mr2 turbo - any good?
Discussion
Great car -
Good handling (ignore the naysayers)
VERY comfortable
Great cockpit design, and lovely gear shift
Very good, strong engine, and easy to modify should you dpfeel the urge.
Good boot space, which was a surprise
Looks good
Fast. Sprint to 60 in just over 5 seconds if you are brutal on the clutch. Plenty of power higher up the gears too.
It does require the 'setup' to be correct. Staggered setup, good tyres, etc. Maintain the engine, and it will go on. As with any powerful RWD car, in the wet, and when on the limit, be careful, but I found it no worse than any other car. I found my revision 3 to drive better than the revision 2, (which was an NA).
Join IMOC, MR2OC or so on for lots of info.
Good handling (ignore the naysayers)
VERY comfortable
Great cockpit design, and lovely gear shift
Very good, strong engine, and easy to modify should you dpfeel the urge.
Good boot space, which was a surprise
Looks good
Fast. Sprint to 60 in just over 5 seconds if you are brutal on the clutch. Plenty of power higher up the gears too.
It does require the 'setup' to be correct. Staggered setup, good tyres, etc. Maintain the engine, and it will go on. As with any powerful RWD car, in the wet, and when on the limit, be careful, but I found it no worse than any other car. I found my revision 3 to drive better than the revision 2, (which was an NA).
Join IMOC, MR2OC or so on for lots of info.
chrisdurham said:
whats the max safe bhp when they are modded without engine internals upgrades?
TheHeretic said:
I've heard 400 -450 bhp, but it's been a while since I was in those circles.
No way on standard internals. The crank can take it but the rods and pistons can't. You need to go forged for that sort of power. Plus a Cometic headgasket and ARP bolts as it will be necessary to up the boost pressure over the standard 0.9bar (Rev 3). I think a C20b (ceramic turbo) is going to be an issue too for achieving those figures. Even 350bhp is getting close to the limit for reliability. Personally I wouldn't try running much over 320-325 bhp on stock internals and still expect longevity.Agree 100% on joining the owners clubs though. A vast store of knowledge to be tapped there.
They are great value bang for buck. I have two. One as a daily driver and the other purely for fun.
Edited by Red Devil on Monday 18th February 22:21
Piston rings will go first.
Pistons and crank have been proven to take 400 bhp.
Steel mls from rev3 3sgte will also. So make sure what it has fitted first.
Head bolts can aswell but arps are most def advised for big power.
C26 turbos on rev2 engines drop off boost around 5500rpm but give a good kick up till this range.
Rev2s have 440cc injectors whereas rev3 have 540cc.
Get onto imoc, there are a few guys running near 500 bhp with carefully tuned rev2s with stock innards.
Rev2 bottom ends have shown to be stronger than the later rev3s due to thickness in the blocks themselves.
It all depends on your power goals and have this in mind first and foremost.
Find a couple and get a run out in them to compare :-)
Red Devils about right with not running more than 300-320ish to keep longevity with the engine stock internals. This power level is around the most common ive seen people build too and is, I think enough, but with any car you get used to it and want more
Pistons and crank have been proven to take 400 bhp.
Steel mls from rev3 3sgte will also. So make sure what it has fitted first.
Head bolts can aswell but arps are most def advised for big power.
C26 turbos on rev2 engines drop off boost around 5500rpm but give a good kick up till this range.
Rev2s have 440cc injectors whereas rev3 have 540cc.
Get onto imoc, there are a few guys running near 500 bhp with carefully tuned rev2s with stock innards.
Rev2 bottom ends have shown to be stronger than the later rev3s due to thickness in the blocks themselves.
It all depends on your power goals and have this in mind first and foremost.
Find a couple and get a run out in them to compare :-)
Red Devils about right with not running more than 300-320ish to keep longevity with the engine stock internals. This power level is around the most common ive seen people build too and is, I think enough, but with any car you get used to it and want more
Edited by 2BarTurbo on Tuesday 19th February 06:21
I loved mine, only sold when I went away to work.
Leaky T bar roof was a pain, and when I bought it the handling was terrible.
I had it all checked out, and tried the wheels and tyres in the photo, which helped a bit but its no where near what I would call good handling.^^Of course those posting above wont believe it^^
That said it was very controlable,and didnt let go anywhere as easy as a couple of rev 1's I drove.
If you want handling try a mk1 or mk3, but for that kick in the back the mk2 turbo is hard to beat for the money.
What has been said above is very true.
The weak point as you up the boost is the rings, then the pistons. The killers are detonation and heat - the mid engined deign makes it hard to keep intake & even water temps down wihtout sacrificing the boot for a huge intercooler.
One thing i would add is there really is a "sweet spot" for the power on these cars, both for driveability and reliability. I would say its about 280-320bhp. I went up to 360bhp on a TD06 turbo but the high boost threshold took away from the point and squirt character of the car. It was exciting and fast, but less useable than at 300bhp.
In addition, you could tell components were starting to wear out, wheras its a rock at 300bhp, from the days when Toyota built cars to last till the apocalypse.
The weak point as you up the boost is the rings, then the pistons. The killers are detonation and heat - the mid engined deign makes it hard to keep intake & even water temps down wihtout sacrificing the boot for a huge intercooler.
One thing i would add is there really is a "sweet spot" for the power on these cars, both for driveability and reliability. I would say its about 280-320bhp. I went up to 360bhp on a TD06 turbo but the high boost threshold took away from the point and squirt character of the car. It was exciting and fast, but less useable than at 300bhp.
In addition, you could tell components were starting to wear out, wheras its a rock at 300bhp, from the days when Toyota built cars to last till the apocalypse.
Great cars, fantastic seating position.
As said above 280-320bhp is the sweet spot, reliable proper fast car.
A/C condenser radiators get smashed up easily, few cooling hoses that run under the car can be a pain to change if required. Buy decent tyres for it.
Wealth of knowledge on imoc and mr2oc I ran my old one as a daily for over 2 years it only ever let me down once when the battery needed replacing.
Expect average 25mpg or less
As said above 280-320bhp is the sweet spot, reliable proper fast car.
A/C condenser radiators get smashed up easily, few cooling hoses that run under the car can be a pain to change if required. Buy decent tyres for it.
Wealth of knowledge on imoc and mr2oc I ran my old one as a daily for over 2 years it only ever let me down once when the battery needed replacing.
Expect average 25mpg or less
I had a rev 2 turbo, and it was great. Upgraded to roughly 300bhp through breathing mods and a hybrid turbo, but I wouldn't have fancied trying for any more on the stock internals. Then you're looking at spending a couple of grand for forged bits, ecu, mapping, etc.
Super comfy, loads of space given its a 2 seater, excellent handling, plenty of power, superb aftermarket support, and I managed a 32mpg average.
Super comfy, loads of space given its a 2 seater, excellent handling, plenty of power, superb aftermarket support, and I managed a 32mpg average.
I'm on my second. Both of mine have had issues but I've stuck with them long after it was sensible to do so as they're just so much fun.
I've driven all sorts of cars and owned quite a few but nothing else compares for around the £3k mark.
Both mine have been tin top turbos, first a 1992 rev 2 then a 1995 rev 3 which is definitely the better spec to go for.
I've driven all sorts of cars and owned quite a few but nothing else compares for around the £3k mark.
Both mine have been tin top turbos, first a 1992 rev 2 then a 1995 rev 3 which is definitely the better spec to go for.
I’m on my third MR2.
First was a rev1 non turbo, second rev1 turbo. Both of these were jap imports and both were lets say more than a little edgy near the limit or god forbid the wet.
Now running a UK REV2 wirh full REV 3 turbo conversion. Uprated suspension, brakes, polybushed everywhere. Apexi air intake, Toyo sport huge inter cooler, front and rear extra strut braces. Uprated dimples and grooves discs wirh carbotech pads, quickshift, Blitz dual solenoid EBC, good tyres. Properly set up alignment, loads of other bits and pieces and I can honestly say it’s one of the most special cars I’ve ever owned, driven or been in. And I’ve owned a lot of serioulsy fast cars and bikes.
I run it at a very conservative 15.5 psi and it pulls like a train, the handling is amazing and each time you’re in it you’re reminded it’s just something special.
Next year is fully forged with headwork, cams and standalone ECU etc.
They cost a lot to maintain and keep in good nick but are worth every penny.
First was a rev1 non turbo, second rev1 turbo. Both of these were jap imports and both were lets say more than a little edgy near the limit or god forbid the wet.
Now running a UK REV2 wirh full REV 3 turbo conversion. Uprated suspension, brakes, polybushed everywhere. Apexi air intake, Toyo sport huge inter cooler, front and rear extra strut braces. Uprated dimples and grooves discs wirh carbotech pads, quickshift, Blitz dual solenoid EBC, good tyres. Properly set up alignment, loads of other bits and pieces and I can honestly say it’s one of the most special cars I’ve ever owned, driven or been in. And I’ve owned a lot of serioulsy fast cars and bikes.
I run it at a very conservative 15.5 psi and it pulls like a train, the handling is amazing and each time you’re in it you’re reminded it’s just something special.
Next year is fully forged with headwork, cams and standalone ECU etc.
They cost a lot to maintain and keep in good nick but are worth every penny.
Had a white Rev3 turbo GTS model,really enjoyed it,was like driving a mini exotic,great performance and looks,would have another for sure! remember seeing a really well driven one at a Snetterton trackday once,chap really knew how to drive it on the limit and it was as quick as anything out there..
I have had two Rev 3, great cars, I know there can be a big desire to mod the car, but they are actually very good straight out the box.
The design still looks great all these years later but they are getting on a bit now, so check for usual wear and tear. As other have said, whilst the T-bar is a nice idea the tintop is actually better overall with zero leaks. Both mine were tintops.
The GT spec gets you half leather, electric mirrors etc
The design still looks great all these years later but they are getting on a bit now, so check for usual wear and tear. As other have said, whilst the T-bar is a nice idea the tintop is actually better overall with zero leaks. Both mine were tintops.
The GT spec gets you half leather, electric mirrors etc
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