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I'm sorry for your terrible quality of life.
Edit: I'm pretty sure you're the proud owner of a trailer home and McDonald's wifi.
Beater or Sleeper? GT6 Car of the Week Thread
- Thread starter McClarenDesign
- 6,930 comments
- 1,133,618 views
Edit: I'm pretty sure you're the proud owner of a trailer home and McDonald's wifi.
- 2,229
- Canada
- BaronBlitzRed
Well if you live on any of the race tracks @McClarenDesign has been racing on PCars, you should be thanking him for mowing your lawn for you... he's nice enough to go over it a few times with the Lotus Climax lawn mower! (umm, I mean race car)
Cheers
- 5,785
- Norman, OK
- McClarenDesign
I don't do landscaping, just the mowing. You want detail work, it'll cost a lot more than what I'm getting paid now.
- 5,785
- Norman, OK
- McClarenDesign
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Nice stealth edit, trailer man.
Anyways, the MR2. Still offline on the PS3. Will be available Friday.
- 686
- Golden
- racer2833
We could always still do Car of The Week on GT6 if people still haven't upgraded to the PS4 and we could still run events on GTS when it comes out. Also I'm looking at buying a PS4 currently and thinking of getting Uncharted 4 and maybe another game. The other two games I'm looking at is The Crew and PCars 1 year edition that came out recently.
- 3,417
- NJ
- Rave2Grave
The Crew Complete Edition was $23 on PSN last weekend so I snagged it. Only had time to play for an hour so far, but it's decent. Reminds me of Test Drive Unlimited. I actually prefer Trials Fusion Awesome Max Edition that I got for around $18 from the same sale. And then there's DOOM which I spent $50 for and haven't gotten to the 3rd level yet...Too many games, not nearly enough time to enjoy them all 
- 9,232
- Valongo
- Hcclipper
And to think that the one good F1 race so far in this season would be the very same race to be Eurosport 2 Xtra's (a new Eurosport spin-off channel entirely dedicated to racing, bikes and cars alike, which is also a paid subscription channel to make matters even worse) first F1 live broadcasting... My notoriously bad timing managed to strike me in the worst way possible.
As for Sauber, the new engine has promise, but my fears are that the team's limited budget will not give it enough time to be properly developed. I want to be wrong, like a case of "doing a lot with a little", but in F1, big money is king and small money is a weak pawn...
Oh man, that's a shame. I was just ready to offer your mother a fine Barcelos Cock...
...it's a Portuguese tourist's symbolic souvenir, you dirty rascals! Keep your minds out of McClaren's gutter, the last thing I want is to complicate the elephant situation by starting an elephant colony.
Joke aside, waiting for a GT7 is too risky, given that a GT Prelude-esque game such as GTS took three years of development to get where it is, and apparently even three years aren't enough according to the many fan responses I've seen so far. I do not want to be the Negative Nancy in this room (in fact, I despise such a thing), but with the way PD has conducted its business, it seems that waiting one month after release is no longer a good option. In fact, that can be said about any modern game that is launched today, that much is obvious. However, the point still stands; perhaps two months to see whether or not online servers will hold up, if major bugs exist or not, amongst other things, is a better idea than waiting just a month. Besides, if I do get a PS4, it seems that it won't happen before December; between university and my dreams of a real-life driving license, money will not be enough to cover other hobbies. And aside Driveclub (speaking of games that had unfortunately bad launches) and perhaps Uncharted 4, no other PS4 games really convince me to purchase a PS4 right now...
Sorry for the long-winded speech, but this shaky response to everything that transpired yesterday both saddens and worries me. Having fun with a racing game seems to have been casted aside for the sake of sound complaints and mocking of GT fans' beliefs, and it is ridiculous. Is it human drama? Sure, but it sounds more a soap opera than an episode of "Friends". And quite frankly, I hate soap operas...
Well if you live on any of the race tracks @McClarenDesign has been racing on PCars, you should be thanking him for mowing your lawn for you... he's nice enough to go over it a few times with the Lotus Climax lawn mower! (umm, I mean race car)
Cheers
Well it's ironic that you mentioned PCARS, because even sex would be safer for me than having MC mow my lawn... It's a good thing that I do not have a patch of grass big enough to be deemed as a lawn, otherwise I'd have John Deere devices all over my house.
And the MR2? Well, it seems that even the Lancia Stratos has shown more composure in my hands than it. Even the "Different tire levels of grip" trick can't quite shake the skwered handling off...
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Doom is a 16 hour campaign of awesomeness. You'll get stuck at a few points...Those @#$%ing Barons.The Crew Complete Edition was $23 on PSN last weekend so I snagged it. Only had time to play for an hour so far, but it's decent. Reminds me of Test Drive Unlimited. I actually prefer Trials Fusion Awesome Max Edition that I got for around $18 from the same sale. And then there's DOOM which I spent $50 for and haven't gotten to the 3rd level yet...Too many games, not nearly enough time to enjoy them all
- 181
- California
- todally_lit
Speaking of PS4... VR!!
I got an opportunity to drive what looked like an F3 or F4 car around Spa in PCars using an HTC VR headset. Guys, it was awesome!! The big difference between a normal screen (whether it is a single screen or 3 screen system) and a VR setup is - in a word: presence. Everything around you gains a sense of proportion, size, even mass. And because you can look around, it really makes you feel like you are at that place - in this case the historic track of Spa. This was a single lap with no one else on track. As you went out of the pits, the walls on either side looked real and solid, you could look back to see if anyone was coming down the track. Then Eau Rouge! There was such an elevation change! From the pits you kind of looked down at the bottom turn, and once you got there, you were kind of looking up, anticipating the blind left hand apex. You *really* got a sense of elevation changes as you drove the track: down hill twisties before the Pouhon, and the uphill chicane at the Busstop. I have driven Spa many times on PS3 and other PC games, but never had a sense of the elevation change, never really experienced going downhill or uphill, and never thought I was actually there. I absolutely cannot wait to drive the Nordschleiffe in VR!
The HTC headset is 1200 horizontal lines, and I thought the decreased resolution would detract from the experience since I think that 1200 lines in VR is probably equivalent to an 800x600 monitor just because the field of view is so wide. But once the game was in play, I didnt notice any pixelation or other artifacts you might expect with such low resolution.
So, PS4 VR setup... it will likely be the most economical setup you can get and instead of 1200 lines it will have 1080 lines. I'll have to try it before buying, but it is most definitely on my list once GTS/ GT7 rev up. I really hope these games support VR.
If you get a chance to try VR - do it. I know occulous has a demo going on at BestBuy and you can sign up for ~10-15min demonstration. My family and I tried it today and it was cool, it will demonstrate the "presence" angle of VR ... but alas, there's no driving games in that demo.
Good luck to all on Saturday!
I got an opportunity to drive what looked like an F3 or F4 car around Spa in PCars using an HTC VR headset. Guys, it was awesome!! The big difference between a normal screen (whether it is a single screen or 3 screen system) and a VR setup is - in a word: presence. Everything around you gains a sense of proportion, size, even mass. And because you can look around, it really makes you feel like you are at that place - in this case the historic track of Spa. This was a single lap with no one else on track. As you went out of the pits, the walls on either side looked real and solid, you could look back to see if anyone was coming down the track. Then Eau Rouge! There was such an elevation change! From the pits you kind of looked down at the bottom turn, and once you got there, you were kind of looking up, anticipating the blind left hand apex. You *really* got a sense of elevation changes as you drove the track: down hill twisties before the Pouhon, and the uphill chicane at the Busstop. I have driven Spa many times on PS3 and other PC games, but never had a sense of the elevation change, never really experienced going downhill or uphill, and never thought I was actually there. I absolutely cannot wait to drive the Nordschleiffe in VR!
The HTC headset is 1200 horizontal lines, and I thought the decreased resolution would detract from the experience since I think that 1200 lines in VR is probably equivalent to an 800x600 monitor just because the field of view is so wide. But once the game was in play, I didnt notice any pixelation or other artifacts you might expect with such low resolution.
So, PS4 VR setup... it will likely be the most economical setup you can get and instead of 1200 lines it will have 1080 lines. I'll have to try it before buying, but it is most definitely on my list once GTS/ GT7 rev up. I really hope these games support VR.
If you get a chance to try VR - do it. I know occulous has a demo going on at BestBuy and you can sign up for ~10-15min demonstration. My family and I tried it today and it was cool, it will demonstrate the "presence" angle of VR ... but alas, there's no driving games in that demo.
Good luck to all on Saturday!
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The local tech house has an Oculus Rift, maybe I'll ask if I can try it.
Edit: Also, will probably make it Saturday, but am super rusty.
- 3,417
- NJ
- Rave2Grave
I can't wait to use PS VR with a cockpit setup for GTS! Start saving now 
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- 5,785
- Norman, OK
- McClarenDesign
Father in law is currently stranded, so I may miss today, or at least be really late. Sorry guys.
- 2,456
- South Auckland, New Zealand
- Nismonath5
@McClarenDesign I can cover for ya till you show up, if you do.
- 2,456
- South Auckland, New Zealand
- Nismonath5
Which is exactly what I've done, so COTW crew, there IS Saturday night racing happening tonight!
- 181
- California
- todally_lit
I'm thinking it would be best to complete this year's cotw on ps3, and move to ps4 starting next year. its a nice clean break, and will provide some opportunity to procure equipment post holliday season.
What time are saturday night races?
- 830
- Michigan
- JackRyanWMU
- SpeedyDB55
My main concern about moving to GT Sport is the quantity of the cars we'll be able to choose from. Two and almost a half years into GT6 COTW and we've tested at most (once you exclude all the duplicate models of Miatas, Skylines, etc.) maybe a quarter of the available cars in the game. GTSport on the other hand, two years and we'll have already gone through almost every car available at launch. Obviously more cars will eventually come in this DLC age of videogames, but who knows how long a gap it will be between GT Sport and GT7? I'd hate for us to eventually run out of cars to review.
I wouldn't mind another year of GT6 after this one myself, maybe with an extra designated "Let's play GT Sport just for fun" night along with our regular Tuesday and Saturday races. I'd also thought of having a concurrent COTW where both GT6 and GT Sport cars would be eligible, though that could get overly convoluted to try and organize. Or maybe do a half-year more of GT6, let PD and Sony sort out the initial teething problems and then revisit whether to transition.
I wouldn't mind another year of GT6 after this one myself, maybe with an extra designated "Let's play GT Sport just for fun" night along with our regular Tuesday and Saturday races. I'd also thought of having a concurrent COTW where both GT6 and GT Sport cars would be eligible, though that could get overly convoluted to try and organize. Or maybe do a half-year more of GT6, let PD and Sony sort out the initial teething problems and then revisit whether to transition.
- 2,428
- England
- Lewis_Hamilton_
I'm thinking it would be best to complete this year's cotw on ps3, and move to ps4 starting next year. its a nice clean break, and will provide some opportunity to procure equipment post holliday season.
What time are saturday night races?
They start around the 3PM CST area.
I would rather COTW stuck to the PS3 for a while longer, the upcoming GT has less than a tenth of GT6's car count, and a lot of those will be fictional, futuristic concept cars and thoroughbred race cars. To me discovering a beater or a sleeper is about testing ordinary, every day road cars and finding something surprising/disappointing. That's just my opinion though.
I also won't be buying another console for some time either so I have some bias with that as well
. Unfortunately I don't find either the XBO or PS4 compelling enough even 3 years later, plus I'm waiting for confirmation on upgraded versions of those consoles.
- 2,456
- South Auckland, New Zealand
- Nismonath5
Review time! (Yaayyyyy!)
Now then, the Toyota MR 2 Supercharged (1st gen.)
I'm not sure if I'm the only one, but I'm guilty of having really low expectations of the MR 2. Anything under 400pp I tend not to take much interest in. However, we must remember this is the point of COTW, to get drivers in cars they wouldn't typically use. So I bought the car, changed its oil, and gave it a rather unusual mix of Reflex Spice, and wire rims.
Flash forward to Tuesday's racing, and I struggled to get to grips with the MR 2's MR characteristics. Despite a modest power output, it's still enough to become very aggressive very quickly around corners if you're not careful. My Tuesday session was cut short due to homework, (Stupid Greek Mythology essay!) So I was looking forward to the Saturday night races.
But HOLD IT!!!! Brad's father-in-law was stranded!
So, being a good son-in-law, he set off on a rescue mission! (Is my assumption) Desperate for some action, I created a lobby, though I was half an hour late, and by the looks of it most of you had already given up and ditched. However a few drivers remained, and together, we put the MR2 through its paces!
Trailing close behind Vic not recommended for asthma sufferers.
Saturday Race Report
First stop, Tsukuba Circuit, where we spent most of the race choking in Vic's smoke. He had his car dialed in just right from the start, so with not as many cars to get in his way, he was the dominant driver throughout the meet!
Once I sorted my TCS and ASM settings, I was right in the thick of the action every race! There were two key races to Saturday, the first was the "24 hours of Lemons". (Which is, if you didn't know, a real life event aimed at budget race cars) I was quite comfortable in the MR 2, able to swing the rear out and regain control with surprising ease, even using it to discourage others from getting by me, a useful intimidation technique!
There are two ways to exit a corner...
The entire field chases down Asher
Cowboy and Rob out for a late night stroll
During this race, I realised just how pleasant the MR 2 is to drive.
A number of times, I dropped off the pace for various reasons, but every time, through late braking, keeping speed through corners and keeping it clean, I caught up and kept fighting!
The other race where I learnt quite a bit about the car was the finale. High Speed Ring, 10 laps, 10% surface water. Just enough to be greasy. Going around turn 2, the MR 2 always seems to violently lurch to the left upon braking, resulting in a mean slide. I wasn't the only one to be caught out by this, though once you got the hang of controlling it, it wasn't such a biggie.
Ten laps' worth of skidmarks round turn 2 proves my point.
Asher is now quite used to being closely pursued.
But then, DISASTER!!! As Rob and I were sparring through the chicane, the MR 2 decided to betray me and send me into a spin!
O my dear MR 2, why doth thou betray me?
With a gap of 6 seconds, I continued, to see if I could maybe pull back some time. Over the course of the remaining three laps, 6 seconds became 5, 5 became 3, and before I knew it I was back on the attack! I didn't win, but I wasn't 6 seconds behind either!
Guess who's back! Back again! Nismo's back! Tell yo friend!
Now, time for the verdict...
As I said in the beginning, I'm guilty of underrating the MR 2 from the start. The fact is, now I'm convinced it's brilliant!
The handling is on point, you can throw it around pretty confidently as long as you remember what an MR can do if you over-push it. The feel of it is what you'd expect from a mid 80's sports car, not refined and smooth like an 86GT, but not uncontrollable either. There's enough power to be fun to drive, and you can feel the supercharger at work when you need it.
It even surpassed my expectations in the braking department, as I could throw it into the chicanes at LeMans with little punishment other than a tinge of over steer upon exiting the corner. It could do with some acceleration, but that just means it's important to keep as much speed as possible through complex sections! I did a 1:24.xxx around HSR in it, which again displays it's sheer amazingness, even without any form of modifications, and on comfort tyres! For this reason, I am calling it a Sleeper! 👍👍👍👍👍
Reason being, it fits quite well into this definition of "Sleeper" I found...
Sleeper (n) (automotive definition)
A vehicle with an unassuming visual appearance, but excellent performance.
I started this week judging the car based on its unassuming body, but over the course of the week it's surprising performance in standard form was revealed to me. Also, I used the same reasoning to judge the Mercury Cougar a sleeper, so if I didn't do the same to the MR 2, I'd be a hungry hungry hippo-crite! Obviously, if you wanted to make it competitive, you can upgrade it, but in it's stock form, it's great fun! (maybe i'll get some sports tyres for it.)
Now then, the Toyota MR 2 Supercharged (1st gen.)
Flash forward to Tuesday's racing, and I struggled to get to grips with the MR 2's MR characteristics. Despite a modest power output, it's still enough to become very aggressive very quickly around corners if you're not careful. My Tuesday session was cut short due to homework, (Stupid Greek Mythology essay!) So I was looking forward to the Saturday night races.
But HOLD IT!!!! Brad's father-in-law was stranded!
So, being a good son-in-law, he set off on a rescue mission! (Is my assumption) Desperate for some action, I created a lobby, though I was half an hour late, and by the looks of it most of you had already given up and ditched. However a few drivers remained, and together, we put the MR2 through its paces!Trailing close behind Vic not recommended for asthma sufferers.
Saturday Race Report
First stop, Tsukuba Circuit, where we spent most of the race choking in Vic's smoke. He had his car dialed in just right from the start, so with not as many cars to get in his way, he was the dominant driver throughout the meet!
Once I sorted my TCS and ASM settings, I was right in the thick of the action every race! There were two key races to Saturday, the first was the "24 hours of Lemons". (Which is, if you didn't know, a real life event aimed at budget race cars) I was quite comfortable in the MR 2, able to swing the rear out and regain control with surprising ease, even using it to discourage others from getting by me, a useful intimidation technique!
There are two ways to exit a corner...
The entire field chases down Asher
Cowboy and Rob out for a late night stroll
During this race, I realised just how pleasant the MR 2 is to drive.
A number of times, I dropped off the pace for various reasons, but every time, through late braking, keeping speed through corners and keeping it clean, I caught up and kept fighting!
The other race where I learnt quite a bit about the car was the finale. High Speed Ring, 10 laps, 10% surface water. Just enough to be greasy. Going around turn 2, the MR 2 always seems to violently lurch to the left upon braking, resulting in a mean slide. I wasn't the only one to be caught out by this, though once you got the hang of controlling it, it wasn't such a biggie.
Ten laps' worth of skidmarks round turn 2 proves my point.
Asher is now quite used to being closely pursued.
But then, DISASTER!!! As Rob and I were sparring through the chicane, the MR 2 decided to betray me and send me into a spin!
O my dear MR 2, why doth thou betray me?
With a gap of 6 seconds, I continued, to see if I could maybe pull back some time. Over the course of the remaining three laps, 6 seconds became 5, 5 became 3, and before I knew it I was back on the attack! I didn't win, but I wasn't 6 seconds behind either!
Guess who's back! Back again! Nismo's back! Tell yo friend!
Now, time for the verdict...
As I said in the beginning, I'm guilty of underrating the MR 2 from the start. The fact is, now I'm convinced it's brilliant!
The handling is on point, you can throw it around pretty confidently as long as you remember what an MR can do if you over-push it. The feel of it is what you'd expect from a mid 80's sports car, not refined and smooth like an 86GT, but not uncontrollable either. There's enough power to be fun to drive, and you can feel the supercharger at work when you need it.
It even surpassed my expectations in the braking department, as I could throw it into the chicanes at LeMans with little punishment other than a tinge of over steer upon exiting the corner.
It could do with some acceleration, but that just means it's important to keep as much speed as possible through complex sections! I did a 1:24.xxx around HSR in it, which again displays it's sheer amazingness, even without any form of modifications, and on comfort tyres! For this reason, I am calling it a Sleeper! 👍👍👍👍👍Reason being, it fits quite well into this definition of "Sleeper" I found...
Sleeper (n) (automotive definition)
A vehicle with an unassuming visual appearance, but excellent performance.
I started this week judging the car based on its unassuming body, but over the course of the week it's surprising performance in standard form was revealed to me. Also, I used the same reasoning to judge the Mercury Cougar a sleeper, so if I didn't do the same to the MR 2, I'd be a hungry hungry hippo-crite! Obviously, if you wanted to make it competitive, you can upgrade it, but in it's stock form, it's great fun! (maybe i'll get some sports tyres for it.)
- 181
- California
- todally_lit
Awesome, and great review Nismo! I understand that in New Zealand it is relatively easy to import Japanese cars. No doubt you may very well opt for a Nissan of your own, but I bet there are quite a few MR2's of the various generations around. If you ever get a chance to drive an MR2 of any variety on a twisty road, I'd highly recommend it. Somehow there's no driving experience quite as satisfying as the feel of an engine just a few inches behind you, and the feel of the rear tires doing most of the work to guide you through a curve.
- 2,456
- South Auckland, New Zealand
- Nismonath5
Yea, it's relatively easy. There's all kinds of imports here, R32s, R33s, Evos of all shapes, Imprezas, Supras... there's pretty much some of everything!Awesome, and great review Nismo! I understand that in New Zealand it is relatively easy to import Japanese cars. No doubt you may very well opt for a Nissan of your own, but I bet there are quite a few MR2's of the various generations around. If you ever get a chance to drive an MR2 of any variety on a twisty road, I'd highly recommend it. Somehow there's no driving experience quite as satisfying as the feel of an engine just a few inches behind you, and the feel of the rear tires doing most of the work to guide you through a curve.
- 2,456
- South Auckland, New Zealand
- Nismonath5
Also, my opinion on the future of COTW...
As @JackRyanWMU said, we've barely scratched the surface of cars in GT6, so why upgrade when we haven't squeezed our money's worth out of GT6 first? Also I agree with @Lewis_Hamilton_ , I'd like to postpone getting a PS4 for as long as possible, there's nothing wrong with the PS3!
The GTsport lineup consists mainly of racecars, whereas the whole philosophy of COTW is giving the "underdogs" of the GT world a go. Cars like the RUF 3400S, Isuzu Piazza, and obviously this week's Toyota MR 2.
Now obviously, we're not going to review EVERY SINGLE MX-5, or Skyline, but even so, there are enough cars in GT6 to keep COTW going on the PS3 for 18 months EASY. I'd hold off till GT7, please.
As @JackRyanWMU said, we've barely scratched the surface of cars in GT6, so why upgrade when we haven't squeezed our money's worth out of GT6 first? Also I agree with @Lewis_Hamilton_ , I'd like to postpone getting a PS4 for as long as possible, there's nothing wrong with the PS3!
The GTsport lineup consists mainly of racecars, whereas the whole philosophy of COTW is giving the "underdogs" of the GT world a go. Cars like the RUF 3400S, Isuzu Piazza, and obviously this week's Toyota MR 2.
Now obviously, we're not going to review EVERY SINGLE MX-5, or Skyline, but even so, there are enough cars in GT6 to keep COTW going on the PS3 for 18 months EASY. I'd hold off till GT7, please.
- 3,417
- NJ
- Rave2Grave
I took the MR2 S/C out to Tsukuba last night for 10 laps (well actually 11) bone stock on Comfort Soft tires, no oil change, no aids besides ABS on 1. The best I could muster:
It's a 1:11 car all day long, with wheel users probably able to see 1:10 consistently. Lots of small inputs are required to get the most out of this car, and sometimes you're not sure if you need to add gas or which way to turn the wheel because the short wheelbase combined with MR nature and low weight plus decent power makes for a lot of unpredictability. The third gen feels like a super-refined version of the AW11 and I prefer it by an enormous margin.
Picture I took back in GT5 days:
It's a 1:11 car all day long, with wheel users probably able to see 1:10 consistently. Lots of small inputs are required to get the most out of this car, and sometimes you're not sure if you need to add gas or which way to turn the wheel because the short wheelbase combined with MR nature and low weight plus decent power makes for a lot of unpredictability. The third gen feels like a super-refined version of the AW11 and I prefer it by an enormous margin.
Picture I took back in GT5 days:
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- 9,232
- Valongo
- Hcclipper
First of all, apologies for my absence yesterday; family asked first and asked with haste, meaning that I had to go with my father to pick up mother from work. Secondly, once I did arrive home, there was someone else waiting for me. No, it was not McClaren wanting to mow my lawn in the middle of the night, but rather my estemmed cousin. Turns out he was curious to test a little purchase that had reached my hands earlier that day, even though that type of purchase isn't usually something that tickles his fancy (in terms of genre, that is).
Now that this is out of the way, allow me to showcase the little test I had (briefly) spoken about before in this thread; I knew there was one particular car that could show the MR2 a thing or two about car control, so I headed over to Deep Forest Raceway to answer my burning question. Let's say that we take the SW20 out of this equation, as it was always going to be a more grown-up brother interested in other women as a refined Grand Tourer (and certainly not a Ferrari-killer, especially once the golden boy known as the F355 came about)... What else could we get that can trounce the MR2 at its own game? One wonders...
But first, the MR2;
'86 Toyota MR2 1600 Supercharger. Codename: Slippy Snapper
See? Not even one corner in, and it's already powersliding like its life depended on it. As others have stated, it is difficult to gauge how the MR2 behaves in the corners. Sometimes, you can carry enough speed to go through an entire corner without stepping out even once. In other instances, just slightly tapping the throttle would immediately kill any sort of grip gained beforehand and turn it into snap oversteer. This is certainly not how a 1st-generation MR2 should be carrying itself, unless it was meant to a 1st-gen Honda NSX. And I certainly believe that Toyota was not interested in creating a supercar, not yet at least. Whenever I need to modulate throttle control, there is the lingering fear that any input will crack the MR2's otherwise flawless stance and send me for a spin.
In fact, that is why this particular example shows some "battle scars"; I had intended to drive only three laps for each car, but two invalidated laps (due to corner cutting), and one terrible third lap that ended with me hitting the pit lane wall after the ever-dangerous and high-speed last corner trying to get the MR2's tail back into control. Actually, one more powerslide picture just for the sake of it;
So, after four tough laps of wrestling this fireball, it was time to bring out the secret weapon. It's been always said that this car is a bit of an "overrated answer", others say it's meant for those who love their hair. But for me, well, it's just this;
'89 Mazda MX-5 (NA). Codename: Happy Plum
Yes, The Answer himself, Mr. Miata. However, this may not be the Mr. Miata you know and love, because I added a little spice to my hair gel; something known as a supercharger. Indeed, I bet on the MX-5's affinity with a supercharger, in order to prove my point of being a better drive. And well, there was only one minor issue which cropped up while driving this car;
Understeer. In fact, this MX-5 reminded me of the MR2, when I tested with a Comfort Soft/Comfort Hard (front/rear) tire combo. Some understeer on acceleration, but not much more than that. However, the MR2 was borderline undriveable sometimes due to how much understeer kicked in on corner entry. This, on the other hand, was manageable. Not only that, but the closer-geared stock gearbox kept the revs more comfortably in their favorable zone (the MR2 could not hit 5th gear on the main straight, whereas the MX-5 could just manage such). The grip was there, all the time, whenever I needed it. It's interesting that despite packing 146
Oh yes, I forgot to mention; bar the supercharger unit and the stripes, this MX-5 was bone-stock, wearing the same Comfort Soft tires as the MR2. Oil change? Not a thing for either the Toyota or the Mazda. As for the piece of flesh behind both cars' wheels, he was using just ABS and nothing more in terms of driving aids, while resorting to a manual transmission. And the final results?
Well, they seem to be speaking for themselves, aren't they? The only thing where the MR2 can defend itself is cost-effectiveness; the supercharger does give the MX-5 more oomph, but you are literally paying the price of admission by spending 18,000 credits on the part itself. And when the car costs 17,000 credits, the wallet may take a bigger hit than expected on this matter. Not quite the bargain of the year against the 21,000 cr MR2.
But personally, it's a loss worth having; with a supercharger, the MX-5 still remains composed, bar the understeer issues. Which is more than can be said for the MR2, which feels like a overly-energetic Terrier hopped up on strawberry candies. It's fine when a car wants to get loose once in a while, but the Toyota doesn't warn its driver beforehand. It just snaps whenever it feels like it, which can ruin a driver's consistent drive.
It's difficult to justify the MR2's case here, and in the end, it seems that Car & Driver were right; the supercharger may have given muscles to the Toyota, but said muscles got to its head and made it a slouch. As Maven stated, your money is better spent on the younger third-generation MR2, a car with a better record in terms of racing (former GT300 champion) and less nervous than its edgy older brothers. Heck, even a 40,000 credit-plus supercharged 1989 Mazda MX-5 is a better idea for general racing. Can you argue with those lap times? I cannot, I'm afraid...
Now, if you excuse, I have some giant robots to slaughter with laser beams. As for the MR2, I have to give it a Beater status, mainly due to everything seen above. Sorry, it's not you, it's your damm tendency to misbehave whenever you feel like it...
Now that this is out of the way, allow me to showcase the little test I had (briefly) spoken about before in this thread; I knew there was one particular car that could show the MR2 a thing or two about car control, so I headed over to Deep Forest Raceway to answer my burning question. Let's say that we take the SW20 out of this equation, as it was always going to be a more grown-up brother interested in other women as a refined Grand Tourer (and certainly not a Ferrari-killer, especially once the golden boy known as the F355 came about)... What else could we get that can trounce the MR2 at its own game? One wonders...
But first, the MR2;
'86 Toyota MR2 1600 Supercharger. Codename: Slippy Snapper
See? Not even one corner in, and it's already powersliding like its life depended on it. As others have stated, it is difficult to gauge how the MR2 behaves in the corners. Sometimes, you can carry enough speed to go through an entire corner without stepping out even once. In other instances, just slightly tapping the throttle would immediately kill any sort of grip gained beforehand and turn it into snap oversteer. This is certainly not how a 1st-generation MR2 should be carrying itself, unless it was meant to a 1st-gen Honda NSX. And I certainly believe that Toyota was not interested in creating a supercar, not yet at least. Whenever I need to modulate throttle control, there is the lingering fear that any input will crack the MR2's otherwise flawless stance and send me for a spin.
In fact, that is why this particular example shows some "battle scars"; I had intended to drive only three laps for each car, but two invalidated laps (due to corner cutting), and one terrible third lap that ended with me hitting the pit lane wall after the ever-dangerous and high-speed last corner trying to get the MR2's tail back into control. Actually, one more powerslide picture just for the sake of it;
So, after four tough laps of wrestling this fireball, it was time to bring out the secret weapon. It's been always said that this car is a bit of an "overrated answer", others say it's meant for those who love their hair. But for me, well, it's just this;
'89 Mazda MX-5 (NA). Codename: Happy Plum
Yes, The Answer himself, Mr. Miata. However, this may not be the Mr. Miata you know and love, because I added a little spice to my hair gel; something known as a supercharger. Indeed, I bet on the MX-5's affinity with a supercharger, in order to prove my point of being a better drive. And well, there was only one minor issue which cropped up while driving this car;
Oh yes, I forgot to mention; bar the supercharger unit and the stripes, this MX-5 was bone-stock, wearing the same Comfort Soft tires as the MR2. Oil change? Not a thing for either the Toyota or the Mazda. As for the piece of flesh behind both cars' wheels, he was using just ABS and nothing more in terms of driving aids, while resorting to a manual transmission. And the final results?
But personally, it's a loss worth having; with a supercharger, the MX-5 still remains composed, bar the understeer issues. Which is more than can be said for the MR2, which feels like a overly-energetic Terrier hopped up on strawberry candies. It's fine when a car wants to get loose once in a while, but the Toyota doesn't warn its driver beforehand. It just snaps whenever it feels like it, which can ruin a driver's consistent drive.
It's difficult to justify the MR2's case here, and in the end, it seems that Car & Driver were right; the supercharger may have given muscles to the Toyota, but said muscles got to its head and made it a slouch. As Maven stated, your money is better spent on the younger third-generation MR2, a car with a better record in terms of racing (former GT300 champion) and less nervous than its edgy older brothers. Heck, even a 40,000 credit-plus supercharged 1989 Mazda MX-5 is a better idea for general racing. Can you argue with those lap times? I cannot, I'm afraid...
Now, if you excuse, I have some giant robots to slaughter with laser beams. As for the MR2, I have to give it a Beater status, mainly due to everything seen above. Sorry, it's not you, it's your damm tendency to misbehave whenever you feel like it...
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- 2,270
- United States
- G_ASHER
Excellent review and race report Nismo. I'm honored to have been mentioned twice, with pics! 
The last race at High Speed Ring was the best of the session IMO. Around lap 4 or 5 I saw I was able to catch up to Vic in the S turns before the tunnel, while he could pull away down the main straight. It looked like his tires were wearing, so I started putting on some pressure when I was close. On lap 7 ( I think ) we collected each other, but miraculously both straightened out and kept going. I finally passed for the lead on the last lap. I saw you coming, Nismo, and that 1:24 lap. If you had been able to do that the whole race it might have been yours.
So, I like this car. It's a lot of fun to throw around, and despite my initial displeasure, found it more fun and forgiving than expected. My real complaint is the power. I used the tactic of letting off the throttle, braking early, and floating through the corner then getting back on the throttle early. It worked quite well in giving me a run down the straights, but just when a little bit of wheelspin off the corner would be appreciated, it bogs down and you get some understeer.
For what it is, I found this car to be quite enjoyable. When its tuned you can get rid of some of its issues, but over 450pp and it starts to get unmanageable. My verdict is sleeper 👍
The last race at High Speed Ring was the best of the session IMO. Around lap 4 or 5 I saw I was able to catch up to Vic in the S turns before the tunnel, while he could pull away down the main straight. It looked like his tires were wearing, so I started putting on some pressure when I was close. On lap 7 ( I think ) we collected each other, but miraculously both straightened out and kept going. I finally passed for the lead on the last lap. I saw you coming, Nismo, and that 1:24 lap. If you had been able to do that the whole race it might have been yours.So, I like this car. It's a lot of fun to throw around, and despite my initial displeasure, found it more fun and forgiving than expected. My real complaint is the power. I used the tactic of letting off the throttle, braking early, and floating through the corner then getting back on the throttle early. It worked quite well in giving me a run down the straights, but just when a little bit of wheelspin off the corner would be appreciated, it bogs down and you get some understeer.
For what it is, I found this car to be quite enjoyable. When its tuned you can get rid of some of its issues, but over 450pp and it starts to get unmanageable. My verdict is sleeper 👍
- 2,456
- South Auckland, New Zealand
- Nismonath5
Thanks @Niku Driver HC! 
Btw where'd you get that purple for your MX-5? Looks good, and I could use it for one of my cars 👍
Btw where'd you get that purple for your MX-5? Looks good, and I could use it for one of my cars 👍
- 9,232
- Valongo
- Hcclipper
Thanks @Niku Driver HC!
Not sure what the thanks are for, perhaps you were intending to mention @Draggon rather than me. Unless you are thanking me for my brief review, which I can certainly appreciate. Some feedback won't hurt, either.
👍 The MX-5 color? It's a paint chip known as Plum Crazy, which can be had by purchasing a 1970 Dodge Challenger. The chubby Challenger, being useful? You can believe it, brother!
And speaking of being useful, I'll let you in on another thing; someone just hit 8,000 posts recently. Very, very recently...
