MR2 or E30 325i

[ICSD]

I'm looking at a new car for sprinting next season and also to use for some track days.

I was originally thinking Puma but I can't quite bring myself to have a front wheel drive car and also I'm worried about the Nikasil engines - especially as I'm only after a cheap one.

So I've decided it has to we RWD and I'd really like to be in the 1800 to 2600cc grouping.

I've nailed it down to two cars that fit the bill and are available at sensible money - MR2 or E30 325i and wondered what you chaps' opinions might be. Which is likely to be quicker, least hassle and cheapest to upgrade and fix?

Also, any other interesting suggestions about which car to use. I'm looking at an overall budget of £2k to include the car, insurance etc and the necessary upgrades. I'm not too worried about being fastest in class but I would like to be competitive and I could spend some more on it for the following season so it doesn't all have to be done at once.

Thanks

Edited by ICSD on Tuesday 11th November 17:36

[schuey]

I had a track day prepped E30 325i(although the E30 318IS is miles better) and it was great,dead cheap parts and very simple engineering make tham very cheap and easy to run. I have never owned an Mr2 but the normally aspirated ones appear to be no match for an E30 at any track day I have ever been to,although the turbo's are pretty rapid in the right hands. I would suspect the mid engine layout isnt the easiest to work on though!!!

[ICSD]

Thanks

Why's a 318 better?

[Cliffv8]

I'd go for the 325, the MR2 won't be cheap to upgrade and run I use to own a Celica and a MK1 MR2 and use to st myself whenever i had to buy anything for them. As for the 325 e30zone.net is worth a look and you can get a LSD fairly easily

[Cliffv8]

schuey said:

I had a track day prepped E30 325i(although the E30 318IS is miles better) and it was great,dead cheap parts and very simple engineering make tham very cheap and easy to run. I have never owned an Mr2 but the normally aspirated ones appear to be no match for an E30 at any track day I have ever been to,although the turbo's are pretty rapid in the right hands. I would suspect the mid engine layout isnt the easiest to work on though!!!

good point, they handle better since they don't have the 6 cylinder land anchor and are only 30bhp down and most come with a LSD

Edited by Cliffv8 on Tuesday 11th November 18:57

[Lowpro]

My previous track day car was an E30 325i and this is still run as a track car by my Bro. The E30 has had a fair amount of work done to make it light and nimble and is now a very rapid track car even with a standard 6 pot motor. Dead easy to work on and loads of cheap parts around.

I now own an MR2 MKII which has a Turbo conversion, Yellow stuff pads with EBC rear discs and sits on R888's but very little else has been done to the car yet. As Schuey says above the MR2 is a right little handful to drive at first but once you get used to it; it is a rapid little car. Looking around at parts like coil-overs, ARBS and bushes etc I don't see a massive price difference but the choice is a bit limited. One good thing though is the large number of MR2 specialist breakers that offer parts at reasonable money.

So I think unless you have had loads of experience in mid engined cars you would be going quicker sooner in an E30. But if you think you can get to grips with an MR2 it has a bit more potential to be ultimately quicker than an E30.

There you go I've started a war now..

[Herman Toothrot]

At a track day at Castle Combe I took an owner of a track prepared 325i out in a bog standard MR2 I'd got off ebay the night before for £1750 (ended up £1500 after flogging the big stereo and bling alloys). He thought it was faster than his 325i and the braking miles better, he was very impressed.

I usually drive a 300kg lighter car with 90bhp more, so I don't find the MR2 that fast on the straights, it hasn't got "make you grin" pull out of corners, but it can make its way through bends very quickly and braking is very, very good. An MR2 Turbo can fix this however, but of course they do tend to cost a lot more to run.

Edited by Herman Toothrot on Tuesday 11th November 22:18

[agent006]

On the 318is v 325 question. I have ears, therefore I drive a 325.

[ICSD]

Thanks for all the advice chaps!

I have to say that I'm still undecided but at least it seems that both cars will do the job.

[Munter]

Me I think I'd get the BMW. For no reason other than I could put a 2nd set of wheels in the back, and drive it there on road rubber, before switching to trackday tyres (or slicks if you can get them). The MR2 simply will not have that space available.

[chris7676]

You can take 4 wheels in an MR2, easily if you take the passenger seat out - 3 inside and one where the spare is.

[ICSD]

Not a problem anyway as there are two of us double-driving and we always take a support car.

Good point though.