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by Dr. Iain Corness

Toyota MR2

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?

A Real One!

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.

Automania Quiz

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] .

The new Daihatsu

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.

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