It’s been over eighteen years since Toyota final bought a midship runabout two-seater, however that doesn’t cease a gaggle of devoted fans from assembly up yearly simply north of New York City for MR2 Bear Mountain. The occasion has been rolling robust since 1997 when a gaggle of 4 MR2 homeowners went for a drive collectively. These single-nameplate occasions actually develop the camaraderie and companionship that actually are one of the best components of the automotive neighborhood.
Friends you make within the automobile world may be mates for all times, and seeing them yearly at an occasion like this one is as near going to summer time camp as you may actually get as an grownup. And even higher, these MR2 people use their annual summer time camp trek to lift cash for the American Cancer Society. You get to have enjoyable whereas giving to a great trigger? Fantastic!
While the occasion began with simply 4 automobiles, it grew to round 180 automobiles in a pre-pandemic peak. This yr a wet forecast saved many from attending, however 109 automobiles nonetheless confirmed as much as courageous the rain and lift over $10,000 for most cancers analysis. The man who began what was then often called the Bear Mountain MR2 Meeting, Mr. Joel Pearlstein, died simply six months after the primary occasion, taken by an aggressive mind most cancers. Every yr since then the occasion has been devoted to his honor and has generated a whole lot of hundreds of {dollars} in donations.
Over the course of three days in late September on the Bear Mountain State Park, these fans go for drives, host a automobile present, throw a potluck barbecue, and simply typically dangle about and chat about automobiles, life, and the that means of each. With the park nearly 90 minutes north of Times Square, the group all the time takes a Friday evening jaunt into town. Saturday sees scenic drives within the Hudson River Valley, then the present and shine. Sunday is for breakfast and saying goodbyes. What a terrific, if exhausting, method to spend a weekend.
Unlike many of those single-model occasions, MR2 Bear Mountain doesn’t gatekeep the Celica or Supra homeowners. If you’re a Toyota sports activities automobile fanatic, you’re in all probability welcome. I guess they’d even enable the odd 2000GT or Lexus LF-A in the event you confirmed up in a single.
Next September you’ll in all probability wish to hang around with some extra MR2 people, and I’m positive the occasion would welcome a bunch extra attendees, so try the occasion’s web site, and get your mid-engine Toyota prepared for it.
Source: jalopnik.com