How capable are mr2's on track

[sms14]

Just wonderd really as i now have a company car so was thinking of using my mr2(rev4 n/a) as a track car.... is it worth spending abit of money on it to improve the handling/braking, or would i be better off trying to sell up and start with something different?

Not fussed about straight line speed so wont be swapping in a turbo lump, id be really concentrating on brakes/tyres/suspension to make it better through the bends....its just something i want too enjoy really rather than spend a fortune on too get little results with.... so if anyone can offer up there opinion of how 2's fair on track with a few mods i would really appreciate it.

Cheers,

Sam.

[Tomiam]

Absolutely love my car on track!
Basic summary of work done would be:-
V6 transplant.
Brakes - Carbotech pads
Brakes - Goodrich Braided Lines
Brakes - Drilled & Grooved Discs
Suspension - Tein Super Street
Suspension - Camber Adjustment Bolts
Tyres - R888's - 235 on back.
Weight Reduction - Stripped 18.5 stone of stuff out / off the car.
Geometry - Got car set up at Wheels in Motion.

I make up a lot of time in the braking zones on a track day. R888's help a lot too, not just in corners but under braking.

In car footage from recent track day (this week).
http://s234.photobucket.com/albums/ee29 ... lerne1.flv

http://s234.photobucket.com/albums/ee29 ... lerne2.flv

I went quite extreme with weight reduction to get my car how I wanted it. Removed absolutely everything that weighed something and I didnt need. ie: Dash, heater, spoiler (which does nothing) + the usual stuff. ie anything which weighed something and wasnt needed came out. It was a massive difference between before and after & I much prefer the "after".

Its more nimble, you can brake later, better power toweight ratio etc. Last two track days Ive been overtaken once, and Im normally one of the quicker cars. Not THE quickest, but one of the quicker if that gives you an idea of comparison.

Hope this helps.

[tonigmr2]

You might want to see some videos of MR2s (NAs) out on track...if you do loads at www.mr2championship.com

[HighwayStar]

I think if you consider there's a race championship for almost standard cars now (just stripped with upgraded suspension and safety eqpt.) you'll have your answer.

R.

[Rogue]

Here's the first 167...

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_q ... ampionship



Patrick

[mattcambs]

In car footage from recent track day (this week).
http://s234.photobucket.com/albums/ee29 ... lerne1.flv

http://s234.photobucket.com/albums/ee29 ... lerne2.flv

As you were the one driving I take it your mate was the one waving the purple Light Sabre around?

[sms14]

Thanks for the replies guys its helped me make my mind up

[Tomiam]

In car footage from recent track day (this week).
http://s234.photobucket.com/albums/ee29 ... lerne1.flv

http://s234.photobucket.com/albums/ee29 ... lerne2.flv

As you were the one driving I take it your mate was the one waving the purple Light Sabre around?

Thats the Flux Capacitor which I fitted. At exactly 88 miles per hour it begins to slow time down for me, therefore appearing to decrease my lap times to anyone watching.

ps: Could also have been the sun on the camera..

[mattcambs]

Doh, stupid me. Why would you need a light sabre anyway. A Flux capacitor would be much more useful

[Lauren]

Thanks for the replies guys its helped me make my mind up

Don't worry about doing any mods to it. Make sure you have decent road tyres then spend your dosh getting out on track and getting a feel for the car.

[eRATic]

[quote="Lauren]
Don't worry about doing any mods to it. Make sure you have decent road tyres then spend your dosh getting out on track and getting a feel for the car. [/quote]

Err, i would at least make sure the brake pads are a good road/track pad, Carbotech or Ferodo and change the fluid. No point doing 3 laps and cooking your brakes.

When you become good enough to push the car beyond the limits of the standard set up then do the suspension and braces (braces will change the feel of the car) You can then have a lot of fun learning the car again.

[Lauren]

Err, i would at least make sure the brake pads are a good road/track pad, Carbotech or Ferodo and change the fluid. No point doing 3 laps and cooking your brakes.

When you become good enough to push the car beyond the limits of the standard set up then do the suspension and braces (braces will change the feel of the car) You can then have a lot of fun learning the car again.

Well obviously you'd check that everything was in good working order.

[steve b]

Err, i would at least make sure the brake pads are a good road/track pad, Carbotech or Ferodo and change the fluid. No point doing 3 laps and cooking your brakes.

Standards fine, did Colerne, Abingdon & Castle Combe this year in the MR2 on bog standard brakes international supplied OEM stuff and suffered no fade or any other brake problems.

At Abingdon I'm really hard on the car as I know it like the back of my hand and I'm usually in a massively faster car than the MR2, if the stock pads were not going to cope they'd be shown up here. I tend to do about 15/20 min at a time on track.

Sure Carbotech etc will offer better braking but OEM won't have an issue on a trackday as long as they are not on the way out already.

[mr2_mat]

A stock MR2 will be more than competent on the track. We have a Mk2 Rev 3 which we only got this year (I bought with a friend to use ONLY as a track car!)... The first two track days we did were with completely standard spec, no changes whatsoever!... this was fun, but the tyres were rubbish cheapo ones, so we had no grip whatsoever!...

Since then, we have made the following, simple mods:

1. Stripped out interior (carpets, sound proofing, passenger door card, roof lining, glove box - left in drivers door card and transmission tunnel cover due to the "comfort / practicality" aspect and number of switches on the drivers door)... I was truly shocked at how much MDF was in the boot area!

2. Uprated Brake Pads - we went for EBC Yellow Stuff - Although the standard road pads never suffered any noticable fade, I can deffinately say that the Yellow Stuff pads have made a noticable improvement.

3. Possibly the best upgrade... Toyo R888 tyres all round, standard 15" sizes... These alone have significantly improved the enjoyment that we have had on track - Some people prefer less grippy tyres, but having run two track days on cheap road tyres, and then changed to these and noticed the monumental improvement that they have made, we will not be going back!

All-in-all, I would deffinately recommend a Mk2 MR2 as a good, fairly cheap, track car.

[AAB]

I just did a day at Elvington airfield. It was lots of fun, and I just have the standard bits, standard brake pads and stuff. I'm glad I didn't spend money on tires, the outside front took some wear and tear. I'll look for some harder compound ones in future I think, the cheaper the better.

[Lauren]

I just did a day at Elvington airfield. It was lots of fun, and I just have the standard bits, standard brake pads and stuff. I'm glad I didn't spend money on tires, the outside front took some wear and tear. I'll look for some harder compound ones in future I think, the cheaper the better.

Or go on a proper circuit. The surface will be much kinder to your tyres, so although the initial cost is higher it works out much the same when you take into account tyre wear and airfields are terrible for that.

Also going on a circuit means you can use decent tyres as wear is less and you'll get more progressive handling as a result when compared to using TDF's (taiwanese ditch finders) on a poor concrete surface.

There are plenty of circuits which have plenty of run off too so that isn't really an issue. Also I find circuits far more enjoyable. I must admit though i'd never bother doing an airfield day thesedays.

[sms14]

It will most likley be castle coombe or silverstone for me tbh as there both about 40-50 mins away, probs be commbe for the first one in the 2

[steve b]

Not all Airfields offer bad wear, Tarmac ones no worse than real tracks, Abingdon & Colerne for example I found tyre ware no worse than Castle Combe or Goodwood.

[Tomiam]

Id echo that with Colerne. Just blasted around it on R888's and didnt have any tyre wear issues.
Of course, it also depends on driving style.

[AAB]

I knew Elvington had a reputation for eating tires. I also did a half day at Croft earlier in the year. The same ditchfinders were on it then too, and I always found them progressive enough- coming round Hawthorn under power, balancing between under and oversteer, and never a snappy moment, ever.

I'd certainly factor in the cost of a new budget front left tire if I go to Elvington again, and at £100 for a whole day, it's still a lot of fun. I enjoyed it a lot more than Croft, both because the open pit meant I could relax and go out when I felt like it, not when the schedule said so, and because I was able to experiment more with the limits- nothing but cones and grass as far as the eye can see.