MR2 Turbo views

[Toms Supra]

Looking at MR2 GTS (turbo) anyone had one of these?? What are they like i.e a standard MR2 GTS compared to a standard Supra TT. Is a UK better than an import, and do you have to do the same basic mods as a J spec supra? i.e fuel pump, brakes, suspension, etc. Any comments wlecome!

[michael]

GTS is the budget version, a lot of people think it's higher spec than the GT or the 'sports' version but the reality is that it's just the base model with most of the GT standard kit available as options.

 

Secondly you can only get the turbo as an import, all UK cars are NA with either the crappy 3S-FE engine or the 3S-GE (Turbos are 3S-GTE).

 

Standard MR2 vs Standard Supra - two very different cars but this video is always good for a laugh:

 

http://www.megaboost.co.uk/video/mr2/mr2_gts_vs_supra_rz.avi (please right click > 'save as')

 

(Clearly a crap driver in the Supra )

 

Hard to compare the two, ideally I'd love both cars so all angles were covered

 

You don't have to do any mods but the basics apply for more power, boost, exhaust, decat, FCD... depends what you want really, 300bhp > 800bhp is possible if you have the budget, even the 300bhp will be enough for most circumstances.

 

Cracking little cars, a bit too many of them around these days and the owners clubs are becoming increasing full of idiots but the hardcore following is still there.

 

Have a look over my website and sign up on http://www.imoc.co.uk - if you need more info my links page should take you to most of the majors sites.

 

Thinking of swapping the supra or buying as well as?

[Clarkey]

I had a MR2 Turbo before the Supra. Can't compare the MR2 with the Supra. That's like comparing a trucker's Yorkie Bar to a Cadbury's Flake. They're totally different.

 

What the Supe lacks in handling around the twisties it makes up for in brute force - like a tiger with rocket up it's backside.

 

Whereas the MR2's handling is more delicate than a quail's egg. It's very precise and forgiving. Whereas in the Supe - get too over-confident and will simply kill you.

 

As for the mods ... stock boost on an MR2 is 6psi. I think you can safely increase this to 8 or 9 psi (Ask Shaf for details) by adding a boost controller, doing a decat, exhaust .. basically the same sort of things you'd do to a Stock Supra to turn it into a BPU Supra.

[michael]

What the Supe lacks in handling around the twisties it makes up for in brute force - like a tiger with rocket up it's backside.

 

I find the Supra quicker on the twisties to be honest, it's definately got more mechanical grip but you need to be confident to trust the setup - by far the better suspension setup when compared with the MR2 (which has very dated 80's stuff) but has the weight disadvantage

 

Whereas the MR2's handling is more delicate than a quail's egg. It's very precise and forgiving. Whereas in the Supe - get too over-confident and will simply kill you.

 

Did you get that the right way around? The rev 3 MR2 is quite placid but earlier versions were a lot less predictable on the ragged edge, they gave very little feedback before taking you beyond the limit whereas the Supra is very composed and a lot easier to recover in my experience on track.

 

As for the mods ... stock boost on an MR2 is 6psi. I think you can safely increase this to 8 or 9 psi (Ask Shaf for details) by adding a boost controller, doing a decat, exhaust .. basically the same sort of things you'd do to a Stock Supra to turn it into a BPU Supra.

 

I ran my revision 1 at 15psi on the CT26 with standard intercooler for years and the following 3 owners didn't swap the turbo or internals either - it's still going strong. That had me at 265bhp and the car felt rapid enough, I still fancy getting another to do the 400bhp thing though.

 

Basic turbo engine tuning applies, lots of suspension options and a big following with most mods being tried and tested - chargecoolers are in fashion at the moment and seem to give good results on the CT20 and CT26.

[Clarkey]

Michael, My MR2 was the revision 2 .. and I used to enjoy whipping that around the bends. I never lost the back-end in my Rev 2. Having said that - I don't think I had or have .. the nerve - to actually make it lose the back-end.

 

But in the Supe .. I personally feel that the handling is like you've been phemetically sealed in super-sonic shrinkwrap and has the response of a silenced hoover in comparision to my MR2.

 

Or perhaps and more likely I drive slow enough it's like Driving Miss Daisy or how OAP's have sex!

[Gazboy]

I find the Supra quicker on the twisties to be honest, it's definately got more mechanical grip but you need to be confident to trust the setup - by far the better suspension setup when compared with the MR2 (which has very dated 80's stuff) but has the weight disadvantage

 

 

 

Did you get that the right way around? The rev 3 MR2 is quite placid but earlier versions were a lot less predictable on the ragged edge, they gave very little feedback before taking you beyond the limit whereas the Supra is very composed and a lot easier to recover in my experience on track.

 

 

 

I ran my revision 1 at 15psi on the CT26 with standard intercooler for years and the following 3 owners didn't swap the turbo or internals either - it's still going strong. That had me at 265bhp and the car felt rapid enough, I still fancy getting another to do the 400bhp thing though.

 

Basic turbo engine tuning applies, lots of suspension options and a big following with most mods being tried and tested - chargecoolers are in fashion at the moment and seem to give good results on the CT20 and CT26.

 

 

Rev1's were the handful- rev2's had new engine position (canted forward a bit more), and more composed. The Supra is deffo easier to catch, but more of a handful to start with, and you really feel it's weight on the track, especially under braking.

 

I ran mine at 1.1 bar on track, and at 0.9 on the road. I used the Blitz SBC single solinoid b/c, which was great. I had HKS manifold, downpipe, decat and cat-back system, which sounded really nice, even for a four banger.

 

My modified MR2 would eat my stock JDMA Supra in almost every situation, and imo a more rewarding drive.

[michael]

rev2's had new engine position (canted forward a bit more),

 

Urban myth isn't it?

[Gazboy]

If it is an urban myth, it's one that gets repeated A LOT.

The only time I saw mine next to a rev1 with the hoods up, the rev1 had a BEAMS engine in it! I had a Toyota owners manual that had all the different specs between the revs and specs (Toyota NZ sent it over), but I gave it to the new owner. I can't remember even a fraction of what it said, but there were more differences between the rev1-2 than rev2-3!!!! (on suspension only btw - clearly there was a lot of differences on the facelift cars in the other areas).

[Markie]

I had a GTS Turbo.. Totally different cars as said above, but I think, still a nice car externally and internal..

 

Handling was OK, but I found they really did understeer quite badly, especiialy in the wet. I spent loads on a conversion to sort this out thou.. Went to B&Q and brought a couple of sand bags That seems to solve the problem..

[tepster]

I had an mr2 turbo b4 the supra. Hope u have played mario kart.

 

mr2 = yoshi (quick acceleration,steers very much like a go kart)

 

supra = donkey kong after getting a "star"(goes like fcuk and rips up the road)

 

HTH !!!

 

 

 

 

The 2 seater aspect is very nice and the engine pushin u from behind(can i say that?) supra is imho the better car. defo not 4 a hairdresser

[Toms Supra]

lol thanks guys just wondering as an extra car really bit of fun seem quite cheap to buy now.

[chris aka fonz]

I had an Mr2 b4 my TT Supra , cracking car , really pushed it on the bends and i was a lot more confident sliding the back end out , I liked it so much i made my girlfriend buy it so i didnt have to see it go

 

Maybe once im a bit more comfortable with the power of the Supra ill push it a bit harder , but to be honest i think im a better and safer driver now in this as i leave most my speeding for the track .