Car: Why the GT86 is the spiritual successor to Toyota MR2
 

Nice little blurb from Car on why the author thinks the 86 is the spiritual successor to the MR2:


Attachment 10673


Why the GT86 is the spiritual successor to Toyota’s first MR2

By Greg Fountain
18 July 2012 10:56

Why the GT86 is the spiritual successor to Toyota’s first MR2

I climbed down into the cockpit of Toyota’s GT86 for the first time and thought for a split second I’d gone through the Stargate, emerging in the late 1980s at the wheel of my beloved MkI MR2. It put a smile on my face, I don’t mind telling you.The new car’s cabin is minimalist yet cool, with nicely tactile materials, great sports seats, crisp instruments and a well-placed touchy-feely steering wheel. It doesn’t feel too cheap, yet it’s not blingy or gimmicky.

Driving it massively underlines the timewarp illusion. This is a car mere mortals can really exploit, being both low-powered and agile. You can sling it around without fear, placing it accurately via the chatty steering and urging it through corners, knowing you’ll have to be Ben Barry in a hurry to unstick the driving wheels at the back. And even if you do, the chassis has the right CV to sort you out.

I thought fleetingly about that go-faster giant the BMW M5, a car which is so far out of the range of my capabilities it’s truly scary, and realised that, while BMW has built a machine for super-human autobahn jockeys and people whose address is No.26 The Nordschleife, Toyota has built a car for the likes of me. I can drive the GT86 at maybe seven tenths of its ability; for the M5 it’s closer to a tenth.

The MR2 was exactly like this – an affordable sports car that made you feel good about yourself. Its modest power made it cheap to insure, cheap to fuel and cheap to service, and its lineage meant it never broke down. It also looked lovely (I had a t-bar in metallic light blue) and so does the GT86. Not sure about the front end, but the rest of the car looks exotic, compact, and delicious on the drive.In the build-up to GT86 there was much hoo-hah about rear-wheel drive, and the clamour obscured the true genius of this car, tricking me into expecting at best a sanitised 21st century Celica. What a cracking surprise. The MkII MR2 wasn’t the true successor to the MkI, but the GT86 surely is.

http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Communi...tas-first-MR2/

This is interesting, as the MkI MR2 was the car that I thought the 86 was most like. My brother had a SC MKI and it was such a fun gokart type car to drive. Now that I've got some Whiteline gear in my 86 it's even more like the MR2 to drive. Super sharp and fun.

All you have to do is look at how many MR2 owners are on this board.

edit: Doing my best to keep the list updated.
Abflug - mk2
arg0naut - 91
atledreier
Blue86 - 86, 92
clintavo - 85, 88SC
CozmoNz
Dadhawk
deucethemoose
driftartist - mk2
GuySmily (me) - 86, 86, 05
firehawk - 91 T-swap
Fox
Frost
Itsjustjoe
K2 K2
Kurenai
Laika
LordTakuban
midenginebias
Mr. Mcoupe
n7011n
Ne0 - JDM 90T #411
mo8ius - 93T
NESW20
PMok
RaceR
Rampage
rmjjensen - 89
ryude - mk2
sevenmgte
silversprint
SpinFin - 89, 93, 91T, 91T
spyderpez - 86, 03
Surok - JDM 90T #750
switchlanez
sw20kosh - 91T HT
ST185RC <--alltracs always welcome
Touge Monster
Turbowned - 87 20v
Unleashed
uspspro
ydooby

Yeah that's true. I think the 1st and 3rd gen MR2s have similar owners of the FRS/BRZ. I think the MR2 Spyder will always be one of my favorite cars.

Amen to that. A pure fun, not number-oriented car, that is the MR2 and now the 86.:thumbup:

MR2 was always the car I wanted to get but for one reason or another it just never happened for me.

Same here. When I had the chance to buy new I went with a new S2K instead. When I was in the market for the MR2 I waited a long time but I'm very picky and ended up with the FRS. Maybe one day...

MR2 fanatic to the core.

+ me and dadhawk :party0030:

Still determined to find a clean low mileage 1995 NA one day.

I was a "First 100" MK1 MR2 owner, as I've stated here before. I agree with everything that was said above. It really is a near perfect replacement for the original "Olivia". For those that didn't get a chance to read it, and are interested, I did my own version of this article in my Owner's Journal here not too long after getting my car.

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/64402414/supra1.jpg

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/64402414/supra2.jpg

I never owned an mr2 but liked them. I did have an 85 supra which is exactly why I love this car.

Even the wheel diameter is exactly the same.

Really? I had one as well... (Targa, Sc, Manual, with TRD Suspension)....

the little thing was psycho in corners if you didn't know how to drive it... I used to have fun on 90 degree intersection corners by heading into them and jabbing the throttle suddenly, the backend would jump around easily and youd slide the corner with ease. - Damp roads REALLY help here.

You do learn early on to either enter the corner under braking or throttle stab.... never both, as she circles you even when on full lock with throttle.... once shes gone past the point of no return, your fucked. - Early decision making is also very important.

Poor girl only was damaged once, by me curbing the rear left rim after an uphill section lead to sliding a bit further than was to be expected....

anyway, what Im trying to say is she was very unforgiving if you could not learn quickly... (and many a man did not - with trees giving Mr2's hugs all over the show). I hope the GT86 is not like this at all, I hope shes more akin to a supra, commodore or silvia....

if she's akin to the AW11 Mr2, Goodluck lads. Youll need it ;)

Since we are doing pics...

http://toyspeed.blakjak.net/profiles/photos/1050.jpg

http://img164.imageshack.us/img164/9697/engine17to.jpg

Jeeze, its been along time since I saw her :-/ (still trying to find pics just to keep for my memorys lol)

I would say it's the modern successor of the AE86's spirit combined with the slightly more serious/edgy aura of the MkI MR2. It also has an attitude similar to the late MR-S and Celica but in a RWD platform, a bit more serious, and a bit more penache on the fit and finish.

Most of my cars have been MR2s. Never could find a clean MkI example and I still search on occasion.

add me to the list of MR2 owners!

http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j1...4655Medium.jpg

my previous track car:
http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j1...ark_parked.jpg

I originally planned to trade my MR-S in for a BRZ, but I've decided to hang on to it and just add the BRZ to the stable.
:thumbsup:

The MkI MR2 and BRZ have been featured in music videos with very similar ambiance.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXtATeQ7GKg"]La Roux - In For The Kill - YouTube[/ame]

http://i935.photobucket.com/albums/a...zds800x450.jpg

2002 MR2-Spyder...

I used to miss it, but my FR-S more than fills the void it left!

Me too! I have a '94 n/a

http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i9.../03031752a.jpg

http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i9...e/03031808.jpg

Also MR2 owner

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b3...H/DSC_0772.jpg

Yep. I didn't want to miss my MR-S, so I just kept it. hehe. Hopefully, that will stop me from modding the FR-S too much. Time will tell though.

My newly acquired '85 MR2 reminded me of the pure driving enjoyment I missed since selling my original, family owned since new, '85 MR2 7 years ago. The BRZ is my new daily driver and the pure stock, rust free MR2 will only see dry roads for the rest of my life. I've already started educating my 11 year old son on the proper operation of a manual transmission.

http://www.ft86club.com/forums/pictu...pictureid=1295

Me too. I bought a 08 S2K CR.

I miss my 93 MR2. I'm so glad the FR-S came along to replace it.

OH....MY....GOD!!! "Olivia" is that you?!?

Beautiful MR2. Treat her gently. Seriously jealous.

I am so in love with your MR2 and plus it has a V6 engine. That's double win right there.

After 7 MR2's I've decided it's time for a new new car, and the FR-S/BRZ is the only car that I've found to be a worthy successor. So, I totally agree with this article!!

Photos of some past MR2's:

1987 T-top Super Red II
http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u...A/mr2snow2.jpg

1989 Supercharged Ice Blue Pearl
http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u...r/89SC/sc2.jpg

1994 Turbo T-top Super Red II
http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u...stshots001.jpg

1987 hardtop 20v (current)
http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u...ardtop/MR2.jpg

the is an 84 sup. the single spoiler indicates it is an 84 along with the wrap around turn sigs. i miss my ma61 and my sw20....man great times

Sold her earlier this year...
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c1.../IMG_70151.jpg

I just can't get into the styling of the last gen MR. The first was sharp and nice and the second gen was the most exotic looking(Ferrari)one of the bunch and the third looked like a uglier boxster and the boxster was already ugly to begin with IMO.

I've owned nothing but MR2s (until adding my Cressida wagon a couple year ago) before getting the BRZ. I have been driving MR2s for around 13 years.

I'm actually selling my 2GRFE (3.5L v6) swapped MR2 Spyder tomorrow.

I will miss her lots, but the BRZ is a nice successor.

I've also owned the following mk1 MR2s: 85NA (my first car), 88SC, 88SC (#2), 89SC->T

My dad has a 1995 MR2 turbo... however I am a mk1, mk3 guy.

Now that I have the BRZ, I can pick up an ultra-clean mk1 (one day, down the road) as a toy.

It's more of a successor to the Celica, not the MR2.

How do they see it as a successor from a 2 seater mid-engine vehicle over a lightweight 4 seater RWD front engine vehicle?

Sure the newer Celica's were FWD, but they said spiritual.

I think I added that "dozen more" to the list, lol

I honestly think that the 86 stands in it's own right and is the spiritual successor of toyota and subaru itself. Putting elements of the celica, boxer, imprezza, supra, mr2, and corolla into one car. I don't think it's any one particular successor at all.

There is no specific spiritual successor to the MR2 until another midship car pops out of the oven from Toyota or combination of Toyota's partners and/or subsidiaries.

Third gen needs at least a hardtop, and a lip kit helps a lot too. I used to think the zzw30 was an ugly porsche copy until I saw one fixed up. I never even wanted a convertible, so I told myself I'd 100% definitely be getting a hardtop. My soft top is removed now, and I'm looking into permanently bolting down the hardtop (insurance discount!).

I guess they meant in "feel"? But I agree with you and wish the car was called Celica regardless off the FWD models.

Ex MKI MR2 here too!
 

Haven't driven the FR-S / BRZ yet myself but I've definitely sat in the FR-S and it does remind me a little bit of the MKI MR2 though the user interface is definitely a lot curvier than the MKI. Heck, that was a box with boxes around it.

I had an 87 MR2 for about 2 years before having to sell it and "grow up". Couldn't bear to drive it in the snow having practically redone the body and got rid of all the rust so I wound up borrowing my parent's car in the winter. Not quite fair to them so I wound up selling the MR2 and got an IS300.

The IS was a good car but I was smitten by the MR2's fun factor so I sold the IS and got myself a shitbox (Echo Hatchback) so I wouldn't even think of RWD delight.

Now I'm just saving up money for the BRZ / FR-S next year.

Ah, I miss the MR2.

The "real" reason why I loved the MR2 was because of it's lack of interruption between you and the car. There was no drive-by-wire to mess with your throttle response, there was no electric steering to mess with your steering feel, there were no luxuries to up the cost and the weight, it was just a car with one purpose: To make you smile.

I think the GT86 got it 80% right, but in this day you really can't get around adding luxuries and safety. The DBW and electric steering is part of borrowing parts to keep costs low so and to meet regulations. Still, imo the best cars were made before 2000.

Edit: Also if you've never driven a mid-engine car you don't know what you're missing. The raw sound of the engine roaring as you press down the accelerator is just bliss. It was literally 6" from your head and seperated by about 1" of sound dampening.

That is a clean looking MR2 bro!

PIMP!

OMG! Toyota bring back the MR2!!!!! Not the MR-S but the MR2!!!!!

Just think a mid engine flat 4 MR2! Turbo 270HP and non turbo 200 HP versions....

Oh and a targa roof....

Yeah you forgot me lol. But yes i agree completely with you a truc successor to the mk1 mr2 & the ae86 it just has that same playful tossable feeling not to metion great turn in

checked in :thumbsup:

6 years of ownership -> it wont stop! :wub:


http://toyobaru.de/rw/mr2/mr2_ka_04.jpg

http://toyobaru.de/rw/mr2/mr2_00014.jpg