Hot on the heels of my “mini-impression” of the new
MR2/MRS, regular contributor John Weinthal in Australia has now spent a
week with Toyota’s latest sports car offering. While I was less than
enthralled with the car, John disagrees with me in some areas. Here, then
are the words from Weinthal on the MRS, or MR2 (as it is known in Oz).
It’s hardly news to regular readers that I’m a
pushover for almost any convertible. I know a convertible for everyday
motoring is only a smidgin less ridiculous than an overweight, clumsy
handling, thirsty four-wheel-drive, but, at least the convertible is fun.
It brings a smile to your dial, a glow to your skin and a new appreciation
of the aural and olfactory highs and lows of the world around. A week in
the new Toyota MR2 is responsible for this particular rant.
Until recently, if you wanted open sporty motoring for
under AU$50,000, you bought a Mazda MX5 - the best selling open two-seater
of all time - or an old MGB, Sprite, Alfa Giulietta or whatever. Today
there is real choice among lower priced, four cylinder sporties. The
mid-engine, rear drive, cramped, MG F joined the MX5 a couple of years
back. Alfa joined the fray in the middle of this year when it deleted a
few features from the Pininfarina-styled Spyder - and hacked the ask to
just under 50 grand. Now, thanks to Toyota, there are four open-top, four
cylinder sporties for under AU$50,000. The new MR2 has arrived - lighter,
livelier and more agile than its predecessors - and Toyota’s first
two-seater convertible.
Of course, you might opt for the arguably more useful
four-seater VW Golf or Peugeot 306 dropheads. But, great fun as both are,
they are not sports cars.
However, I’m supposed to be writing about the new
Toyota, after loving most of a week in it recently. Its Porsche Boxsterish
rear styling appealed to some but by no means all viewers. It works a
treat for me.
But the MR2’s next big talking point is a clutchless
five speed manual gearbox, with neither conventional nor auto option. It
has F1-style gearchange buttons on the steering wheel and a flick forward
and back gear change lever on the floor, presumably for the arthritic
among us. I adapted to finger-tip gear changing after a day or three, and
expect it to be widely accepted before too long on many other cars.
However, if the test MR2 was indicative, I suspect
there’s still a lot of development to come. Up changing can be a real
pig if you manage to get it wrong, mainly by not lifting the right foot
momentarily. For now, I’d prefer conventional gearchanging, even if it
took away the car’s main talking point.
Beyond that this is a reasonably brisk, sadly dull
sounding, fine handling, reasonable riding open two seater. Space for real
luggage is all but nil, though a couple of lockers behind the seats can
carry briefcases, a notebook computer perhaps or the barest minimum
overnight gear. The roof is manual, but clumsy latches don’t make it
easy to close rapidly. Others do it better.
One approaches any Toyota expecting a lot. You might
not always love them, but you can see a car which comes bang on target for
its intended market. Maybe they have scored another bulls-eye with the
MR2, but I was left wondering a little. It’s certainly fun, and probably
Toyota-reliable. We’ll watch the sales figures.
I reckon there’s more development to come for the
Toyota to overcome its flat sounding engine and advanced, but so far not
quite right, gear change trickery. It will sell because it’s a Toyota
but it ain’t no Boxster in spite of the styling cues.
Thank you John for another of your forthright tests.
While I disagree on the styling, it appears that both of us believe the
gearchange isn’t there yet. Undoubtedly Toyota, being Toyota, will fix
it. I just wonder why they released it too soon, in my opinion?
Last week I asked what Japanese car maker was the first
to export to Europe? It was in 1965, they were famous for their Micro cars
and one of their models was the best selling car in Japan.
The answer was Daihatsu with their Compagno Berlina
model. The owners’ manual suggested that every 100 miles the wheel nuts
should be checked “otherwise wheel fall off”. Things have changed
since then. (See last section of this week’s Automania.) The Daihatsu
that was the best selling model in Japan was the Mira, still a great
little car.
So to this week and back to America. There was one very
radical body designer, Gordon Buehrig who was responsible for the
“coffin nosed” Cords 810 and 812. He also designed another very
radical car body in 1933. What was this car? Hint, it was supercharged and
the person from whom the car got its name died in one.
For the Automania FREE beer this week, be the first
correct answer to fax 427 596 or email [email protected]
.
While in Oz, I also had the chance to drive the new
Daihatsu Sirion GTvi. These little pocket rockets began with the 1 litre 3
cylinder engines, an expanded version of the 840 blistering cc’s of the
Thailand Daihatsu Mira, and now has ended up with one more cylinder and a
total of 1.3 litres in the GTvi model.
Looks-wise I thought it was horrible, with the
“retro” chrome bumper being particularly awful. Practicality-wise
however, it was excellent, with four decent sized doors that could get 6
foot humans in and out with ease. There was also enough legroom inside and
the driving position was excellent.
The one I drove was a five speed manual, and gear
changes were slick and clutch pressures easy. Steering was light and there
seemed to be plenty of get up and go from the willing little 16 valve
engine. The instrument dials were fabulous, with bright red needles being
very easy to see.
That’s about where the good bits ended. The
suspension/tyre choice was again awful. The power and zippiness of the
engine more than beat the ability of the suspension to deliver the goods
to the road. Soft springing meant door handle cornering, the lean felt
that bad.
The Sirion could be a good car. It is the right size,
with enough pep. Daihatsu just have to fix the underpinnings. Wait for the
Mk II model. Oh, and drop the chrome bumper too, Mr. Daihatsu.
Since
I previously published photos of the MRS/MR2, here is one of the Porsche
Boxster. This is, for my money, the ugliest Porsche for many years
(nothing could be worse than the 914 however), but it has many fans. The
open top motoring seducing many people (John Weinthal included). It is,
nevertheless a Porsche, with the legendary build quality and ruggedness
that has given Porsche its mystique and great name over the past 40 years.
Personally, I would still rather have a 911 and consider the Targa top
option the best combination of open or closed top motoring. My 911 Targa
was just wonderful on those Australian balmy evenings with the roof off.