What is OKMOC?
OKMOC, literally, is Oklahoma MR2 Owners Club, and is an organization of owners of all three generations of Toyota MR2s - the MK1, the MK2 and the MK3 Spyder. It was the brainchild a few MR2 owners from Oklahoma City, who under the notion that almost every other state had an MR2 Club, decided to create one for themselves. Founded in March of 2003, the club is relatively new, but has already attracted a few members - and that number is expected to grow.

Who can join?
You don't have to own an MR2 to join the club - though it may help to have one if you plan on attending some of the meets. Infact, any fan or enthusiast of the MR2 can join the club. However, it's assumed that a bulk of the members would be MR2 owners themselves.

Why join?
The number one reason would be because you love your car. Past that, there are a number of other reasons to join. We meet periodically for various things - to grab a bite to eat, discuss the cars, cruise around or maybe have fun at the tracks. Another benefit of joining would be the fact that more information about your car would be readily availible. Maybe your confused about something, curious, or your car isn't running right. Club members and board members are useually more than willing to help out another owner.



What's an MR2?
The MR2 is a sports car, designed by Toyota, that has been in production since 1984. It didn't see US shores until 1985, however, with the release of the Mark1 AW11. The car followed in the footsteps of cars before it - mainly the mid-engine FIAT's of the 70's - but styling cues can be seen from Ferrari and Lamborghini all the same. The name, while officially declared by Toyota to mean "Mid-engine Runabout Two Seater" is more commonly known as "Mid-engine, rear drive, 2 seater" by the owners and enthusiasts of the car.

The first generation MR2, the Mark1 or AW11, was released in the United States in 1985 to great acclaim. Rumor persists that the car was designed by Lotus - though neither Toyota nor Lotus deny or uphold the claim. (In truth the design was solely Toyota's idea - and the suspension and chassis engineering was almost wholly Lotus. In a trade for Lotus teaching Toyota performance secrets, Toyota was to teach Lotus how to build reliable quality cars. The friendship derived from this joint-effort was short lived; when Lotus joined up with GM Toyota backed down.) It was extremely quick for the day (esp. for a 4-cylindar) and won many awards from the press and car critics, and has more than once seen the title of "Import Car of the Year". The car's focus was mainly on road and cornering stability, with a near perfect weight distribution. It achieved this by placing the engine in the back, between the axles, and using lightweight 4-wheel independent strut suspension. In 1987 the car recieved subtle styling changes making it appear more aggressive, stronger engine and internals, and the T-Top option. A year later, in 1988, the car received a massive power boost when the Supercharged MR2 was released. The Supercharged MR2s are the fastest production cars in the world from 0-30 MPH, even beating the Ferrari F40 in bottom-end acceleration.

In 1990 the Mark2, also called the SW20, was released. The initial styling options were T-Tops, Sunroof, and Hardtops on the exterior. On the interior side you could choose a 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic with leather or cloth interior, as well as several sound system choices. During the first few years of the Mark2's life the suspension was criticized for being too twitchy - but by 1993 all of the suspension bugs had been worked out and the car handled almost as well as the first generation MR2. It is apparent, however, the the Mk2's focus was more on power and styling than the previous generation (which attracted a slightly different fan base - not a bad thing). The engine options for the Mark2, during the whole of its life, included two naturally aspirated engines; the 5SFE and the 3S-GE, and the highly sought after 3S-GTE (which was only availible in manual). The 3S-GTE was a turbo-charged, DOHC, inline 4 cylindar that produced approximately 200 HP and 200 ft-lbs of torque and the stock block could easily handle 500 HP. The 3S-GTE combined with the SW20's road gripping chassis and Toyota reliability would send it breathing down the necks of the 300 HP Japanese cars (RX-7, Supra, Skyline) for years to come. Production of the Mark2 halted in 1999 - but Toyota stopped importing them to the US in 95 due to poor sales.

The MR-S was first unvealed at the 1997 Tokyo Motor show as the successor to the MR2, which had seen a sharp sales decline since 1995. However, retail sales didn't start until 1999 after several minor design changes. The MR2 Spyder, or MR-S as it's known overseas, put emphasis on chassis rigity over engine power - therefore no supercharged or turbo versions are yet availible (though TRD does sale a turbo kit). The cars lightness was a design priority and the vehicle achieved a weight of only 2200 lbs. Unlike the generations of MR2s before it, the Spyder is given a completely different character - placing much more emphasis on the driving experience over the cars power. It takes full advantage of the mid-engine layout by eliminating the small rear trunk space used in both previous generations, and is perhaps one of the best road-handling cars ever built. The engine is the same IZZ-FE engine used in the Celica, and is equipped with VVT-I technology, and produces near 140 HP@6400 RPM and 125 Ft-lbs of torque@4400 RPM. Though it is clearly the successor to the Mk2, whose emphasis was more focused on performance derived from power, the Spyder is more like the antithesis of the MK2, returning to the roots of superior road handling and quick, nimble response.