914 vs MR2, (I kinda figure this site will be a bit biased) Options

[T wing]

But I've been thinking about getting something "newer" and a MK1 MR2 sounds like it might be close on the fun scale.

[nebreitling]

fun cars, but maybe not quite as fun as a 914. at ~2400 lbs and 112 hp, they were a little underpowered (like a 914) and overburdened (not quite like a 914). more of a 'rear'-engine than mid-engine in vehicle dynamics. still, fun cars and tons of relatively cheap aftermarket.

why not an SW20? funner still.

[T wing]

call me crazy. . . but I kinda like the looks of the first gen MR2 better. A supercharged aw11 puts about 140hp out.

[porschenut]

I bought a MK2 T top this summer and its a great alternative. Nice engine sounds, decent handling stock and very pretty. Best part is I can drive itin the winter without worrying about rust and it has heat!
It doesn't have the same feel when leaned on hard, but for normal driving and a little fun it works for me. Amazing what a couple of decades can do for a design concept.

[Bill D]

I had an 87 for a while till I got hit by somebody running a stop sign. Fun car, great shifter. motor sounds great in upper rpm range. good hvac. T tops leak alot and take alot longer to stow than 914 top so i found myself not taking the top off as much as i could. handles poorly in rain. doors sound clunky. much smaller trunks. has rust issues if you live in those climates. tranys go bad and heater cores are very time consuming to replace. i liked it but it didn't have the soul of a 914.

[Joe Ricard]

Had the opportunity to ride in a 3rd gen MR2 with a Camry V-6. 285 HP 295 ft lbs of torque.
315 Kunho 710's on 18 inch rims.
Quite freaking scary ride. This car would leap from cone to cone like it was shot out of a cannon. great brakes also upgraded. Driver never got close to the handling limit through the corners. I was dizzy grinning like a school boy who saw his 1st pair a titties. and sporting wood.
Serious money went into that monster.

[Allan]

Had the opportunity to ride in a 3rd gen MR2 with a Camry V-6. 285 HP 295 ft lbs of torque.
315 Kunho 710's on 18 inch rims.
Quite freaking scary ride. This car would leap from cone to cone like it was shot out of a cannon. great brakes also upgraded. Driver never got close to the handling limit through the corners. I was dizzy grinning like a school boy who saw his 1st pair a titties. and sporting wood.
Serious money went into that monster.

MR2 it is then!!!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/boldblue.gif)



(IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

[banksyinoz]

1st gen is that the 4agze supercharged engine

hard little engine to kill

but the 914 still has my vote.... more swaps available

[drewvw]

I drove an 88 MR2 Supercharged track car once. Left me with a very positive first impresssion...

[T wing]

Sounds like I should try one out first without getting rid of the 914. I already have three cars and a bike and a studio apartment though (but it does have a garage (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) ).

[Root_Werks]

First Gen MR2's are fun little cars. I sold my 85' to my brother with around 115k miles on it. He told me yesterday he was just about to turn 200k. He's had it for about 4 years now. Only done brakes, master cyl and clutch master. Good little cars.

[jhadler]

Interestingly, I've had the oportunity to drive all three generations of MR2's on the autox course. Granted, in different types of trim.

The Mk1 was a CSP car, lots of suspension work. I was impressed with the responsiveness, but it wasn't as well balanced as the 914. The brakes were killer though. The Mk1 suffers from weight though, and needs some serious tweaking to get up and go.

The Mk2 was an MR2 Turbo, with a less than ideal stock suspension setup. Fun car when the boost came on, but tended to drive more like a 911 than a 914. Lots of fun for the go fast feeling though.

The Mk3 (MR-Spyder) was a pretty well sorted stock class autoxer. And I was REALLY impressed with the responsiveness, and the balance was pretty good too. A very fun car. Biggest drawback I saw with the MR-S was the staggering lack of cargo capacity. If you had more than a briefcase, you were gonna have trouble. As an autoxer, you wither have someone else haul your stuff for you, or you get a trailer. No way you're gonna be able to fit all your gear into an MR-S. There's barely enough room for a bag of groceries. At least the Mk1 and Mk2 had trunks...

Anyway, a nice little familly of cars. If I _had_ to pick one, it'd be the MR-S as a sunny day daily driver. But forget about any kind of cargo capacity... But the Mk3 looks kindof like a cartoon character. The Mk2 has the best looks in my opinion.

Still, I'd keep the 914 if it's all the same....

-Josh2