MR2 Spyder

[tjZ28]

I replaced a motor in one for a friend. Man, what a b!tch of a job.

But I did run it hard up in the Santa Cruz mountains, and it was a lot of fun. The one I worked on/drove had a header, catback and some sort of cai. It was still dog-slow straight line. You floored it and it just got louder and buzzier, almost painfully so, but didn’t really feel like it was going anywhere. But what a joy it was on the tighter twistier roads. I went back on another board and found the post I made after driving it:

@tjZ06

One of my buddies down in Santa Cruz just got a MR2 Spyder a few weeks ago. He let me drive it yesterday and we headed up Soquel San Jose Road and Old Santa Cruz Highway (the same roads as the 2nd half of the cruise for those of you who went).

I have to say I was very impressed. Obviously it was light and nimble, but it was also predictable and controllable at the limit. Mid-engine cars are known for snapping into oversteer and being tough to save but I had no such issues. The tail would step out… but it’d come right back w/ the right inputs. It took me all of a mile to feel totally comfortable and familiar with the car and really push it. The power (or lack thereof) obviously wasn’t what I’m used to. You REALLY have to keep it on the top of the power band or you have nothing. I’d really need to perfect heal-toe downshifting to drive a car like that truely effectively. But just driving around it’s sufficient and doesn’t feel dangerously slow (like my truck can at times).

Does it make me gh3y that I’d totally rock one for a DD? I mean 30+ mpg, small (read: cheap) tires etc. and a very fun to drive package. The only big downside to one as a DD honestly is even a mid-sized sedan would annihilate it in a crash.

-TJ

-TJ