you turn the lights on, the rear will have four lit up (UK only has 2).

Also under the glove box & to the left handside of the passenger foot well you will see two clips.  This is because in Japan a legal requirement is to carry a roadside flare!  Of course we don't need these in the UK.

[Anonymous]

I seem to recall that Imported cars with leather trim dont all have the embossed MR2 insignia in the head rests....not sure if that is correct or not.

Also, Imports dont have the same Thatcham alarm, but not sure how you test that!

Radio/CD is the obvious one, as mentioned above.

Andrew

[Slacey]

I seem to recall that Imported cars with leather trim dont all have the embossed MR2 insignia in the head rests....not sure if that is correct or not.

Mine (EU import) has 'MR' embossed, I beleive the leather originated from France, which eould explain this.

Radio/CD is the obvious one, as mentioned above.

Yes, but a UK car could have had a single DIN conversion, as a lot of the members here have done.

The only failsafe method is the VIN checking as I mentioned above.

[Jap GT300]

I seem to recall that Imported cars with leather trim dont all have the embossed MR2 insignia in the head rests....not sure if that is correct or not.

True, non of the leather on imports is embossed.

[darrenjuggins]

Hi,

I bought min from Motor point.

to add to the other's comments, Cloth is a give away in the Silver as UK spec cars only have Red interior, but Belgium ones came with Black (in 2000 anyway), personally prefer the black as the red is a little bright! (Sorry any Red Cloth interior peeps!)

Radio....

The Alarm, I had a Sigma one fitted at Motorpoint and it has a module that fits in the OEM key, neat, but look out for a keypad inside which the UK one dosent obviously have.

Finally, euro imports will have a coin loder where the UK one has a less than useful alarm light on the right had side of the steering wheel.

Other than that they are identical.


All the UK franchiser does in the UK is fit the Double Din radio and also the leather seats and Roadster badge, which just distingusihes the cars.

Warranty is Full, so don't let any dealer tell you other wise.

happy shopping.

Cheers

Mr J

[Anonymous]

Wipers and indicator stick thingies on the wrong bloody side to UK, lost track of the times i've turned a corner and put the wipers on   s:oops: :oops: s:oops:  
The igntion key is just a normal key not like the UK with all it's elecrical wizardry.Also any warning stickers on the car won't make much sense if its a jap import, unless of course you can read japanese.

[darrenjuggins]

Hi Hector,

Just to Clarify.......

There are two types of Imports:

Euro imports - which are essentially idential to UK spec cars

Japanse imports - which turbo has

it would seem the Japanese import will be far easier to distingish....... obviously the Japanese one won't carr any warranty with it!

Cheers

Mr J

[Anonymous]

Wipers and indicator stick thingies on the wrong bloody side to UK, lost track of the times i've turned a corner and put the wipers on   s:oops: :oops: s:oops:  
The igntion key is just a normal key not like the UK with all it's elecrical wizardry.Also any warning stickers on the car won't make much sense if its a jap import, unless of course you can read japanese.

Not on the German one... Key fob is wireless for alarm and entry with 2 buttons. The sitcks are indicator and lights on the left, wipers on the right (same as my other non toyota car).

My driver position is on the left of course. The door lock, window lock dash brighness and dumb coin holder on the left of the steering wheel, the alarm light and microwave send er on the right.

The pasenger air bag can not be disabled (Can it on a UK spec???). Alarm is not under the spare but somewhere under the front and bloody loud :0

As for the badges, I had no Roadster badge, but have now and the Toyota Hat is in the normal place (but mines been swapped out for the Eagle head.

Radio is a 2 din size as I have the TNS 200 navigation system. Standard radio is 1 din from Toyota, but there are several options, all Toyota branded.

Cant think of any other obvious differences, except my handbook is German.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for all the tips. I'm sure they're both genuine UK cars, but I should now be able to identify if they're not.

Cheers,

Hector

[Anonymous]

Hi Hector,
Having just bought a very nice right hand drive Euro import (originally from Belgium) and agreeing with most of the other things that have been said about them so far (I asked the folks here before I bought mine!) All I would add is that if you look at the service manual on page 1 it should have the supplying dealers stamp which should help.

I also went to my local garage and had them check the VIN number. With my car they were able to tell me that it wasn't a UK,US or Japenese car and that it was therefore an EU import of some sort although not where it came from.

Mine too has the coin holder, a single radio/cassete and seperate CD player and a Toad alarm. I would say that the badges on mine appear identical to the UK models

Good luck with the car hunting   s:D s:D  
Blackrat

[heathstimpson]

A dead give-away on a black car will be the cloth interior colour.  Black UK cars have red cloth interior whereas my EU import has black cloth.

I believe you can select black instead of red if required. On the 2003 they suggest red but I went for the black leather. Maybe early models did not have this option  s:?: :?: s:?: