Archive for the ‘ Dale’s MR2 ’ Category

Anniversary Of My MR2 Crash

 

One year ago yesterday was the anniversary of me writing off my old MR2. In a tribute to the MR2 which is the most direct and fun handling car I have ever had, I decided to redo a video of the crash but this time show it in HD so every one can have alook. I take full responsibility for the accident but just so everyone knows the reason why it happened: I hit a sunken grate, which up-set the car while coincidentally heading onto some hidden ice. This in turn cured the rear tyres of any grip and let the rear end slide making the car pivot clockwise. Counter steer was very hard since the front tyres had very little grip, but after a hard moment of braking I somehow lined the car back up, but this just aloud the momentum of the mid-ship setup to go into a second spin which finally took me off the road.

This all happened a year ago, so now that I am now driving a S2000 you could say there was a silver linning to this accident. I am in the same situation as a year ago though and waiting for  better weather to drive my car. This time I will wait for the sun to come out instead of heading out in snow :)


S2000 End Of Month Report – December 2010

Costs this month: £65.01 (fuel) approx £13 on (deicer, anti freeze,screen wash)

Mileage this month: 612

Total Mileage:   82587

612 miles on £65 sounds alittle wrong so I wonder if I’ve not logged a visit or two to the petrol station. That or I started the month witha  full tank but either way it has been a cold miserable month. The S2000 is not designed for this weather and when you drive the car it is easy to discover that fact. More snow, more ice but on the up side I have’nt destroyed the car like I did in the MR2. It was so cold I bought some anti freeze even though I did’nt really need it. Bring on summer!

S2000 End Of Month Report – November 2010

Costs this Month: £155.06 (fuel)

Total Milage:  81987

Milage this month: 764

Its been a cold ass month thats for sure, and the snow fall which got my car stuck in the middle of the night was no fun. Other than the excessive slip in the snow where the tires have no grip what so ever! there is nothing else to report as the car is running fine and has’nt missed a beat.

S2000 End Of Month Report – October 2010

Costs this month: £261/216 liters (fuel)

Mileage this month: 1374

Total Mileage: 81223

Well a month has passed and its been quite a ride. £261 in fuel and 1374 miles. That’s some driving and every miles been a joy. Its included sun, wind and rain. Day and night. Hardtop on and off along with soft-top on and off. The engine hasn’t missed a beat and the car has shown not one fault. Every button along with every other part of the car works just fine. I’m even impressed that each line on the heated electric rear windows work on both the hardtop and soft top.

My driving has been quite reserved for the most part. I’ve literally just been cruising and not really gone into vtec much, but when I have it has brought a rush of driving  joy. Maybe even a rush of fear for the first few days, but now I have adjusted to having a fast car again I have started to lean the car into corners and been more generous on the throttle. But as for the car, everything is just perfect :D

My cars over the last year

I was just thinking about how this time last year I was driving a Civic Type-R. Since then Ive owned a MR2 Roadster and just over a week ago I bought a S2000. Im very lucky to have driven cars which are so sort after by many driving enthusiasts. Makes me wonder what will come next. RENOIR

I was more than happy with the Type-R. Its pace on the road along with its driver involvement was fun and it was easy to keep up or surpass cars which had much higher specs or a higher price tag. The main problem was money, I was spending £500 a month and it was just abit too much, the car isn’t really that much to own, but the fault was my own by getting such a stupid finance deal. RENOIR

That’s where the MR2 came in. First of all it was much cheaper. Second of all it had what I wanted in my next car.Rear wheel drive. A driver that wants that  true sporty feel needs a car which was designed from the begining to be a sports car, not a car which was adapted from a standard family car to be fast. The MR2 was direct, pretty fast for a 1.8, stopped instantly. The engine was in the middle and the whole character of the car was completely different from what I had before, and I loved it. It was a basic lightweight car which provided driving enthusiasts with a MR setup for a very reasonable price. MR2 AT THE SHOWROOM

I got the MR2 in December of last year, which just turned out to be the worst winter for 30 years. The cold weather lasted ages which ultimately meant I was waiting and waiting for a dry day to drive properly. Maybe I was too hasty in going out to drive as one evening I was out and ended up skidding off the road. I failed to read just how icy the road was on a certain straight and when my car ran over a grate in the road the whole car got unsettled and started to spin. The steering wheel went floaty light and I was skating. The mass of the car which was about %60 rear bias took the lead straight off the road and into a double posted sign. RENOIR

Eight months past by with no car to call my own. Driving my mums Zafira to work and back on the same bit of road was numbing. Insurance was taking the peeece charging me every month while still not helping me close the claim so everything in my driving life was becoming stressed. But once that was sorted I knew I wanted another sporty car, something once again unique and different. So either FR or AWD but with more power than the MR2 because going to a mere 140bhp was in the end abit disappointing. RENOIR
RENOIR

That’s when it hit me. The S2000 was the car. Purpose built, front engined, rear wheel drive with all the poise and precision of the MR2 with the race engine and power I knew the Vtec could provide in the civic and then some. After test driving it I knew this was the car for me. It has for a long time been my favourite car since 1999 and the test drive was no let down. The high revs, the cockpit like interior, the electric roof all added to the excitement and I had to buy the car, and this is where i am now. A S2000 outside ready to drive whenever I like, and it feels great. s2k5