Originally Posted by Dadhawk
It's been almost 20 years since I last drove my little red 1985 MK1 MR2. As many of you may have learned here, it was my hope that the FR-S would bring back the "fun sport" I had driving that car. But really it was more than that with the MR2.
Memories are a funny thing. I'm sure that my fondness for the MR2 has only grown over time as bad memories of mechanical breakdowns fade and good memories shine.
I'm sure there were times in its last 3 years I really didn't enjoy commuting in it 60 miles in S. Florida heat without AC because it was twice the value of the car to fix.
And I probably wasn't having too much fun when I lived in DC and the e-brake froze up, even though the handle was down, and I had to stop at "Bubba Joe's" shop to get it knocked loose in a raging snow storm for a mere $150.
What I do remember is going to the Toyota dealer in 1985 to buy a pick-up, seeing the MR2 on a car hauler, and having never even heard of one, asking "what's that, how much, and here take my money!"
I remember being in it going on the first (blind) date with my future bride of 25 years in the car and how beautiful she looked that night in her 80's hair and black jumpsuit sitting next to me. I knew by the end of that night, she was "the one".
I remember the time it spun across 3 lanes of traffic on the DC beltway after some a@#hole ran me off the road, into a bridge abutment, leaving me unharmed but shaken, and how relieved I was that the car had only damaged the front bumper slightly.
I remember driving it at nearly 100MPH to get to the hospital because same said bride was 65 miles away in a hospital getting ready to deliver my oldest son a couple of years later. And how I used to carry him around in the car in a carseat (no airbags you know, and really we didn't know better then).
I also remember thinking about all these things as I finally let the car go, after 7 years, 170K miles, all worn out, now more pink than red. It had a good life but all things must come to an end. I'm sure it went straight to the junk yard, but I pretend that someone bought it, restored it and its still running out there somewhere waiting for our paths to cross again.
After two weeks, does the FR-S replace that? Well, it can't replace the memories, but it does indeed replace the driving experience portion of why I loved that car so much. No, it won't outrun every car on the road in its class, neither would the MR2 and yes neither are perfect.
But, now that I have gotten over the initial period of getting to know each other, I love the way you "wear it" rather than sit on it. I love the way it pivots, instead of drives, around a corner. I love that I have to slow down on off-ramps and in curves, not because the car can't handle it, but because I catch up with everyone else that has to slow down. I love the smile it puts on my face when I see it, and the money it leaves in my pocket at the pump.
Already the memories have started. I have the memory of sharing the first 3 miles in it with my beautiful bride in the passenger seat. I have the memory of picking up my youngest son in it the first time from school, and the smile on his face as his friends making comments to him about his Dad's "cool" car. I'll have the memory of driving it to my oldest son's wedding in a couple of weeks. And one day, I'll hopefully have the memory of rushing to the hospital to see the birth of my first grandchild, my beautiful bride at my side. That doesn't need to happen tomorrow though!
To quote one of my favorite old-school movies, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
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