Had this MR2 for 3 years now. What do you want to know about it?

"way2blu does a rev update" (way2blu) 05/12/2020 at 12:07 • Filed to: way2blu, car reviews, Review, oppo review

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I’ll make a 3-year review sometime soon, what do y’all wanna know about a very blue MR2?

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WasGTIthenGTOthenNOVAnowbacktoGTI > way2blu does a rev update 05/12/2020 at 12:15

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Snap oversteer?

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > way2blu does a rev update 05/12/2020 at 12:18

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All things considered, what’s the one thing your car doesn’t have that you wish it did?

I’m 6'1", 225 - I’m not fitting in your car, right?

What one thing about your car do you love the most? 

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > way2blu does a rev update 05/12/2020 at 12:23

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How interested in a trade are you...

AestheticsInMotion > way2blu does a rev update 05/12/2020 at 12:25

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Ignore CoFL. What you really want is my Miata *nudge nudge wink wink*

AestheticsInMotion > way2blu does a rev update 05/12/2020 at 12:26

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But also, how does it feel to break traction in the rear? I've never driven a mid-engine car, is this snap-oversteer thing really all that bad? 

The Ghost of Oppo > way2blu does a rev update 05/12/2020 at 12:27

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Is that NA or Turbo? 

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > way2blu does a rev update 05/12/2020 at 12:34

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On a scale from blue to blue, just how blue is it? Like, does it have 70% color coverage, or what?

PS9 > way2blu does a rev update 05/12/2020 at 12:37

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When’s the 2JZ swap happening? 

Michael > way2blu does a rev update 05/12/2020 at 12:37

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Does that mean I need to make a 14 year review of mine?

Hudson Hawkish > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 05/12/2020 at 12:44

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I have a 92 and am those dimensions. Fit is not a problem 

Hudson Hawkish > PS9 05/12/2020 at 12:44

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Fit is tricky. 

Tripper > way2blu does a rev update 05/12/2020 at 12:46

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I really love this car. I’m a big fan of COLORS. You keeping forever, or kicking around the idea of selling?

way2blu does a rev update > Michael 05/12/2020 at 13:09

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Ooh, please do. Your MR2 is awesome!

way2blu does a rev update > WasGTIthenGTOthenNOVAnowbacktoGTI 05/12/2020 at 13:10

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Will definitely have a section for that in the review. Worthwhile discussion.

way2blu does a rev update > The Ghost of Oppo 05/12/2020 at 13:11

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NA 5S-FE 2.2L. I’ll add some thoughts on the motor to the review; it’s completely stock and I have some strong opinions.

way2blu does a rev update > PS9 05/12/2020 at 13:12

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Toyota does make a 6-cylinder engine that fits in an MR2, and that’s one of my long-term ideas I’ve been entertaining. I’ll make sure to touch on swap options (swaptions?) in the review.

way2blu does a rev update > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 05/12/2020 at 13:18

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Hmmm, this MR2 is a very, VERY fun car. Like, the 2nd most fun car I’ve ever owned. Find something even more fun and I’ll consider that... hahaha

ItalianJobR53 - now with added 'MERICA and unreliability > way2blu does a rev update 05/12/2020 at 13:18

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Can you make it more blue?

way2blu does a rev update > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 05/12/2020 at 13:19

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A comprehensive blueness measurement will be in the review for sure!

way2blu does a rev update > AestheticsInMotion 05/12/2020 at 13:20

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I don’t have any mountains close by to drift in the snow. Your Miata would be out of its element...

way2blu does a rev update > Tripper 05/12/2020 at 13:22

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I have a shortlist of cars I’d sell the MR2 for, but it’s a very short list. Most likely gonna be a forever car.

way2blu does a rev update > AestheticsInMotion 05/12/2020 at 13:22

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The handling behavior is gonna have a nice section devoted to it for sure. Stay tuned for an in-depth review of why these have such a reputation.

way2blu does a rev update > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 05/12/2020 at 13:23

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Good question! I’ll spend some time writing about the interior/ergonomics. 

way2blu does a rev update > ItalianJobR53 - now with added 'MERICA and unreliability 05/12/2020 at 13:25

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Is that a question of feasibility, or a direct request?

feather-throttle-not-hair > way2blu does a rev update 05/12/2020 at 13:57

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I saw an otherwise very clean 2nd gen MR2 the other day with a MKIV supra rear wing on it.

Is that the worst or second worst thing you can imagine someone doing to the exterior of your car?

feather-throttle-not-hair > way2blu does a rev update 05/12/2020 at 13:59

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Back in my all-trac days (circa 2006) I remember people swapping the 200 hp Avalon V6 into MR2's and 5th gen Celicas.

Now Toyota makes V6's with closer to 300 hp, which I’d think would be juuuust about as much as you’d want in one of those (assuming you’re just a good driver and not some sort of driving god.)

I was also recently talking to someone on a BMW forum of all places that has a track prepped MR2 that recently got a BEAMS swap. That would also be pretty effing cool IMHO.

ItalianJobR53 - now with added 'MERICA and unreliability > way2blu does a rev update 05/12/2020 at 14:01

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The most directest of  requests

way2blu does a rev update > feather-throttle-not-hair 05/12/2020 at 14:02

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MR2 wings are weird. The stock design is just okay, most aftermarket attempts don’t seem to work any better. A Supra wing generally only looks good on a Supra or a Mustang.

way2blu does a rev update > ItalianJobR53 - now with added 'MERICA and unreliability 05/12/2020 at 14:04

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Bold of you to say it’s not blue enough already...

But I do have plans to enhance its blueness further, not sure the world will be ready when Blu Stage Two happens

way2blu does a rev update > feather-throttle-not-hair 05/12/2020 at 14:09

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The modern V6 you’re thinking of is the 2GR-FE, which powers everything from RAV4s to Avalons to Lotus Evoras. Stock it makes around 270-ish horsepower.

Doubling my hp/tq over stock (mine’s an NA model) is not something I take lightly. Lots of supporting mods (limited-slip differential and wider wheels/tires mainly) still pending before any power gets added. Swapping engines is also massively expensive here in California, so I’m nursing the stock motor as long as I can.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Hudson Hawkish 05/12/2020 at 14:12

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Good to know! 34" inseam, too? 

feather-throttle-not-hair > way2blu does a rev update 05/12/2020 at 14:21

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I like the stock MR2 wing, but i’ve always loved Toyotas from this era with wing deletes. All of their sporty cars from the mid-80's until mid-2000's had great styling IMHO, especially if you do a tiny bit of modernization (like eliminating giant wheel gaps and not putting 14-15-inch wheels on everything.)

That said, I prefer the USDM wing to the later JDM one and big TRD wing. All of which look better than a MKIV supra wing.

ItalianJobR53 - now with added 'MERICA and unreliability > way2blu does a rev update 05/12/2020 at 14:23

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Blue all the things!

I’m anxiously waiting for Stage two

feather-throttle-not-hair > way2blu does a rev update 05/12/2020 at 14:25

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Yup, that’s the one. I think i saw a smoking tire video once of a dude with a 2nd gen MR2 with a v6 swap out of a Rav4.

I’m sure the 5S-FE feels fine for now though. 135 hp works a lot better without modern car weight to haul around. I do wish Toyota had more mid-grade performance engines in the U.S. I was always jealous that they got like 150-180 hp 3SGE’s and such in other parts of the world. Those would be nice numbers to have in a Celica or MR2.

Hudson Hawkish > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 05/12/2020 at 14:25

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32". I’m built slightly weird. The fit is about the same as a 911.

I don't fit well at all in Mrs Hudson's TT though 

Michael > way2blu does a rev update 05/12/2020 at 14:28

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Wrote it up, as it turns out I don’t have authorship to Oppo, never made a post in my life

so, uh, here you go

https://mhanczyc.kinja.com/14-year-review-mr2-turbo-1843419351?rev=1589308105824

Michael > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 05/12/2020 at 14:29

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Cup holders...

Michael > feather-throttle-not-hair 05/12/2020 at 14:30

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Might have been the Autopista wing?

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Hudson Hawkish 05/12/2020 at 14:36

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I’ve confirmed that I can fit in an ND Miata (just). 

way2blu does a rev update > feather-throttle-not-hair 05/12/2020 at 14:45

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Being a CA-spec model, mine only makes 130 hp. Toyota, back in the late ‘80s, realized the 5S-FE wouldn’t meet California emissions. In the most half-hearted, slapdash way possible, they met emissions by adding a second catalytic converter, right before the muffler. California-spec, NA MR2s are basically un-tunable without a full engine swap.

It’s a competent motor with good low-end torque. Thank foot-long intake runners for that. It barely breathes at high revs though, between the intake/exhaust design, and the secondary cat. Very much a “Camry engine.” Still fun to rev out, since the intake is right outside the driver-side window, but it’s not powerful.

The 5S-FE has zero aftermarket parts support in California, since no suppliers have bothered to certify parts. I’ll probably do a separate piece on the headaches this motor has caused me over the years.

way2blu does a rev update > Michael 05/12/2020 at 14:46

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https://oppositelock.kinja.com/step-right-up-and-get-your-authorship-here-1823584361

AestheticsInMotion > way2blu does a rev update 05/12/2020 at 14:46

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Sigh. You're right 

way2blu does a rev update > AestheticsInMotion 05/12/2020 at 14:55

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Honestly your Miata has been a major inspiration, build-wise, for my MR2. I really have appreciated the stories and adventures that you’ve posted about it.

way2blu does a rev update > Michael 05/12/2020 at 15:08

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Just read through it, that’s an awesome writeup with great detail. Also, I did not know the fuel tank was located where a transmission tunnel would usually be. Learned something new.

Hopefully you get authored quickly so the rest of Oppo can enjoy the post too!

Hudson Hawkish > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 05/12/2020 at 15:14

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That's a good comparison point. If you lube me up with olive oil I just barely fit in the ND. The MR2 is much more spacious 

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Hudson Hawkish 05/12/2020 at 15:17

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Good to know! The nice thing about the ND is that you sit a little lower than in the NC - when I drove a friend’s NC a while back, I felt like I couldn’t look straight out the windshield. Even though it’s snug, I feel like I could daily an ND. 

CaptDale - is secretly British > way2blu does a rev update 05/12/2020 at 19:32

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Why has it not been to any of the Oppo meet ups?

Michael > AestheticsInMotion 05/12/2020 at 20:23

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Truly books could be written about it, but the short version is: it handles great so long as you respect it. If you cheap out and run a square tire setup, it's more likely to bite you. I learned to drive on a S2000 and it's pretty similar, just more torque.

Hudson Hawkish > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 05/13/2020 at 17:23

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I had an RF to drive for a week once. Loved and hated it.

Fun to drive but would be even more fun if I fit...

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Hudson Hawkish 05/13/2020 at 17:41

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Haha - that sucks. I only had a short drive; I may have left with a different feeling after a week.