RE: PH Goes Sprinting. In A 19-year-Old Toyota
Discussion
EDLT said:
aeropilot said:
EDLT said:
£120 for eight runs seems a bit steep to me tbh, you'd get more time on track on a trackday.
You've missed the point entirely.Competition of any sort and 'track days' are like night and day. I guess you've never done both to understand.
Try it
Nice article, and an interesting experience by the sounds of it. I've never even done a track day to compare it too but this does sound like fun with some actual competition as part of it. Keep us updated and I like the sound of a Toyota car feature too..
Oh, if only Toyota were still in the Celica/MR2/Supra state of mind, I really do hope that this Toyoda(sp?) guy can bring some of that back. Those cars are so old now that buying one would mean having to leave substantial funds aside in order to get it back to OE state IMO, which is such a shame.
OT, wasn't there some bloke in the States who wanted a new Supra so badly, he just went to the Toyota parts counter and bought one bit by bit?! I'm sure there was, someone on here'll know about that I'm sure...? Wonder what it cost him
Joe
Oh, if only Toyota were still in the Celica/MR2/Supra state of mind, I really do hope that this Toyoda(sp?) guy can bring some of that back. Those cars are so old now that buying one would mean having to leave substantial funds aside in order to get it back to OE state IMO, which is such a shame.
OT, wasn't there some bloke in the States who wanted a new Supra so badly, he just went to the Toyota parts counter and bought one bit by bit?! I'm sure there was, someone on here'll know about that I'm sure...? Wonder what it cost him
Joe
As an owner of an MR2 in both N/A and now Turbo form over the past 9 years it always astounds me that the car is so overlooked as a performance / racing choice for virtually no money.
I suspect that it all comes down to the 1st engine that Toyota decided to put in it in 1990 for the UK market - a poor 119bhp economy engine, alongside the reasonable, but not mind blowing 156bhp performance N/A - although a 0-60 of 7.2 seconds isn't a bad starter, and great for events such as this.
The Turbo (not imported by Toyota UK) is exceptionally fast out of the box for a 2 litre car at 5.5 seconds to 60 with the standard 245bhp in its 3rd revision. Some relatively cheap modifications allow an output at 300bhp at the wheels with the ceiling for the engine at around 900bhp.
All this for under £3k with fairly low miles and a nice solid underneath due to the Japanese hatred of salt on roads.
Why did this car get called a hairdressers car when it first came out?....because of the 119bhp engine that was only offered for the first year of a 10 year production run! That is like saying the Honda Integra Type R is a hairdressers car because they made a 1.4 engine for the base model.
One of the best kept performance car secrets on the market, and yet it still gets overlooked......
Really enjoyed reading this article - very neutral, yet emotional with a feel-good factor
I suspect that it all comes down to the 1st engine that Toyota decided to put in it in 1990 for the UK market - a poor 119bhp economy engine, alongside the reasonable, but not mind blowing 156bhp performance N/A - although a 0-60 of 7.2 seconds isn't a bad starter, and great for events such as this.
The Turbo (not imported by Toyota UK) is exceptionally fast out of the box for a 2 litre car at 5.5 seconds to 60 with the standard 245bhp in its 3rd revision. Some relatively cheap modifications allow an output at 300bhp at the wheels with the ceiling for the engine at around 900bhp.
All this for under £3k with fairly low miles and a nice solid underneath due to the Japanese hatred of salt on roads.
Why did this car get called a hairdressers car when it first came out?....because of the 119bhp engine that was only offered for the first year of a 10 year production run! That is like saying the Honda Integra Type R is a hairdressers car because they made a 1.4 engine for the base model.
One of the best kept performance car secrets on the market, and yet it still gets overlooked......
Really enjoyed reading this article - very neutral, yet emotional with a feel-good factor
Edited by Zircon on Tuesday 10th May 14:00
EDLT said:
I have? Do people leave a track day early thinking "you know what, this is boring"?
Horses for courses... No-ones ever won a track day!Here's some in car video from one of my runs if anyone's interested. Apologies for the poor camera angle!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9hoGgnN9HM
RogueMotorsport said:
Horses for courses... No-ones ever won a track day!
Here's some in car video from one of my runs if anyone's interested. Apologies for the poor camera angle!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9hoGgnN9HM
hey patrick, I presume... There seems to be a lot of interior shots of the MR2 Championship, but I was wondering if there is any exterior shots, akin to race coverage? The only one I've seen was Thruxton, and that was it. Here's some in car video from one of my runs if anyone's interested. Apologies for the poor camera angle!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9hoGgnN9HM
PS, you fitted some seats to my black tubby a few years back before a Jap meet down south.
Whilst track days allow you to drive your car fast, many people eventually want something with a competitive edge. Racing is one way, Time Attack is another, and Sprinting is the third
Sprinting is probably the cheapest entry into competitive motorsport. Probably the safest as there are no other competitors near you. You don't need a hugely modified car either - many people are using their everyday cars, just unbolt the passenger seat and rear seats to save a bit of weight, stow them under a tarp, have a days fun, then bolt in the seat again and go home.
Unlike some sprint series where you get 2 practise runs and 2 timed runs, TSS gives you several practise runs, then 6 (often more) timed runs. Clipping a cone renders the run void, so you need to be fast and precise. Fast but sloppy won't be good enough, and could well be beaten by a slower, but more precise driver/car. It means you have to have the right mindset at the event, unlike a race or a qualifying session where you have the chance to get into the rhythm, a sprinter has to nail the run from the off. Make a mistake and that run is wasted.
TSS offers a real mixture of cars, from the 700bhp Celica 4WD monsters at the front, down to the Yaris' and IQ towards the back. The guys (and gal's) towards the back are having just as much fun as those at the front, and are competing against cars of similar overall performance. Occassionally a giant killer comes along - Starlet Turbos punch higher than many expect.
Sprinting is probably the cheapest entry into competitive motorsport. Probably the safest as there are no other competitors near you. You don't need a hugely modified car either - many people are using their everyday cars, just unbolt the passenger seat and rear seats to save a bit of weight, stow them under a tarp, have a days fun, then bolt in the seat again and go home.
Unlike some sprint series where you get 2 practise runs and 2 timed runs, TSS gives you several practise runs, then 6 (often more) timed runs. Clipping a cone renders the run void, so you need to be fast and precise. Fast but sloppy won't be good enough, and could well be beaten by a slower, but more precise driver/car. It means you have to have the right mindset at the event, unlike a race or a qualifying session where you have the chance to get into the rhythm, a sprinter has to nail the run from the off. Make a mistake and that run is wasted.
TSS offers a real mixture of cars, from the 700bhp Celica 4WD monsters at the front, down to the Yaris' and IQ towards the back. The guys (and gal's) towards the back are having just as much fun as those at the front, and are competing against cars of similar overall performance. Occassionally a giant killer comes along - Starlet Turbos punch higher than many expect.
Thanks for the piece.
I don't know how the CAR Magazine cover for the Mk2 MR2 showing a spinning car impacted the reputation? Their sensationalist headline led to Toyota changing the suspension settings before the UK launch?
Reminded me of this:
http://www.bryanf.com/MR2/body.htm
I don't know how the CAR Magazine cover for the Mk2 MR2 showing a spinning car impacted the reputation? Their sensationalist headline led to Toyota changing the suspension settings before the UK launch?
Reminded me of this:
http://www.bryanf.com/MR2/body.htm
ChiChoAndy said:
There seems to be a lot of interior shots of the MR2 Championship, but I was wondering if there is any exterior shots, akin to race coverage? The only one I've seen was Thruxton, and that was it.
The MR2 Championship was shown on Motors TV last year - you can still watch the final round at Mallory on the 750MC website:http://www.750mc.co.uk/index.php
RogueMotorsport said:
The MR2 Championship was shown on Motors TV last year - you can still watch the final round at Mallory on the 750MC website:
http://www.750mc.co.uk/index.php
I know, but I'm in Bulgaria. Can't get Motors TV! http://www.750mc.co.uk/index.php
norwichphoto said:
Sprinting is probably the cheapest entry into competitive motorsport. Probably the safest as there are no other competitors near you. You don't need a hugely modified car either - many people are using their everyday cars, just unbolt the passenger seat and rear seats to save a bit of weight, stow them under a tarp, have a days fun, then bolt in the seat again and go home.
FWIW, I don't know about the MR2 sprint championship but in all the ones I'm registered in you must retain the interior to compete in the Production and Roadgoing classes. Plenty of people do it in their day-to-day road cars.Why are people saying the SW20 is under-rated? They make a great GT car and the turbo's are quick but they aren't a very good drivers car and it would be my last choice for a sprint car.
Steering is light and vague, handling is less than pin sharp, N/A engine needs to be absolutely thrashed and even then its no rocketship, all in all it makes for a dull and uninspiring drive. I should know I bought a mint 1999 Rev 5 GT last year and it sits in the garage barely used as my £500 Xsara VTS is much more fun to drive!
Steering is light and vague, handling is less than pin sharp, N/A engine needs to be absolutely thrashed and even then its no rocketship, all in all it makes for a dull and uninspiring drive. I should know I bought a mint 1999 Rev 5 GT last year and it sits in the garage barely used as my £500 Xsara VTS is much more fun to drive!
carl_w said:
WIW, I don't know about the MR2 sprint championship but in all the ones I'm registered in you must retain the interior to compete in the Production and Roadgoing classes. Plenty of people do it in their day-to-day road cars.
Within TSS rules some classes allow for different levels of trim removal. However, removing front passenger and rear seats makes a surprising difference to weight, and may help you jump a place or two up the rankings. As long as everyone reads and understands the rules of the class that they are racing in, they'll know what they can and cannot do.
Problems only arise when people run their car in multiple series, and you have to make sure you comply with all rules and regulations.
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff