Fell off the road *now with video*

[JohnnyC]

both fronts have now been replaced (although now there's a little vibration (that's only just appeared), so I recken the tyre place I used have messed up the balancing

It doesn't feel stable at motorway speeds.

Just thought I'd add, in case anyone else has similar problems and have had their alignment checked etc...

I eventually got round to taking the car to get the front wheels checked/re-balanced. Took it to a different place to those that fitted them (Just Tyres), Kwik-Fit - and they very kindly didn't charge
Massive improvement. I hoped it'd cure the vibration at motorway speeds, but didn't think it'd cure the stability (which was an issue even when the steering wheel wasn't vibrating) - but it sorted both

[ryan]

All this talk of the MR2 not being a 'proper sports car' does make me laugh. I remember a test back in the 1990s with the MX3 V6 and MR2 vs the Clio 16v and 205 1.9 GTi. The former were referred to as the 'proper sports cars'
The MR2 has its own chassis and suspension, (yes Macpherson struts, but this doesnt have to be a bad thing; there are plenty of excellent handling cars with this set up) and yes I know that the basic engine, gearbox and brakes are nicked from other cars in the range, but as previously said, which manufacturer doesnt do this. If all parts were bespoke, the car wouldnt have made it off the concept stage, it would have been way too expensive to produce and missed the point completely of the budget sports car it was meant to be.
I would say a Clio sport or Saxo VTS isnt a proper sports car in my eyes just because its basic shell is that of a standard hatchback, therefore its a 'hot hatchback' perhaps like the Panda 100hp

[Rubber Chicken]

99% agree with you ryan...i fancy a role play

Random man
"What do you car drive?"

Rubber Chicken
"I drive a sports car!!! Vroom vroom"

Snotty person in back (no name's mentioned )
"Well,ahem...it's not a sports car because...blah blah blah, but panda's are cool"

*Snotty person gets slapped and has 2 fingers stuck up at them by everyone*

THE END

Morale of the story states the MR2 was built as a sports car therefore is a sports car

[Tiamat]

99% agree with you ryan...i fancy a role play

Random man
"What do you car drive?"

Rubber Chicken
"I drive a sports car!!! Vroom vroom"

Snotty person in back (no name's mentioned )
"Well,ahem...it's not a sports car because...blah blah blah, but panda's are cool"

*Snotty person gets slapped and has 2 fingers stuck up at them by everyone*

THE END

Morale of the story states the MR2 was built as a sports car therefore is a sports car

* big spoon for stirring with *

Arguably the MK2 wasn't a sports car, but a GT car.

Otherwise it wouldn't have GT on the back of it!

MK1 = sportscar

MK2 = GT car

MK3 = Fail

[Rubber Chicken]

lol, fair play but aren't GT cars technically sports cars anyway?
Or am i wrong?

[Ekona]

Sports cars have convertible roofs. So a mk3 is a sports car, the other two are coupes

[Rubber Chicken]

We'll never come to an agreement on this, lol

[ryan]

99% agree with you ryan...i fancy a role play

Random man
"What do you car drive?"

Rubber Chicken
"I drive a sports car!!! Vroom vroom"

Snotty person in back (no name's mentioned )
"Well,ahem...it's not a sports car because...blah blah blah, but panda's are cool"

*Snotty person gets slapped and has 2 fingers stuck up at them by everyone*

THE END

Morale of the story states the MR2 was built as a sports car therefore is a sports car

* big spoon for stirring with *

Arguably the MK2 wasn't a sports car, but a GT car.

Otherwise it wouldn't have GT on the back of it!

MK1 = sportscar

MK2 = GT car

MK3 = Fail

Good point Tinmat, but I tend to class Grand Tourer/Sports Car as one of the same thing. I dont think theres a definite description of either, however, apparently a 'coupe' should have a few key elements apparently, according to some authority somewhere

[Race Idiot]

It's a midship express not a sports car!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hnn3Jty8P2g

[CM1GT]

what you did wrong there was back off, if you'd of kept it planted you'd of been able to turn it right round and go up the central reservation backwards, much more impressive

[jimGTS]

I'm not poking at you, but there's more control available, quicker, with both hands on the wheel when going round bends.

Marc

thats really gutting thing to happen...

but i agree with the above comment...
its rare i have one hand on the wheel (apart from the obvious gear change), especially around corners and in the wet...
very much a violent correction.....

can anyone say they could have caught it, sure many may and many may not, just depends what frame of mind your in at the time, ie weekend blast or journey back from work not concentrating 110%....could be mixture of the two, all depends really.

hope the cars ok...

ive had things like that happen when coming on boost in the rain in a straight line, but not caught so sideways, lol

the vid is sure an eye opener to people in this weather!

[Graeme Shaw]

What a stupid debate this has turned into.

Of course the mr2 was designed as a sports car, and IS a sports car.
Not the best in the world, but still is one!

Graeme

[JohnnyC]

both fronts have now been replaced (although now there's a little vibration (that's only just appeared), so I recken the tyre place I used have messed up the balancing

It doesn't feel stable at motorway speeds.

Just thought I'd add, in case anyone else has similar problems and have had their alignment checked etc...

I eventually got round to taking the car to get the front wheels checked/re-balanced. Took it to a different place to those that fitted them (Just Tyres), Kwik-Fit - and they very kindly didn't charge
Massive improvement. I hoped it'd cure the vibration at motorway speeds, but didn't think it'd cure the stability (which was an issue even when the steering wheel wasn't vibrating) - but it sorted both

Another update.
I *still* wasn't happy with the stability. And the vibration soon came back.

Had the alignment done again, and wow - MUCH better. To the point where (although I've said it before) I think it's completely solved now.
In fact, it looks likely that not a lot was done with my alignment several months ago

[eatdrinkfeck]

good point haryer, unfortunately im gonna stick my oat in aswell. As there is no classic definition of what is and isnt a sportscar, then its purely a personnal opinion. I would say an mr2 is a sportscar as it was relatively powerfull at the time of production, has 2 seats, is slighly impractical, looks great from just about every angle and handles pretty good too. getting back to the original thread, i nearly spun 2 different mk2 rev3 n/a's on the same bleedin roundabout in the wet. First time i brushed the kerb on the exit and 2nd time caught it. Even with a n/a its a car u gotta respect especially if your like me at the moment looking out at alot of the white stuff!

[SonicSW20]

A very similar thing happened to me a few weeks ago, except I ended up getting acquainted with the trees I didnt know the roads particularly well, was exiting a roundabout and the exit road tightened up to the left more than I had anticipated. Back end came round, and just couldnt correct it in time.

Car survived, and for now its got a black wing on it (car is sonic shadow). One of the rear wheels is somewhat buckled, but does not seem to affect the handling. I am going to be getting the geometry done next week regardless, car feels OK, if anything I'd say it feels a little uneasy at higher speeds , but I really dont know if thats just me trying to find a problem or if it really does heh.

Lesson learned!

[gips]

Try to buy tires that loose grip easily on the wet, but keep traction after that.Most high quality tires are not like that. Been driving with good tires on the back for a few years , and recently got a Kingstar K106, or something. Very happy with these, when i press the pedal on the wet the rear starts acting immediately, but the car still has traction. It is so fun that i am now happy, when it rains the car is N/A and hardly slides , when dry.

P.S. Lady luck saved you from the Pole, on your first countersteer

[Lauren]

Try to buy tires that loose grip easily on the wet, but keep traction after that.Most high quality tires are not like that. Been driving with good tires on the back for a few years , and recently got a Kingstar K106, or something. Very happy with these, when i press the pedal on the wet the rear starts acting immediately, but the car still has traction. It is so fun that i am now happy, when it rains the car is N/A and hardly slides , when dry.

P.S. Lady luck saved you from the Pole, on your first countersteer

Trouble is, you haven't got an LSD or a turbo! Yes you can fit TDF's, but really given the balance of the MK2, probably a better bet to fit decent tyres really. A good quality tyre will have good progression when in the tyre's slip angle, this is often what cheap tyres lack. Also with the traction you have with an MR2 and an open diff it'd take a lot to break traction in the dry. This is not quite the same when it comes to having a turbo with an LSD as when it goes, it does so far more quickly. Yes, with an LSD you can balance the car on the throttle but this is tricky in the MK2 due to all the weight behind you.

[gips]

Well actually my other car is a 200sx, so i have some knowledge with tyres and LSD and sliding Having a turbo and LSD has nothing to do with the traction of a certain tyre. My idea is that ,when you have cheaper tyres they lose grip earlier than good quality tires, so you are not going fast enough and you may be able to correct the car, even if you are not experienced driver. I have lost it several times on my two, due to overspeeding on the wet with good tyres.Problem is, cheaper tyres cannot hold the turbo launches and mid corner slams on dry, and are not liked by most people driving MR2s. Having a car that oversteers does not make it hard to drive, just different. I personally changed my suspension from MK2 GEN2 to MK2 GEN1 due to understeer behavior. Still its a matter of preference i suppose.

[Lauren]

I was more talking about the characteristics of a turbo and LSD. I'm not personally a fan of the MK2 Turbo's handling balance, having driven every type on track in my time. The NA's feel a bit better due to a more linear power delivery, particularly so in the wet of course.

I too don't like too have too much grip, but I have an AE86 which slides nicely and has a nice balance when sideways as I'm sure you know.

I hate understeer and oversteer hence my choice of car.

[Al-sw20]

Just watched your vid. What you were doing was exactly what I used to do with my old Clio 172 around roundabouts. Turn too much and use too much gas in the turn and hang the tail out, the only difference being I was expecting it.