Are you a fan of Ferraris from the 1990s and their wedge-shaped designs? Can't afford one? Well, someone is selling a Toyota MR2 that's been rebodied to look like an F355 GTS and it doesn't look bad at all. And it costs $16,000, a fraction of what you can expect to pay for a used Ferrari F355 in 2020. But is it worth it?

From afar, this fake F355 GTS looks authentic enough. The buyers says that the conversion was done by Extreme Cars from the U.K. and that it's "an exact copy of the original 355." It comes with vents in the lower doors, a correct shape for the roof and the rear hood, and Ferrari badges that look as real as they get.

But you still have to give the builder credit for putting a lot of effort in replicating all the details. The front bumper lights and the taillights look like the rear deal, while the five-spoke wheels replicate the original rollers in just about every detail. The car also features red-painted brakes with Ferrari branding, while the yellow paint is almost identical to what Ferrari offered back in the 1990s.

But the similarities end here. Inside the cabin, the car is still a Toyota MR2, albeit with some updates. It features sportier seats and a sportier steering wheel, but other than that, it's just a regular MR2. There's no Ferrari engine under the rear hood, but it's not an MR2 unit either. The third-gen MR2 was powered by a 1.8-liter four-cylinder rated at 138 horsepower, but the owner says this fake F355 GTS features a "JDM turbo motor shipped in from Japan." No word on power, but it's probably higher than the original MR2. The engine was shipped with 25,000 miles on it and the owner says the car hasn't been driven since the conversion was finished.

Except for a few panel gaps, it looks like a solid built. And while it's not an authentic Ferrari, it could fool a lot of people that don't peek inside the cabin or under the hood. Sure, you're better off with an original F355, but at $16,000 this replica cost just a fraction of the price. An original GTS will set you back between $50,000 and $80,000 depending on mileage and condition.

What is a Ferrari F355?

Ferrari introduced the F355 in 1994 as a replacement for the 348. It was actually a heavily revised 348 and was offered in three body styles: Berlinetta (coupe), GTS (targa top), and Spider (convertible).

The F355 featured a 3.5-liter V-8 engine rated at 375 horsepower and 268 pound-feet of torque. The Italian sports car needed 4.6 seconds to hit 60 mph on its way to a top speed of 183 mph. The F355 series spawned a race-ready Challenge model, as well as a limited-edition Fiorano version with Challenge-inspired updates. The F355 was discontinued in 1999.


Engine

3.5-liter V-8

Horsepower

375 HP

Torque

268 LB-FT

0 to 60 mph

4.6 seconds

Top Speed

183 mph


Read our full review on the Ferrari F355

What is a Toyota MR2?

The MR2 nameplate surfaced in 1984 as a mid-engined, RWD sports car. Called the W10, the first-gen model was produced until 1989 with a selection of small-displacement four-cylinder engines, with the most powerful generating 145 horses. A second-gen model, the W20, followed from 1989 to 1999 with 2.0- and 2.2-liter engines. In the United States, the MR2 Turbo featured a turbocharged four-cylinder mill good for 200 horsepower.

The final iteration was produced from 1999 to 2007, this time around as a two-door convertible. The W30 is often viewed as a competitor for the Mazda MX-5 Miata. The third-generation was offered with just one engine, a 1.8-liter four-cylinder, rated at 138 horsepower and 126 pound-feet of torque. Depending on transmission choice, the MR2 W30 could hit 60 mph in as quick as 6.8 seconds.


Engine

1.8-liter four-cylinder

Horsepower

138 HP

Torque

126 LB-FT

0 to 60 mph

6.8 seconds


Read our full review on the Toyota MR2