DAYZEE

The 94+ MR2 Turbos are all 240BHP, uk or import. The turbo's before that were 220bhp.
N/A MR2's are the same, 158BHP before 94 and 174 after.
Although all the American MR2 turbos were 2.2, 200BHP?!?

I've seen one do 0-60 in 4.9 secs with 260BHP, perfect launch though.

[Edited by DAYZEE - 3/1/2002 12:04:45 AM]

bren@apex

iTrader: (20)

Ive been toying with the idea of getting an MR2 turbo and from what I can gather the earlier versions (89-91) have pretty evil handling. Toyota made a number of modifications to the later models including moving the engine in the bay in a (sucessful by all accounts) attempt to reduce its 'rear endyness'!!

My friends got a later n/a version and hes never had any issues with the handling, in fact he swears by it!

Ive seen a 300bhp (claimed) version do 0-60 in a smidgin over 4 secs.

Whilst looking for one I found a early Turbo with a claimed 340bhp thats apparently quicker than the owners friends 400bhp Sapphire Cosworth. Make of that what you will but even if the Cossys got more like a genuine 360bhp it still makes the MR2 a very very rapid car!!

Bren



[Edited by bren - 3/1/2002 8:11:29 AM]

ScoobyDoo555

WOW!!!!

Was driving down a long straight road in my standard UK 5dr, when I overtook a slower car. Realised that a white MR2 (turbo, hopefully) was right behind me (in the boot really!!![img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]), so I booted it.....and it stayed with me, right up to 80Mph. I eased off the pedal, and it went past me like I was stood still!!!!!

I slowed back down (not a speed freak, before all the righteous sandle-wearing hypocrites get on their soap boxes!!!) and it was gone.

VERY impressed...... but what are they like on twisties and wet?

Dan (slightly humbled!!)

Yorkie

Dan

You did right to let him go, I assume it was the last model MR2 (ie the tarts car shape). I think they are very dangerous if pushed through corners because of the mid engine configuration. Mid engined cars spin like a pirouette on ice when traction is lost. Not only that, I'd like to think that if (heaven forbid) I was involved in a head on smash, there is a large engine lump at the front thats going to absorb the impact before it reaches me !
Not so in the Toyota I imagine a turbo MR2 is fast.....In a straight line when its bone dry

CraigH

Or you could say a front engined car could have it's engine pushed into you?.....

MR2 Turbos are v quick.

Handling wise, I think they need a fair bit of skill and can be a little evil. Being understated

Dream Weaver

Careful Yorkie

Well I own a late spec MR2 (MY94), and think it is the absolute dogs danglers. They are certainly not slow contrary to PB, you just have to know how to drive them. 174bhp, 0-60 in 7-odd secs. They remind me of VTecs. The power comes on at 3500 and boots right up to 7200 without stopping. At about 5000 it really picks up and fly's.

With regards handling, in the dry they are awesome. I did the Snake Pass last week and it was superb. I took some bends far faster than I should have but it just sticks. However....in the wet you have to give them respect, but it is a great feeling power sliding the rear around sweeping bends

Great car, turbo is mental and fast - just wish I could insure a turbo.

Ask anyone who was on NM5 what they reckoned to mine I could keep up with the Scoobs in a straight line (nearly ) butI have to go into bends slower - makes them more fun to drive though - unlike Scoobs you can reach the limit sooner so have to be more skilled .

Also of note, the shape of them makes them quick at high speed.

DW

Yorkie

I had a hard frontal impact in my 205 GTI ten years ago when some t**t was on my side of the road around a fast bend. The engine absorbed most of the impact and didn't intrude into the cabin. Vauxhall Nova that hit me was crushed to **** and badly injured driver (smaller engine loadsa space under bonnet, crumple zone greater). I got away with a bruised knee from steering column.
Now if there hadn't been an engine there in my car........
Anyway, this is digressing from the original thread, sorry

CraigH

Or you could say a front engined car could have it's engine pushed into you?.....

MR2 Turbos are v quick.

Handling wise, I think they need a fair bit of skill and can be a little evil. Being understated

MarkJackon

I hankered after one for a while but looked at a few websites set up by owners of MR2 turbos, a lot of them featured before and after crash pictures which made me think !

Watch out for the new MR2 Scooby boys cos they are fairly rapid, I had a go agianst one thinking that My T5 would murder it, er No, very little in it, you may have to work harder than you think.

Yorkie

DW

I'm only going on what I have read in magazines M8 , particulary comments made in the late Performance Car mag. I nearly bought one several years ago. In the right hands any performance car is quick on our roads and despite what anyone says Scoobys are not as invincible as they seem behind the wheel on public roads.

Yorkie

IWatkins

Some of the import turbos are 240bhp standard and can easily be tweaked up towards 300bhp. RWD without the drivetrain losses of 4WD and they fly.

"Borrowed" one for a few days and was very impressed. This particular one howled on full chat, very addictive.

Treat with respect (being RWD) and they can corner very quickly, you just need some skill, unlike a Scooby

LEE P

Scoobydoo555 your supposed to take it out of 5th when you boot it from 50mph LOL and it would pass you if you let off!
If you didnt notice him till he was right behind you he might of had a run up on you which does make it that bit easier.
i had one of these MR2's, a 95M reg, it did handle very well in the dry with the yoko's on, in the wet if you bottled it and backed off the gas into a corner it would induce nice slides going in and yee haa coming out! it was quite unpredictable though when you wanted it sideways it dug in, and when you were minding ya own busines like in asda car park you would end up trying to catch the ******! used to love my T-bar on the summer nights!
must of bee tweaked tho my scoob feels like it has more punch IMHO.

Jolly Green Monster 2

I had a 1992 MR2 Turbo running about 250bhp...(Standard are about 200bhp, from 1994 they are 235bhp standard)

In standard trim it was acceleration wise to the limiter (112mph)
exactly the same as my mates (three of them) Impreza's.. 2*MY97 and an MY98..

I then upped the boost with a bleed valve and could go past them

Handling was very good.. you have to drive it and I had a few scarey moments but I could keep up with the Impreza's through the twisty bits too....
I had to work a lot harder to keep the car on the road but it was a pleasure to drive.. powerslides were lovely.

The car seems to have a really bad repretation with the Performance car crowd... dunno why? but as a result it is very much under-rated!

You have to respect the usualy rearwheel drive mid-engine handling rules... don't what ever you do take your foot off the throttle mid-bend.. took a bit of getting used to easing off the throttle only when the back stepped out or holding the throttle...

I am starting to get bored with the Impreza's handling now... it is just too easy to go fast... need more of a challenge...

The current price of MR2 Turbo's mean you get so much car for your money... but you only get two seats and a small boot...

Squizz

Dan - Letting him go was the wise thing to do.

Karen's driven one (The same one as Ian Watkins, funnily enough!) and was mightily impressed. But once again, given some dodgy weather, nasty cambers, etc it would have been a different story.

Fizz had trouble with a pestering latest model MR2...V.fast.

I've overtaken a BMW M3 on a swweping two-lane slip road that effectively turns back on itself, in the wet...Only to have him go past me on full re-heat a mile down the dual-carriageway. (Mind you his brake lights flickred at every bit o'standing water! ).

Horses for courses...Where would you and Donna put your daughter in one of those, eh?

Gordo

I used to have a 94 174bhp one and it was fabulous in the dry - but very scary in the wet (it felt like a sledge with the front end bouncing when hitting lying water on the motorway, for example).

The turbos (imports I think?) are much faster - not surprised they give a std turbo a good beating. If you're lucky you can get I white one with Yokohama stickers etc on them and a shintu temple dangling from the interior mirror.

Gordo

Dream Weaver

The late spec ones (like mine) are far easier to drive and more predictable in the wet. I took an off camber bend recently at 50mph, and kept my foot in. The back end slipped out but I just held it and turned into the slide. The smile on my face going up the hill after that must have been legendary.

There were no UK turbos - only Jap and US, hence the insurance is a nightmare. For a Celica GT4 UK (same engine) they have quoted me £623 fully comp. For the equivalent MR2 Turbo, they want £2,400 FC just cos it is an import!!! [img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]

Great cars though. The 2 seats can be a bonus when an older relative wants a lift down town. "But we only have 2 seats...sorry"

I compare them to any high powered RWD car - If people can handle TVR's, Vipers etc etc then why not fast MR2's?

One last point - the driving position is the best available in any car (more room in the Fiat Coupe though). Really great cockpit for driving.

DW

ScoobyDoo555

Nice one Lee P!!!

Squizz - don't think wifey would let me put Chloe in the bonnet/boot!!! mind you - clear perspex bonnet with car seat...hmmmm interesting!!!

What shocked me moreso was it's straightline acceleration - on the Welsh run, I kept up easily with people running newer Scoobs and SUL (mines an MY95 on UL).

But this thing....wow!! Last time I had a moment like that was a few years ago when I was on the M6 in my Nova GTE (a LONG time ago!!!!) and a bloke in a Merc SL600 was in front. Needless to say - I blinked and he was a dot on the horizon!!

That STi7 with PPP is looking evr more tempting!!! But then I think how much the MR2 cost compared to the STi and well.... back to the drawing board!!

ScoobyDoo555

Nice one Lee P!!!

Squizz - don't think wifey would let me put Chloe in the bonnet/boot!!! mind you - clear perspex bonnet with car seat...hmmmm interesting!!!

What shocked me moreso was it's straightline acceleration - on the Welsh run, I kept up easily with people running newer Scoobs and SUL (mines an MY95 on UL).

I will respect these and other cars like this MUCH more in future...

But this thing....wow!! Last time I had a moment like that was a few years ago when I was on the M6 in my Nova GTE (a LONG time ago!!!!) and a bloke in a Merc SL600 was in front. Needless to say - I blinked and he was a dot on the horizon!!

That STi7 with PPP is looking evr more tempting!!! But then I think how much the MR2 cost compared to the STi and well.... back to the drawing board!!

Quite suprised though - didn't think my post would generate so much interest!!

Dan

cletterridge

It was unlikely to be a UK N/A car (see http://www.benerridge.freeserve.co.uk/accn.htm for comparison of accn with Scooby). However, a Jap spec GTS starts with a 0-60 of 5.4s as standard and 155mph top speed, but are very easy to chip up to 300ish. The big difference is that an MR2s performance can only be used to the full when you have complete confidence in the road conditions (ie maybe a hundred days out of the year as opposed to 365 in the Scooby) and that's where the Scooby wins.

DBDOM

My M8 Has an Mr2 Turbo which is good for 240Bhp at the moment, trust me they are very fast and should be respected as performance cars. But saying that he did lose in semi-wet weather and totalled the car, so they definately need handling with Caution.

WRX_280

I currently own a generation II MR2 Turbo. Stock form, its 220BHP. The oldman drives a UK Spec standard Impreza. He can keep with me to about 90MPH, but after that, the MR2 Turbo pulls alot lot stronger. We put this down to the 4WD system sapping all the flywheel power at higher speeds, whereas the MR2 Turbo, rear wheel drive, mid engined, less transmission loss. The standard generation II MR2 Turbo is good for a 158MPH (P1 league, i believe

Don't get me wrong i think the scooby is amazing, and a piece of cake to drive hard through twisties. The MR2 Turbo however needs respect through twisties, cos its very easy to lose, especially in the wet...i.e. pendulum effect. Straight speed though, i'd say try and avoid 'em unless ur driving a P1, 22B, etc etc!!!

Burt

Had an MR2 95 before MY01. MR2 was superb, but not half as much fun as the scoob.

Scooby370beast

MR-2 turbo's are very very fast cars.Specially if they are modified they will hammer for fun any standard wrx or UK.

Elvis Presley

Had a mk I MR2 and it was great fun.

Not as much grip as the scoob but better handling and I'd say more fun. Loved it. I could do anything with that car including somersaults!

Not driven a mk II though so can't comment.

flak

Yeah a turbo'D 2 is a beast and will surprsise all you scooby owners, even the WRXs...they will embarass stock UK scoobs.

They are bullets, extremely fast in a straight line, but very hairy round corners, especially in the WET.

There was a dyno day for the 2s a few weeks back and a stock REV3 (on paper 245BHP) produced 265BHP and about 243 Ibs of torque. Very impressive for a stock motah hey!

There was a 370BHP 2 there aswell. 330BHP is easily achievable for minimal money, but wouldnt want to comment on the handling in one of these!

Dont underestimate the 2...they are FAAAARRRST

dosenöffner

Now that there are traction control kits available for them they are good at corners too.

I had a MK1 and it gave me the ***** when driving in the wet. The aqua planing is terrible.

In the dry though they are a great car.

Perhaps that is why so many Turbo's are targas. They are only supposed to be used in the dry.

WRX_280

The guy who hit 330 has racelogic traction control, and has an LSD as standard...i believe.

The guy who hit 370 is running a Greddy T-67 turbo!

T5NYW

iTrader: (4)

I'd would have let him go by aswell but I would have eased of at 6mpg sorry 61mph

Tony

DBDOM

He hasnt fitted his Racelogic yet, There are a few Turbos with LSD as standard

WRX_280

I know mine has an LSD and Traction Control as standard!! You can tell from the VIN plate!