Twins vs AW11 MR2

[Atropine]

Well, this week I bought my 3rd AW11 MR2.

It is fantastic...as was my BRZ.

Curious what others think.

Lets go by specs RQ...

BRZ/FR-S 2800 lbs and 200 HP and 151 lb-ft Supposed 7.5 0-60 (this seems incorrect

S/C AW-11 MR2 2400 lbs 145 HP and 140 lb-ft 0-60 in 6.5

N/A AW-11 MR2 2300 lbs 128 HP and ??? lb-ft (I recall it being 110ish) unsure of 0-60

I used wikipedia...so I really do not believe the Twins 0-60 time.

Anyway...I think they are both great cars.

[NWFRS]

We want pictures!

Those early MR2s and X1-9s have been looking better and better to me lately. The only mid-engine car I ever owned was a second-gen MR2, but it was a scary car to drive at the limit. I've heard that those first-gen MR2's are the better driver's car.

Pictures!

Also, how do you like those interiors?

[Atropine]

Originally Posted by NWFRS

We want pictures!

Those early MR2s and X1-9s have been looking better and better to me lately. The only mid-engine car I ever owned was a second-gen MR2, but it was a scary car to drive at the limit. I've heard that those first-gen MR2's are the better driver's car.

Pictures!

Also, how do you like those interiors?

Here is a link to my build thread...though I am just getting started on it...just trying to get quality of life stuff done atm...

http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=71253

Power windows are sketchy...passenger door latch from outside is broken.

I did clean the engine bay a lot.

[Turbowned]

AW11 owner here! I hate to say it but despite having owned my MR2 since 2007 and having a few others before this one, I prefer the BRZ immensely over the MR2. I will probably turn the MR2 into a full-on track car in the future and take advantage of all the racing parts I put in it that made it so rough on the street.

This is how she looked when I bought her; a total hooptie lol


Then became this after a full suspension overhaul and with some new wheels/tires:




And then the 20v 4AG swap came as well as coilovers, Wilwood brakes, Recaro seat, fender flares, wide wheels/tires, carbon hood and trunklid, etc. A much different animal!

[Kotu100]

Originally Posted by Turbowned

AW11 owner here! I hate to say it but despite having owned my MR2 since 2007 and having a few others before this one, I prefer the BRZ immensely over the MR2. I will probably turn the MR2 into a full-on track car in the future and take advantage of all the racing parts I put in it that made it so rough on the street.

Badass dude!!! I wanna see that thing sometime.

[gramicci101]

Originally Posted by Atropine

S/C AW-11 MR2 2400 lbs 145 HP and 140 lb-ft 0-60 in 6.5

N/A AW-11 MR2 2300 lbs 128 HP and ??? lb-ft (I recall it being 110ish) unsure of 0-60

Why does a supercharger only add 17 HP and 30 lb-ft?

How sturdy is the engine in these things? Could you put a bigger supercharger on it?

[Sellout]

Originally Posted by gramicci101

Why does a supercharger only add 17 HP and 30 lb-ft?

How sturdy is the engine in these things? Could you put a bigger supercharger on it?

Low compression coupled with the typical low boost and inefficient roots blowers back then. Conservative late 80s... It's probably also under-rated, considering what Car and Driver had to say about it.

At the test track, our supercharged MR2 turned in a 0-to-60-mph time of 6.5 seconds and ran the quartermile in 15.0 seconds at 91 mph. (snip) In comparison, the base MR2 is slower by 1.7 seconds to 60, by 1.2 seconds and 6 mph in the quarter, and by 10 mph in top speed. The supercharged MR2 is 210 pounds heavier then it's stablemate, so it obviously has much more usable power on tap.

http://www.mr2ownersclub.com/mr2sc/w...ticles/c&d.htm

The motor is stout. Some overachievers have done 600 hp on the stock bottom end.

[Atropine]

Originally Posted by gramicci101

Why does a supercharger only add 17 HP and 30 lb-ft?

How sturdy is the engine in these things? Could you put a bigger supercharger on it?

Yeah its a flat torque curve...

And they are tough little engines.

The engine code is 4A-GZE

A common mod is to remove the S/C and they nickname those 4A-GTE

Another common change is to swap out pulleys. You can push these to 180ish HP with different pulleys and having an EMS with tune.

You can go higher if you want...but its a drastic swap of reliability for performance.

I will probably mildly tune it to 180ish HP and 160ish lb-ft.

My last S/C AW11...I went with 200 HP and 165 lb-ft...have dyno to prove it...

This was done with pulleys, EMS and different Cams and exhaust and airbox...this car also stalled at stoplights often. If it idled below 1200 RPMs...it would occasionally die.

So...I dont want to do that build again...I just wanna mildly build it lol.

[gramicci101]

You could drop in a gen 2 twin turbo.

[Atropine]

Originally Posted by Sellout

Low compression coupled with the typical low boost and inefficient roots blowers back then. Conservative late 80s... It's probably also under-rated, considering what Car and Driver had to say about it.

http://www.mr2ownersclub.com/mr2sc/w...ticles/c&d.htm

The motor is stout. Some overachievers have done 600 hp on the stock bottom end.

Pretty cool article by Car and Driver.

About the chassis...the first thing you do in a AW11 is swap the suspension out since there is a great chance that a 25+ year old car needs that done anyway.

I have to agree with the article though...it takes more work to get the S/C to feel as nimble as the N/A one.

BUT...the beefier transmission (want to say its a Camry transmission now in the S/C)...that transmission is bomb proof and can hold power (atleast up to 200 hp...unsure because I haven't ever gone over that)

[Atropine]

Originally Posted by gramicci101

You could drop in a gen 2 twin turbo.

People do that fairly often, I am just not a big fan of going that route.

If you were going to do that...often people just buy an N/A hardtop AW11 or an N/A Hartop SW20 and then put that motor in it.

It is kinda a waste to remove the 4A-GZE engine (at least to me).

The 4A-GZE is just a great little motor.

[Atropine]

@Turbowned

beautiful blacktop swap you got there

I am really thinking about re-painting mine a flat black and going to a non-spoiler trunk.

I am glad to see someone else did that too! So it validates my idea a little bit.

BTW, which Recaros you have in there? My stock leather seats are "OK" but there is a pretty bad tear and wear spot on driver side. Also, I am unsure how good my seatbelts are.

Nice work on locating a 4A-GZE engine cover to give you a little extra room too! I will have to look at my engine bay and see if I can put that Brace back there...I wanna say the intercooler is in the way. I had the brace on my N/A one...but not my last S/C...

[Rampage]

I believe there are multiple FR-S/BRZ reviews in magazines like Motor Trend and Car & Driver with 0-60 times in the 6.2-6.5 sec range. 7.5 sec is more in line with the auto tranny.

Good luck with your MR2. It is definitely easier to justify modding a car like that then it is a $25K+ car that you are making payments on when you might void the warranty and break it.

[s2d4]

Yeah, the SC AW11 with an 180mm crank pulley is faster than my 86 on E85 and headers.

Full lock to lock without having to take the hand off the steering wheel, closest thing to a road going shift kart.

Makes full use of the 195 tyres as well.....

Using the right suspension setup, it rides no worse than the 86 with eibach pro springs too.
Gf approved as well, actually she likes the AW11 better because of the super edition recaro seats.