In 1995, Deno Plumley signed up his father, Bruce, for an autocross event, effectively bringing his old man out of a retirement that had lasted two decades and across as many continents. He was also setting in motion a chain of events that would culminate in the build-up of one of the fastest supercharged MR2s this side of The Pond, as well as the first 3S-GTE-powered MkI MR2 in the world.
Bruce, a bookbinder by trade and a Briton by birth, instilled in his son an early love for all things automotive. By the time the family settled in Virginia in 1985, Plumley was 15 and already up to his eyes in racing, thanks to his father's heavy involvement in club rally. This was a debt he would repay almost a decade later with the impromptu autocross session.
"It was pretty funny," says Bruce. "He came walking up with this grin on his face after he went to sign in. I asked him what was so amusing and he told me he signed me up for the event. I didn't have any gear or anything. I just had to borrow his and I've been back into it ever since."
After the father/son combo ran a naturally aspirated 1986 MR2 into the ground, Deno found a 1988 supercharged two-seater for four grand and began tweaking. While satisfied with the car's handling, the little 4A-GZE nestled behind the seats soon began to show its limitations.
"The MkIIs just kept getting more and more powerful, and before I knew it, my buddies would pull away from me in the straights without a problem," says Deno. Unwilling to abandon his underdog MkI, he realized the 195hp 3S-GTE engine that was rocketing the MkIIs past him would fit in his own engine bay.
After a lot of head-scratching, measuring and worried looks from his wife, Deno ordered his own JDM MkII power plant, removed his not-quite-quick-enough 4A-GZE and went to work. After six engine in/outs and a ton of adjustments, the turbocharged 2.0-liter was tucked happily into the engine bay, bolted in place with custom engine and tranny mounts fabricated by his own hands. The world's first MkI.5 MR2 was born.
With a flair for fabrication, Deno built his own intake manifold. Using the stock flange as a template, a ported all-aluminum replacement arose from sectioned two- and four-inch tubing. The manifold is mated to a 70mm BBK throttle body from a 4.6-liter Mustang. Air comes in through a fully functional vent on the side. Most of the engine internals remain stock, with the exception of a set of HKS 272-degree intake and 264-degree exhaust cams that make the car burble at idle.
Not one to leave well enough alone, Deno replaced the stock turbo with a Mitsubishi 20G unit from a used GReddy kit. "I kept porting the thing until eventually the wastegate door fell out, bouncing all the way through the exhaust," he says. After hacksawing out what remained of the internal unit, he replaced the wastegate with a 35mm TiAL external job. Commanding the air-cramming fury is a Turbonetics manual boost controller that keeps the pressure at around 15psi for the street.
Deno learned that the stock ECU was governed at 120mph, so he ordered a Hydra Nemesis standalone unit to remove any unwanted restrictions and to tell his 550 cc/min fuel injectors when to squirt their go juice. A fuel pump from a 1995 Supra Turbo ensures nothing goes thirsty. Bryan Moore over at No Shoes Speed Works handled the tuning. The whole set-up is worth 341hp and a four-second-flat zero-to-60mph time. But in a flyweight T-top, getting those ponies to the pavement becomes a bit of an issue.
The 1991 MR2 Turbo E-153 transmission engages with help from an ACT six-puck copper-ceramic race clutch. A Kaaz limited-slip differential keeps both rear 17x9.5 custom Kodiak three-piece wheels spinning at the same speed and the 245/40/17 Yokohama Advan Neovas grip the ground. The front 17x7 custom Kodiaks are wrapped in 205/40/17 Yokohama Parada Spec 2s and do their best to point the red powerhouse away from rapidly approaching guard rails or Oldsmobiles.
With greater power comes a greater urgency to stop, a need satiated with 1988 VW Corrado G60 11-inch front rotors on all four corners. The cross-drilled discs are grabbed by Wilwood calipers in the front and '93 MR2 Turbo calipers in the rear.
Thank to Pop's bodywork, the car looks like the beautiful bastard child of a '91 Testarossa and a MkI MR2. Its fender wells bulge with sexy finesse to accommodate the oversized Kodiaks, helping turn the car from a dweeby secretary's ride into something Magnum P.I. wouldn't mind being seen in. Those familiar with MR2 internet forums will also recognize the 'Plumley mod', or the movement of the rear wing almost five inches back from the stock location, a change Deno claims to be noticeable over 80mph.