MR2 Diary 13/12/09

Today I had work at 7pm, so yesterday I planned to wake up early and have my first drive with someone in the passenger seat moaning telling me to slow down. I wanted to get the backend more active and try and get to grips with the MR2’s more sporty dynamics. I had a shower and was thinking where to go, there’s always Buckstone pass which is a brilliant road to drive, but I decided to go visit my partner in crime and go visit chris and see what he thinks of the MR2. He has owned two SW20 versions of the MR2 and we have talked before how the mk3 roadster it too cute and shouldn’t have followed in the mk2’s footsteps. But I was hoping it would win him around like it had me so off I went.

Its just me and the car now for the first time. There’s no holding back and I can finally open her up a little bit where safe to do so. The precise steering and the way in which the chassis enters then springs out of corners is such a joy. Even though wakefield road has been killed off thanks to the multiply speed camera’s, its still a familiar road I can compare it against the Type-R. The MR2 is so good dynamically it doesn’t take anybody long to know that unless your driving an Elise or VX220, you just can’t be having as much fun as the MR2. The way upon how the car feeds information to the driver is first class. The 1.8 engine is nothing to complain about, and does the job of briskly shooting the MR2 through corners and then onto the straights as good any Type-R will manage.

I got into Wakefield and decided to go to Halfords since Chris didn’t answer his phone. As usual. But I did want a radio to replace the bog standard one which was in the MR2. After my 30 minute browse I decided to save my money and enjoyed my drive back to Huddersfield. Only to get a phone call from Chris explaining he was now awake. This is typical Chris-ness. But it was another excuse for another drive.

I arrived at Chris’s and as usual he was outside waiting. First thing he said was that I looked quite good in it and it suited me. I introduced him to the automatic Ariel first for some reason and then onto the other MR2 traits. We spoke how in some areas it carried DNA from the MK2, and how it had the same “feel”. Yet how you could tell Toyota took a new approach in design, and maybe tried to create a softer Elise. It wasn’t long though until we was on the road with the roof down…. In December. But its surprisingly warm. With a million miles of head room we spoke about the driving.

For some reason everyone when they first get in the MR2 notice the big sturdy door handles. There almost industrial looking. Then secondly the surprising comfort and leg space is mentioned. I try to explain the driving dynamics to him, and he reflects on his 2 MR2’s of the past, this discussion leads us all the way into Huddersfield to the petrol station. After a £15 refill, the roof goes up and I get to my house. Chris confirmed it was a good impression he had, and I was arrogant enough to know it was always going to be. Chris like me holds handling and balance top priority in our cars, and the MR2 has this in bucket full’s. Also the MR2 has a little charm among it. Although small on the outside, it feels spacious and racy on the inside, and I’m really starting to understand why owners get attached to these little roadsters.

After Sunday dinner I took Chris back to Wakefield and I went to work. Overall it was a good day. I spent time on my own with the MR2 and was able to get familiar with it. It got itself into Chris’s good book, and really charmed me. Once I got home after work at 3:30am, I turned off the engine and rested my head back agasint the head rest. It was good to know I have a TRUE drivers car. I know I still have a lot to learn in driving this car, and I cant wait to do so.

I think that when one collects there new car from the garage, its one of the best feelings on eath, especially as a driving enthusiast. Its also a dreaded feeling. Knowing you have commited to pay finance for the next tens of months, or significantly reduced your bank account for a machine which you only spent a limited amount of time driving rather conservatively, it leaves a lot to be expected. When I collected the MR2 today I really hoped to god I would be satisfied with it. It needed to handled well, feel punchy and also bring driver enjoyment. You cant know for sure if what you are buying will achieve all this. All you can do is make a judgment from the conserved short drive with the saleman when you had a test drive.

At least the sun was out which aint bad for December. I’m sure this was a sign from the car gods (it is a convertible). After handing the keys over for the Civic Type-R I felt alittle sad inside. The MR2 was mine now. I remember thinking to myself “is this the right thing to do?”. I suppose I would find out on the way home. My sister climbed into shiney new MR2 which looked so small next to my now ex-Civic. We looked about the cabin and checked the cubie holes, pushed the buttons and finally placed the tax disc. Excellent we was on our way home. I took one last look at my old Milano red civic, and hoped its replacement would bring me as much fun and take as much care of me as the Type-R did.

Becoming familiar with the MR2 on the 20 miles trip back home I noticed a few things. First, my sun visor was loose, annoying yet a simple fix for when I get home. Secondly I am pleasantly surprised with the engine. It pulls extremely well, with a more throaty sound. As I go along I am now in my own time able to feel the car more and enjoy the drive more so that the test drive. Thankfully I was pleased. Its instantaneous handling and precise steering is exactly to my prefrence. Its much more fun that the Elise I test drove. Braking has a good firm pressure to the pedal and works perfectly in conjuntion with the steering feel. You can really feel which tire has how much grip, this in my eyes is how every drivers car should be. But strangly enough the steering and brakes was lacking in the Type-R, So having this information been fed through my body was welcomed. It was like switching from 56k to broadband, I was feeling so much more, and all this from mundane city driving.

Adventually we hit the motorway. Time to open the throttle abit. Although the engine sounds quite muted in comparison to my type-R which screamed at everything, it did have abit of a grunty burble at about 5000rpm. Speed in all gears seemed very reasonable, its not Type-R fast but its no slouch and could definatly keep up with my old Fiesta ST. Another thing you notice is the lower down driving position, even “Small” cars like Corsa’s, Fiesta’s and the like all look large and heavy, and they are heavy, and you can just sense by the way they move that the MR2’s must have massive agility in comparison. Further down the motorway my sister finally persuades me to pull into the service station to take the soft top down, and with that I fear the cold winter child been blasted into my head as I drive at 70mph down the M62,

Suprisingly enough though no cold entered the cabin. There was no wind in the face. Just a steady warm breeze from the heater. Outside air only touch the very top of my head and that was no hassle what so ever. So my first top down motoring drive was a pleasant experience. Fifthteen minutes later I pull up outside my home with my little 4 year old brother, my nan and my other 12 year brother waiting on the pavement for my arrival. They all liked the look of my car especially Coen. I took the “MR2 Passport” which is basically the manual and took it inside for a read. Through-out the day I took my mum, auntie and nan for a drive. Even let my mum drive it herself.

My nan got a drive all the way to Hollingworth lake. This was a great driving for me as I got to drive on country roads where the MR2 really excels and I’m convince would challenge the Type-R. I visited the petrol station and my nan put £10 worth of fuel in for me. All I got back was great praise for the car. Good to be in and great to drive. And that’s exactly my thoughts. To say I’m saving so much money and still having so much fun driving, I’m a happy bunny indeed. I’ve not got the chance to push it today due to driving other people who was excited to check the car out. But what I did achieve was a basic understanding of the cars dynamic set up and ride. Handling and driver enjoyment is the MR2’s priority, I can sense this. Theres still a lot to discover and much much more potential to unlock.

Tommorow I will have a drive to visit Chris and introduce him to my new machine. Also no doubt I will get to push the MR2 abit harder and see how it will cope.