Fastest MR2 in UK?

[RichardPON]

I dont get it to be honest, who cares about the fastest MR2 in a straight line? Surely if straight lines were your thing you wouldnt be messing around with a mid engined car in the first place?

Its like finally getting a date with a gorgeous girl you have been chasing for ages and then taking her to Burger King!

Building a 10s MR2? rev1 tubby, stripped to the bone, 200 shot Nitrous, GT35 @ 2 bar, Forged Pistons, Cheap ECU with a WOT map (probably detting its head off) and Drag Slicks. Why hasnt anybody done it yet? Because its pointless and anyone with enough intelligence to earn enough money to do it has enough inelligence to realise that its not worth doing

Neil.

Couldn't agree more.

Plus, there isn't anywhere near the level of competitiveness for drag, top speed, or track/time attack that there is in most of the other major owner's clubs.

Could possibly be that no major tuner caters for the car in the same way that other marques are catered for....

[EarL]

The thing thats been over looked by all but a few is the title of the thread. "The Fastest MR2". That would suggest a car that is quick in all situations, not just in a straight line as both Jonno and Andy F have pointed out.

My car for example will be well capable of being an absolute nutcase in a straight line (god knows what times it'll produce), but it's being built to go round corners and stop quickly as well.

A well balanced car that's capable of being FAST in all situations.

Thats what tuning the MR2 is all about.

[copie]

Alfa MR2, its sitting in a barn in kent, in lots of bit's i know this cause half of the enigne is in my work shop. it set those times in japan got here and had lots of problems so the guy who owns it is changing a load of stuff to make it a bit more reliable and repairing the broken bits. Just keep your eye's open it will be back and all the work would of been done in the uk to get it back out.

It was going to be taking part in Ten of the Best cause i was going to pay to enter it, but then it broke. Was a big shame.

[Driftlimits Performance]

headgasket went yeah?

[copie]

Thats the one, pain in the bloody ar$e pushing it about at the nec for max power.

[tonigmr2]

The truth is that the MR2 is not a 'prestige' car like the Skylines and Evos of this world, or even the Supras, so big tuners are not as interested. That's a shame, but it's not like we don't have MR2 specialists around this forum who can't address that.

But you are talking a lot of money even if you're the kind of person who can do a lot yourself - the parts aren't cheap and you'd probably still need an experienced mapper...plus re-visiting them and fine tuning it gets expensive (believe me I know!)

T

[Gordy]

Could possibly be that no major tuner caters for the car in the same way that other marques are catered for....

I think it's because the MR2 is generally a lower price car to buy in the first place and therefore appeals to people with other things to spend their money on or people on a lower budget for whatever reason. Lower amounts to spend usually means lower specs or things done over a longer timescale.

[Red_Turbo]

When i think of the fastest MR2 in the UK im personally thinking of a 1/4ml because when i speak to my friends about their cars we all speak about what the car is capable down the strip, not a circuit. the main reason for this is that every track is designed differently so we obviously cant compare track times all over the country!

i didnt buy my car thinking it was going to be great round corners etc and on a twisty road because it isnt, my last car, a peugeot 406 with coilovers on and 18"lightweight wheels would leave the MR2 on corners! but the MR2 down a straight is very quick and stays with cars like my dads £20k scooby sti and my mates £15k BMW M3 etc so thats the area im more concerned with, i dont want to be level with these cars i want to leave them! the MR2 is great on track in my experience but not on twisty roads, too lethal.

Red_Turbo

[Mikejc]

Trust me when I tell you that you are very much wrong when you say the MR2 doesn't handle. If you think a 406 handles better you either have a poorly set up 2 or you simply don't know how to drive it

Mikejc

[Red_Turbo]

And the only table the club shows in its tool bar is a 1/4ml table which shows the competiveness people feel about achieving a good time!! imagine what it would feel like to have just run a 10sec 1/4 or an 11, pretty good i reckon!!!

Im surprised fensport havent help make a fast MR2 yet? if they have i havent seen/heard about it. they seem to be a pretty wealthy toyota tuning company in this country.

Cant wait to see what the alfa MR2 will do!

Red_Turbo

[Red_Turbo]

Trust me when I tell you that you are very much wrong when you say the MR2 doesn't handle. If you think a 406 handles better you either have a poorly set up 2 or you simply don't know how to drive it

Mikejc

No i know what you mean, i think it handles "good" but even other ones i have driven dont seem to compare to scoobys/evos and very well set up fast front wheel drive cars - with coilovers, lightweight rims etc because they can accelerate out of corners without risk of oversteer unlike my 2. And not wanting to come off sounding like a big headed xxxx! but i know how to drive

i was having some fun with a mate in his 230bhp Renault 5 last nite which is quicker than my MR2 to 80 by a car length then i pass him like hes standing but around roundabouts at that speed even the R5 is faster round them because of the oversteer!

Red_Turbo

[Mikejc]

Something else over looked so far..... an MR2 with enough grunt to cover the 1/4 in 10 or less is going to require a huge turbo, which in turn equals a lot of lag. This kind of makes the car a bit of a one trick pony and something I wouldn't be able to live with on the road!

Mikejc

[Mikejc]

Again I disagree. I would take oversteer instead of understeer everytime. I often use the back wheels to steer the car, unlike understeer where you just have to lift off all the time

The MR2 is a well balanced car and with a little help in the suspension department can out grip all but a few rwd cars and give 4wd drive cars more than a good run for their money. But I think the MR2 commands a lot of skill when on the limit and this is why many people, who lack that skill write them off as bad handling cars!

Mikkejc

[Red_Turbo]

Haha! I agree with you when it comes to track racing as my MR2 was amazing in the bone dry condition!! but where i live - suffolk (tractor land) the very twisty tight roads with uneven camber i would rather be in a 4wd or fwd car suffering understreer where you know your on the limit safely than my MR2 sliding slightly round the corners waiting to his a pooh splat from a horse!!! i think its a good car driving on the limit but feel in standard trim with only larger wheels with lower profile tyres , driving anywhere other than fully committed it catches you by surprise a lot!

i took a renault megane 225 out the other day and thought then i could have this in a straight line but the handling was awesome and i knew then i would struggle against one if i race it round the twistys!

thats why i would concentrate on a crazy 1/4ml car than a good all rounder as i think this is the cars best aspect for me and my situation. i think most people realise that a 10sec 1/4ml car is going to be a bit of a chore to drive to work everyday!!

Red_Turbo

[scotiamr2t]

mikejc,
never have i heard truer words spoken! i track my car a fair bit and give it a good thrashing down country roads, and IMO + others it handles superbly.

it took alot of experimentation with the suspension set up, changing castor, camber, toe, ride height, rebound rate etc on the front, and changing the rebound rate, toe setings on the rear to get it where it is today. i have had my mates who own evo's etc out in the car on the road and track and they were gobsmacked at how well it handles through the corners.

as long as you spend time setting the suspension up properly and have a resonable ammount of talent behind the wheel, the the mr2 is a pretty rewarding car to drive on the track. the oversteer problem only ever really occurs when people become a little overzelous with the accelorator when exiting corners. i myself often deliberately swing the rear out a bit and its very controlable as long as you are smooth an steady with the throttle, also alot of people tend to panic when the back steps out and throw the steering wheel all ways resulting in them spinning

[70by]

if you can drive an mr2 fast you CAN drive,its a fact,we wear it like a badge! evo's and scoobys are idiot proof, you can get straight out of a 205 and drive a scooby like you stole it! i really do wish a company like fensport would get involved with the mr2 though,never mind if it ruins the handling, or makes it a weekend car. IT WILL DO 9 SECONDS, or 10.2 8 YEARS AGO!

[Driftlimits Performance]

Man, I opened up this thread and all I could smell is bullsh*t

a peugeot 406 with coilovers on and 18"lightweight wheels would leave the MR2 on corners!

=D>

Classic.

ahhh, ohh, I've gotta go a calm down, try and stop laughing

[Red_Turbo]

at the end of the day i think my mr2 is a very good car but hope i can improve on the handling because it feels like a weekness in standard form mind you the car is 14 years old now. i see how much work people have done to now enjoy the cars handling and make it more controllable and im prepared to do so. already on the H&T poly urethane bushes group buy and will get the tein coilover set up over winter with adjustable top mounts to set the car up how i like to drive it and yes that will include steering from the rear. its already had full geometry set up for fast road which will be checked again once the teins get fitted.

a note on the 406 which is making people laugh, that was a project of mine with over 200bhp 2.0Turbo completely stipped with about 1.5k worth of coilovers and other suspension components as well as lightweight 18x8" rims and goodyear eagle f1 tread all round, not cheap. it surprised everyone who ever went in it and showed up so many cars. im not some young lad who hasnt got a clue, i know what im doing and my cars are my life.....

Red_Turbo

[70by]

my mate used to have a 405mi16,thought it was the quickest thing on the planet he now drives a 535 auto bmw, still thinks its quick! poor fools.

[nakamura]

I only have an na and i dont push it to the limit much but when i do i love the feel of it on the twisties. Coz of the ride height it feels so planted on the ground although it can bite if yr not careful. Ive driven a fair few jap cars and mine is the slowest but the most fun to drive by a mile.

Martin.