Want to be part of an evo magazine feature?

[Anonymous]

We are putting together an MR2/MX-5 buying guide and we need a Roadster for a studio photoshoot on the 9th Sept in Norwich. If you are interested in having your car in evo and you have a car that is not white/black or dark blue (sorry we can't use these but it's for photographic reasons) then please let me know by replying to this thread.

Also we are interested in compiling your experiences too, so please add your comments on your ownership experiences including good points and bad to this thread.

Thanks
Roger Green
evo magazine

[Anonymous]

I want my car in EVO!! Unfortunately it's black, stupid black.

[MRMike]

I'd be happy to! Mines looks standard from the outside too! It's a silver 03 incidentally.

Exterior mods include:- Euro spoiler/TTE exhaust/ Lowering springs

Likes:- Big kids Go Kart for the road. Sums it up perfectly!
        - Fantastic handling
        - Stonkingly good brakes
        - Good engine (nice balance of torque/power)
        - Lightness
        - Best weighted power steering i've ever driven.
        - Great bunch of other owners
        - Uncommon
     
Dislikes:- My pre-cats expiring after 6000 miles
            - Toyota warranty support. (Wanted to charge me £2000 for a  
               new screen in the back window/knew nothing about pre-cats)
            - Slightly underpowered.
            - Body flex when entering corners hard on the brakes (Curable  
              with bracing)
            - Uninspiring standard engine sound
            - Standard tyres wet weather grip

Do i get to have a cheesy pic in the owners comments as well??

[Comer]

I want my car in EVO!! Unfortunately it's black, stupid black.

Me too   s:( s:(

[Anonymous]

Well, it's not only black, but its pre-03 and isn't standard with badges etc.  so i'm onto a loser really.

Ok cons out of the way; the steering wheel is too large and in my opinion the PAS is too light, I'd like it too be a lot firmer.  The cars could definitely do with being faster – although then I couldn't afford it. the interior could be a bit smarter and the stock exhaust is too small – the exhaust trim on the 03 model is unbearably bad.

The pros though, superb car, feels like a go-kart, I have utter faith on twisty roads with it, looks the business.  I've never had any trouble with the storage space, Foot down power is more than adequate for road driving, and brakes are wonderful.  The hood is very simple and quick to put up or down, even seated.

Toyota have always been great with me, replacing anything I ask for under warranty.  

I test drove an MX-5 whilst trying to decide on what to buy, I thought the gear box was nicer on the Mazda, but apart from that the '2 had it all the way, if nothing else, because of the greater acceleration and looks, you have to 'drive' the '2 a bit more, but that's what I want in a car.

[Anonymous]

I'd love mine in Evo.   s:D s:D  

It's a Chilli Red pre '03 model only mods are a dual exhaust and it's mint.

As to experiences...  hehe well it's the first mid engined rwd car I've owned and I got a little excited after picking it up from the dealership and ended up going round a roundabout with my nose always pointing at the centre of the roundabout.

PM me if ya interested.

[Anonymous]

Hi Roger,

My car is as stated below in my sig: a '53 Manual in Silver, with the TTE twin exhaust, lowering springs, inlet duct and a TRD panel filter being the only mods engine/handling wise.


I started to think about buying a new car back in June/July last year, which was also the time you had the MR2-R as part of your 'Fast Fleet': the comments you made about the car pretty much summed up what I was looking for, so I took one out for a spin. The rest, as they say, is history!

My previous car was a Focus, which I loved. The balance was fantastic, the steering gave superb feedback, and (even though it had the 1.8Tdi powerplant) the engine was good enough for me. I thought it was a superb drive, until I'd owned my MR2 for about 3 months...


The '2 takes everything I liked about the Focus, and improves it far beyond what should be capable from a car costing under £20K. I'll be the first to admit that I've never actually driven a 'standard' MR2 (my demonstrator had the TTE exhaust), but the tone of the engine upon start-up had me grinning. The first time I engaged 1st gear was a delight: it clickety-clunked in like a dream. And when I first floored it... well, I can still remember the feeling, and how wide my smile was.

For me (and for most of us on here  s:wink: :wink: s:wink:  ), the true joy of the '2 is in the steering, and the amount of control you have through corners. I've yet to take the car on a trackday, but I've been to North Weald airfield for a day under instruction, and I always thought I was driving the car pretty close to it's limit. I was wrong. Sometimes it can feel like it wants to turn in a bit too quickly, but when you get used to that it's a bonus, rather than a chore. It's an incredible machine to drive: it grips like nothing I've ever been in before, and even when sitting as passenger you can feel the amount of feedback through the car (and I'm not talking about scuttle-shake  s:wink: :wink: s:wink:  ).


Bad points: sometimes the lack of storage space can be a pain. I can get a weeks shop in, but only with no other passenger aboard. Apart from the pre-cat issues, I've also had trouble with the leather interior (specifically, the door inserts being quite poor and falling to bits. They've since been exchanged under warranty, though). The service technicians at my local dealer are superb, as are the sales staff, but I've got serious issues with the service manager regarding what he knows about the car. He tried to bluff me away by telling me there were no pre-cats on the 1ZZ-FE, as an example.

Good points: Corners. Any and all of them.   s:D s:D  


Christ, I've waffled on there, haven't I?   s:oops: :oops: s:oops:    s:lol: :lol: s:lol:  

[Bongo]

Well having driven both the MR2 and the MX-5 (quite hard   s:lol: :lol: s:lol: ) i think they're both great cars.

What really swung me in favour of the MR2 was the amount of headroom it has - i'm amazed, it has more than any other car i've driven.


Trip to Norwich just to be photographed sounds a bit like hardwork (i like my sleep) but if there was a track or something involved i'd be happy to oblige  s;) s;)

(2001 Y, Silver)

[heathstimpson]

I have a silver 03 with some mods including a H&S twin exhaust and could be available for a photo shoot if needed.
Pros:
The handling and balance of the 2 is superb; its the best usable light sports car/ go-cart on the road probably?
The power steering has excellent feedback.
The brakes are great.
The seats are confortable.
It looks like it costs a lot more than it actually does; and in my eyes really smart especially from the front and side. I prefer the revisions as on the '03 model and it turns many heads.
The allround costs are very low for a mid engined sports car; initial outlay, insurance, consumption etc.
Its still quite a unique car on the roads not like MGF's, MX5's and TT's  s:wink: :wink: s:wink:  
Those twisties, oh those twisties are fun...
Cons:
Could do with more power from standard as with a turbo version.
Precat failure potential situation that has not been sorted by the big quality company Toyota. Also quality issues with rusting brakes and bubbling alloys!
As mentioned earlier had to get a new hood at just over a year old for a broken rear glass.
Standard exhaust note too conservative.
Paint very soft and the front chips up very easily.
Alarm position bad making it very quite indeed.
Should have better bracing from new; a small outlay improves it by such a huge amount.
Lack of storage space but who cares in a sports car?

[Anonymous]

Mine IS totally standard!

X Reg Silver with black leather.

Check my website (link below) for pics of it.

[Anonymous]

Yes...consider mine too. 2000/X totally standard car. Silver. Hardtop. A/C. Red Cloth seats. 15,000 miles. Paid 10K a few weeks ago. Bodywork in as near mint as possible for a 4 year old car - I suppose it depends if they want an older car or the very best car available (i.e. new).

Oh...and I've been an EVO subscriber for many years too!

[filcee]

Hi Roger,

Anything and everything people say about the lack of storage space is complete and utter rubbish (including the guys & girls on here - sorry!).  I have no problems shifting me and all my gear for a week away at work (week-in, week-out), without anything being on display on the passenger seat or anywhere else within the car. Ever.

I'd love to be at Norwich for the photo shoot, but I bet my un-modded bar a proper 'stereo' 2003 Sable SMT is too close to black to be allowed in.  That, and the fact I'll be away on a driving holiday!

Likes:
. SMT - don't believe a word of what you hear, and it's a godsend in traffic, too.
. Handling
. Disconcertingly low running costs for a sports car - a big bonus for people who take the money instead of a company car
. It's the only car I've driven that makes you think properly about driving - gear, line, road position, traffic conditions, road furniture, hazards, speed
. Heat haze visible in the rear view mirror

Dislikes:
. After-sales service could be improved.
. Paint is very soft and susceptible to chips and scratches, though Sable doesn't seem as bad as Lagoon Blue (the first one I had).
. Stupid holey seats on the '03 make my neck cold, regardless of the weather (bring back the solid seats of earlier models, but keep the better shape of the '03 seats).
. Should be on lowering springs when it comes from the factory as this makes it look miles more purposeful on the road, though I haven't driven a lowered car so can't compare things like 'feel' and handling between the two set ups.

Looking forward to seeing the article in print.
Phil

[Anonymous]

2000  TOYOTA MR2 Roadster 1.8 VVTi 2dr

Import MR-S V REG 2000 Convertible in silver with red interior. ABS, Electric windows, Power steering, Alloy wheels, Dual airbags, Cat 1 Anti theft system, CD, Remote Central locking. TRD full bodykit, locking wheel nuts, pull off CD stereo.5 months tax, test Dec 2004. Stunning looks. 39000 miles.












Had some bad experiences with local Toyota dealers trying to charge me £200 for a spare key when I got one from a key cutter for £5 that works fine. I have a top alarm on it so didnt have the chip in the key like some have in the UK.

Had it for 18 months now and love it, i had a Jeep wrangler and a ford puma before that. Had to learn how to drive all over again with it being a rear engined car and had some hairy moments in the wet.

[StephenBennett]

Roger

I'm in Norwich and I have a sable MR-2, 7 months old. You're quite welcome to use it, as long as I don't have to be photographed too - though I may be able to persuade my pretty girlfriend to pose.  s8) s8)  

I love the MR-2. I tested the MR-2, MX-5 and Smart roadster, but settled on the 2 to replace my aging X1/9. It's almost as fun to drive as the smart and x1/9, but more refined and useful. The luggage space is fine for shopping and trips away, especially if you dump the spare - and a rack is easy to fit.

The only negative points so far are

Seats don't remember the rake position when pulling down to access inner luggage space.
Stock stereo is a tad of a underperformer.
No fresh air on face/heat at feet settings - I miss this!
Rusty brake hubs
Poppers come loose on hood brace strip

Everything else is a positive so far. Handling is brilliant. Hood is neat and fast, parts inexpensive (someone totalled my wing in Tescos) and good mpg figures. As someone else said, to get the best out of the car you have to really drive it - but that's the whole point! The MX-5 felt more like a 'normal' car to me. The smart was great fun but noisy and had little driver seat adjustment.

The car feels a lot more expensive than it is.

Best wishes

Stephen

[Anonymous]

Hi Andy,

Thanks for the offer, your car sounds perfect for us, if you are able to help we will need you at the studio at about 9am on the 9th and we will need it most of the day.

!!!


So...  what subtle bits and bobs can I put on the car to pimp MR2ROC?  I've got the visor plugs.  Anything else I can get before next week?

[MRMike]

Hi Andy,

Thanks for the offer, your car sounds perfect for us, if you are able to help we will need you at the studio at about 9am on the 9th and we will need it most of the day.

!!!


So...  what subtle bits and bobs can I put on the car to pimp MR2ROC?  I've got the visor plugs.  Anything else I can get before next week?

  s:twisted: :twisted: s:twisted:    s:twisted: :twisted: s:twisted:    s:twisted: :twisted: s:twisted:    s:twisted: :twisted: s:twisted:    s:twisted: :twisted: s:twisted:   It's not fair...

You want a ROC hat, t shirt, and ROC baloons in the car.

Well i'm glad were getting EVO back on track with this feature and it's cool someone from the club got asked! ( I'm not happy for you at all Andy)  s:lol: :lol: s:lol:

[Anonymous]

Hi Roger,

Anything and everything people say about the lack of storage space is complete and utter rubbish (including the guys & girls on here - sorry!).  I have no problems shifting me and all my gear for a week away at work (week-in, week-out), without anything being on display on the passenger seat or anywhere else within the car. Ever.

Phil

Got to agree with Phil, I find it so annoying that in every review of the car it is dismissed almost before driving because it is impractical. It isnt you just need to buy soft bags not bloomin great suitcases!

[Anonymous]

Hi Andy,

Thanks for the offer, your car sounds perfect for us, if you are able to help we will need you at the studio at about 9am on the 9th and we will need it most of the day.

!!!


So...  what subtle bits and bobs can I put on the car to pimp MR2ROC?  I've got the visor plugs.  Anything else I can get before next week?

You need some bags to demonstrate the luggage space available!  MAY be able to sort out lending you mine if you don't have any.  I am really jealous, though if they blank out the number plate, I could pretend to me mates that it's my car!

Cheers
(Another) Andy

[markiii]

windscreen sticker?

[Anonymous]

Defo a sticker, then it would be in the photos.

Howbout a small child, stick it on the rear locks and tell em its a 3 seater, just like the Mac F1.

[Slacey]

Although stickers, sunstrips etc. would be good, chances are they will want the car as 'clean' as possible for the pictures. There is a good possibility of getting a link to the club in the text though, as they did for the GT40 enthusiasts club an issue or two back.

[Anonymous]

Does this prove once and for all that RED is the best colour  s:wink: :wink: s:wink:

[markiii]

nope, but it may prove it's the slowest  :-) :-) :-)

[Anonymous]

defo should have picked a silver '2   s:wink: :wink: s:wink:  

cant wait to read the mag with the feature in it! make sure your '2 is immaculate!!!  s:wink: :wink: s:wink:   gotta do it justice  s:lol: :lol: s:lol: