twohoos

A buddy from work and I swapped cars for a short spirited drive today. His MR2-Spyder is bone stock except for a custom rollbar.

As my buddy showed me around the car, I began to wonder: "Where's your trunk?" He laughed and showed me a small bay under the front bonnet, about twice the size of the area where the S2K's spare tire sits. Sadly, half that was taken up by the MR2's spare tire! The car's storage is augmented by an even smaller cubby behind the passenger seat, but overall I'd say that if you have a passenger, you better not plan to bring more than a couple of box lunches on your trip!

Once driving, though, I was suitably impressed with the power of the car. With about 140 hp motivating just 2100 lbs, it was decently quick. Redline on the 1.8L is 7500 rpm, and from about 3K it pulls with satisfying urgency. It has VVT-i, Toyota's version of VTEC (or i-VTEC?), but I didn't detect any distinct changeover as with Honda's motors. The Toyota engine's responsiveness is somewhat let down by an overweight flywheel, however. In all, I'd agree with my friend's assessment that the two cars feel similarly quick...when the S is *below* VTEC.

Better than the engine was the braking response -- great feel and lots of stopping power -- but better still was the overall handling. On a clear twisty stretch of Palos Verdes Blvd I was able to coax the tail out in a very predictable, controllable fashion. This was my first spirited drive in a mid-engine car and I am beginning to see the advantages! Grip (lateral g-force) at the limit was very similar to the S2K.

Less impressive were the steering feel; while admittedly it's every bit as good as the S2K's, I felt it should be much better given the lightness of the car. I was expecting something more similar to my old CRX-Si.

The only real disappointment, though, was the transmission. The clutch (dis)engages barely an inch or two above the floor and seems to slip for nearly the rest of the way up. Worse, the shifter is so rubbery that all communication with the gearbox seems lost. Overall up-shifting action eventually becomes an inelegant stomp-and-yank procedure. On the upside, though, the sloppy clutch behavior somewhat counteracts the heavy flywheel during rev-matching, allowing lots of slip when the revs aren't synched, thus preventing a jarring lurch.

Overall I think that Toyota's created a car that matches, but certainly doesn't beat, the performance of the Mazda Miata. Given their essentially equal price points, I was hoping (and kind of expecting) that Toyota would produce a clearly stronger competitor, especially given the mid-engine layout's advantages. For now, though, given the Spyder's practical shortcomings, it's hard to believe many Miata buyers will be swayed to the Toyota.

lehighwiz

the gearbox was my main complaint as well...also...i didn't like the manual top.

One other thing that caught my eye was the orange dash and accessory lights along with a green cd player. It almost looks as though they just took the wrong color radio from some other car and just jammed in there...It looked really out of place IMO.

otherwise, i really enjoy driving the car, it is fun and responsive.

Matt

TypeSH

Is their a technical reason why Toyota did not put the 180 horsepower VVTL-i in it?

SuzukaS2K

I used to have a 00 spyder.......the power is still not enough but there's a turbo kit for this car already. I think if they put a LSD in the car, the handling will be even better.

btw: there's more room inside than the S2000 as well. IMO!

airgate

The only one I've driven has been their latest introduction, the SMT version. I hated the way it shifted and when you placed it in reverse, it beeped like a UPS truck backing up!

Russ

The shift kit I had from B&M eliminated the sloppy stock linkage COMPLETELY
and also shortened the throws considerably. Most hardcore owners remove the front spare (more luggage room) and there is plenty of room behind the seats (at least there was for me...I had no problems using the car for a weekend get-away). I've owned two moderately modified Miatas and stock for stock, the Spyder with little fanfare, would have (and does) out accelerated and out handled (comfort level with mid-engine cars is required here for the novices) both of those Mazda's.
I think the two cars are so unique that your atypical Mazda owner would feel more comfortable in their own ride whereas the Spyder owner would prefer the mid-engined approach. Having owned both, I can't imagine any roadcourse that a stock Spyder couldn't lap quicker than a stock Miata (assuming I'm driving both). I won't speak for those who don't like mid-engined cars (if that is possible!).
Both have their place but in most cases, what few negatives the Spyder has can be quickly alleviated with a modest sum of cash and for under $27,000; unless straight line speed is one's only concern, I cannot think of any other car I'd rather have.

Wirbellos

I thought the s2000 was considered a mid-engine car because the motor was behind the front axels????

KrazyKarim

nope still front engine, on a mid engine platform the engine is behind you usually right behind the seats. Ala nsx and mr2.

Karim

twohoos

[QUOTE]Originally posted by lehighwiz
[B]One other thing that caught my eye was the orange dash and accessory lights along with a green cd player.

minboost

actually, VVT-i is the equivalent of just the "i" in i-VTEC. VVT-i is variable ignition timing for a flatter torque curve (I believe). There is no cam lobe switch over. That is VVTL-i (the L is for LIFT).

The MR2 Spyder is a nice car but almost everyone concedes that the Miata beats it in nearly every way. Too bad people make fun of Miata owners