Here comes another lengthy car related post! Hm... Brain fart >.>... Wouldnt bringing back the Lancer be cheating myself? Its N/A with proper torque, light, proven and tested, and most of all I already know how to drive it. The MR2 in the other hand. Is such a weird creature. This turbo that people talk about, MR2 has one. Its a weird little device that people rave out. In its basic form, it trades the bond between the driver and the engine for a significant power increase. Its nice and all in a straight line, but its giving me a hard time controlling the rear of the car in corners. Then theres the braking power. Lancer, with a sub 15K php brake setup (inclusive of bigger calipers, disks, and brake pads) clearly out brakes the MR2. MR2 having rear biased weight, bigger brake components, running slightly bigger brake pads and tires, and weigh (by estimate) almost the same, on paper, should stop better. But no. Then theres the It grips like its on rails thing. Something people rave about again. Which, I also was fond of before I started realizing that flowing like water is better than gripping on rails. Lancer floats on corners. I just point the steering wheel slightly in the direction of where you want to go, and the rear will do the turning for you. Magical stuff. I cant explain how with the same tire, the 195mm wide tire is providing as much, if not more, cornering capabilities in a car than a 225mm one (note Im not saying over all grip). Weird. Then theres the engine placement. Every morning, when I check it out, I get a mini heart attack. OMG! SOMEBODY STOLE MY ENGINE! Then I remember, oh yeah, its at the back. This rear biased weight. I feel it. Its very awesome. Exiting a corner, you barely get any wheel spin and just rocket out like nobodys business. But for some reason, with real life timing and application, this awesome feature is not reflected. And there is this weird feeling compared to FR cars when it slides. With FR, it feels like you try to keep the rear in the rear. With the MR, it feels like you try to keep the front in the front. The thing is... Its not the MR2s fault. Driving it around, I can feel its potential. And if money is not an object, the MR2 platform will surpass my Lancers. Its just like... Its just like Im using a ratchet like a hammer. It wont be very effective. All the driving habits Ive developed was to maximize the Lancer, and its not really working on the MR2. They say some cars dont pick drivers; that some cars are capable on working on a smorgasbord of different driving techniques and mind sets and still perform in a high level. Some say Miatas are like that. Some say the famous AWD turbos that 2 companies are bashing each other with are like that. Then, there are the picky ones; cars that dont perform without the right driver. Some people say the S2000 is like that. Lotus Elise as well. And guess what, the MR2 is also in the list. So going back to topic, wont I be cheating myself? If I fix the Lancer, Ill neglect the MR2. Then Ill be stuck there, in a familiar place, afraid to venture out and learn new things. Wont discovering the secret(e) of the MR2 be more fulfilling? To drive in a totally different way than before, and broaden my horizons. Then when the time comes, revive the Lancer the way it deserves to be revived, with a driver that is also evolved. I just need to get MR2 working the way I want to at least. Proper clutch, proper brakes, proper power. Lancer has gone a long way in order to take the punishment and demands that I give. It would be unfair to not even let MR2 a chance. Once the parts can take a beating, let the discovering begin! The Stivo Coilovers solved my bump absorption needs. The oil cooler is keeping the oil and engine healthy. The head is newly top overhauled. All the ball joints and tierods are fresh. Thats a start. I just need a clutch and brakes that can take the beating. Then I need to get the turbo overhauled in order for me to get an EBC and get the car back to the power it was designed to handle. Poly Bushes all around wont hurt either. Id also want additional Camber in front. And additional engine bay venting to keep the engine happy. Only then can the real colors of the MR2 come out! Decisions... Decisions...
Posted on: Wed, 20 Nov 2013 23:34:50 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015