[Mk2] [Turbo] Driving tips

[Steve-O 2007]

Well my insurnace starts tomorrow and its the first time I have ever drove an MR2 Turbo and I was just wondering if you can give me some driving tips before I hit the road (mainly how to turn a corner without ending up in a field )

I will be driving safe so dont worry

First stop is Shell for some Optimax (or what ever its called). I know to make sure the car is warm (5 - 10mins of driving around) before going for big boost so thats ok

Thanks

[L0rdMike]

Think ahead and do your braking before the bend and keep it smooth while going round.

Keep the car balanced and you shouldnt go wrong.

[Steve-O 2007]

Think ahead and do your braking before the bend and keep it smooth while going round.

Keep the car balanced and you shouldnt go wrong.

so is it best to go round with some throttle keeping away from the boost zone?

I have Cusco coilovers all round and its sitting low so Im guessing handling will be better than standard.

[nakamura]

Make sure you have decent rear tyres. In fact all tyres. Thats so important. Watch out for roundabouts with funny camber, one in my area is dangerous at 10-15 mph in the mr2, it just loses front end grip. And be very carefull in heavy rain, and watch out for hitting max boost on a bend. Take time to learn the power delivery of the turbo. I had mine over a month before i grew confidence with it and i already owned the car 3 years in NA form so i knew it inside out.

Have fun!

[Martin F]

drop a gear before hitting the corner and only floor it when your straight....

[L0rdMike]

Think ahead and do your braking before the bend and keep it smooth while going round.

Keep the car balanced and you shouldnt go wrong.

so is it best to go round with some throttle keeping away from the boost zone?

I have Cusco coilovers all round and its sitting low so Im guessing handling will be better than standard.

Yep more or less. As you are starting then I would advise not to boost round bends just yet.

[mattcambs]

mainly how to turn a corner without ending up in a field

I am in no position to offer advise as I put my tubby into a field 2 months ago

Basically, in the wet/greasy roads be EXTREMELY careful and smooth with the accelerator. You simply cannot hustle the car like you can a FWD. Set the car up at the right speed before you enter the corner and keep a steady part throttle during the corner. In the dry you can smoothly accelerate after the apex and nail it once you're straight. In the wet I would wait until you are straight before giving it any beans at all - just to be on the safe side. Well, that's how I would do it next time

Enjoy

[L0rdMike]

watch out for hitting max boost on a bend.

You make it sound like it just happens with no control over it.

[nakamura]

watch out for hitting max boost on a bend.

You make it sound like it just happens with no control over it.

Many careless people have had this happen. People try to push the car too far and get busted.

[Martin F]

drop a gear before hitting the corner and only floor it when your straight....

lol...i was going to leave it for a while then answer more seriously.....

how many years driving have you had...?
any convictions...?
driven rear wheel drive before...?
how powerful a car / s have you owned...?


the mr2 is very similar to any rear wheel car in the sense it can be dangerous in the wrong conditions or inexperienced hands...

there's not much advice that can be given because off your age. you will be put in situations where your going to ignore all the advice given and there will be others where you will think "holly F, that was close "...its the same in any car while your growing up....

your basically 21 and driving a car that in my day would have been more powerful than the extreme "sierra cosworth" which will be a learning curve and to be put bluntly ....just down right dangerous.....


if it was up to me , no one with less than 7 years driving experience and below the age of 25 would or should be allowed to drive a car like this....lecture over

be careful in the cold, if it's raining then pretend your 80 and going blind and don't floor it coming off roundabouts / tight corners unless the sunshine is out and you know how to handle your car...

in the dry a decent 300 bhp mr2 will destroy almost anything and on country roads stick like glue...(well my one does, but reading a recent thread some disagree) so depends on the condition of the car c components...


good luck and enjoy.....and be safe


p.s. watch out for diesel

[Steve-O 2007]

how many years driving have you had...?
any convictions...?
driven rear wheel drive before...?
how powerful a car / s have you owned...?

3 Years 2 months

No.

Yes my car is rwd and my mum / dads car that I used to drive was rwd plus nearly all the cars I get to drive at work are rwd (M3's, M5's etc)

Current car is a Merc 190E, not the most powerfull car but still ok for the size, probably around 110 - 120bhp? Car before that was a Ford Maverick 2.7 TDI (cant remember bhp) but then I have drove Powerfull BMW's at work with 500 odd bhp standard.


Thanks for the advice, I will go slow and gradually speed up a little while getting use to it .

My first run out will be on a very quiet country road (so quite that you usually only pass 1 car in 10 - 15 miles if your lucky )

[Martin F]

how many years driving have you had...?
any convictions...?
driven rear wheel drive before...?
how powerful a car / s have you owned...?

3 Years 2 months

No.

Yes my car is rwd and my mum / dads car that I used to drive was rwd plus nearly all the cars I get to drive at work are rwd (M3's, M5's etc)

Current car is a Merc 190E, not the most powerfull car but still ok for the size, probably around 110 - 120bhp? Car before that was a Ford Maverick 2.7 TDI (cant remember bhp) but then I have drove Powerfull BMW's at work with 500 odd bhp standard.


Thanks for the advice, I will go slow and gradually speed up a little while getting use to it .

My first run out will be on a very quiet country road (so quite that you usually only pass 1 car in 10 - 15 miles if your lucky )

sounds like your going to have lots of fun and when the bug hits it,s going to cost you.........


in the sense , forgies, bigger turbo etc....


enjoy

[alanmr2turbo]

Driving a turbo aint exactly rocket science, If that's if it's driven correctly.

I have heard all these so called scary stories about how the MR2 Turbo is possesed by the devil and will try to kill you every time you get in it. Utter balls

If you drive it like you have taken your brain out before you got in it then expect to be saying hello to a lamp post or grass verge very quickly.

I,ve had mine over 6 months and to me it drives like any other RWD car. Drive it to the weather conditions and you will be fine, it just comes down to driving experience.

Alot of the scary stories come from people who in my opion do not tell the full truth of how the back end span around. STORY 'my backend just spun out on me going around an island at 10 mph' when what they should have wrote was.......' it was wet i was driving around an island then i floored it to early coming out of the island'

It aint nothing to do with the car itself.....................its down to the driver!!!!

[Steve-O 2007]

how many years driving have you had...?
any convictions...?
driven rear wheel drive before...?
how powerful a car / s have you owned...?

3 Years 2 months

No.

Yes my car is rwd and my mum / dads car that I used to drive was rwd plus nearly all the cars I get to drive at work are rwd (M3's, M5's etc)

Current car is a Merc 190E, not the most powerfull car but still ok for the size, probably around 110 - 120bhp? Car before that was a Ford Maverick 2.7 TDI (cant remember bhp) but then I have drove Powerfull BMW's at work with 500 odd bhp standard.


Thanks for the advice, I will go slow and gradually speed up a little while getting use to it .

My first run out will be on a very quiet country road (so quite that you usually only pass 1 car in 10 - 15 miles if your lucky )

sounds like your going to have lots of fun and when the bug hits it,s going to cost you.........


in the sense , forgies, bigger turbo etc....


enjoy

hehe Already planning that for next year LOL Whats the usual price for a full engine rebuild with performance internals so I can start saving ?


Well going out soon in it so I will let you know how I get on and the sun is out

Thanks

[Steve-O 2007]

just got back from my little drive and its amazing

Watched the boost guage and it goes to 0.5 bar at about 3,000 - 3,500 revs then once you hit 4,000 revs it shoots to 1.1bar (dont know if the boost guage is 100% correct as the HKS Controlller is set to 1.0bar) and just takes off.

going for a good drive in it now. will be back in a few hours

[Steve-O 2007]

Well Im back safe and it was great. Road was soaking wet but I took my time on the corners and I was fine.

If the car doesnt have a FCD fitted what would it do when I hit high boost (would it like bog down?) just trying to work out if I need one or not as sometimes the boost didnt feel very good and other times it was amazing (or maybe I was just in the wrong gear hehe)

I love the sound of the turbo. If the turbo kicks in slightly and you let go you get that fluttery sound but if you hit high boost and let go you get a nice short and not too loud dump valve noise.

Think I need a new thermostat sensor or what ever it is as my temp guage was going to the top / near the top and dropping back to half etc all the time or if it was at the top and I turn the car off and on again it will now be at half way. Theres no air in the system and the coolant is still full.

[Steve-O 2007]

ffs guess what I just found out that happened on my first day out driving....... I got a puncture in my brand new rear tyre!!! Luckilly it can be repaired but 2 inches to the left and I would have needed a new tyre Car looks stupid with the spare yellow wheel on

[dawolf]

Glad you're enjoying the car. Can't beat turbo power.

The turbo should start spooling up at about 2000rpm, the boost will gradually increase until about 3500-3700rpm then it will shoot up to max boost which is 1.1 bar on yours, should give a fair amount of kick. A de-cat will help it boost a bit quicker.

[jimGTS]

Think I need a new thermostat sensor or what ever it is as my temp guage was going to the top / near the top and dropping back to half etc all the time or if it was at the top and I turn the car off and on again it will now be at half way. Theres no air in the system and the coolant is still full.

that is very worrying...


i would not be driving the car if the temp gauge goes anywhere near past half way.

[skipp123]

Think I need a new thermostat sensor or what ever it is as my temp guage was going to the top / near the top and dropping back to half etc all the time or if it was at the top and I turn the car off and on again it will now be at half way. Theres no air in the system and the coolant is still full.

that is very worrying...


i would not be driving the car if the temp gauge goes anywhere near past half way.

same......

make sure its all 100% fine before u go booting it again as u could have the rebuild cost earlie....