|
Toyota MR2 Spyder puts the pop-top fun in a pure sports car
Bob Plunkett
Date Posted: 5/10/2005
|
IRON SPRINGS, Ariz. -- Narrow, twisted Arizona back roads, running over ridges and valleys of the Weaver Mountains west of Prescott, supported only sporadic traffic on a sunlight afternoon when we used the route to crank up adrenalin while steering an unadulterated new sports car out of Japan.
With a flipped top, compact two-seat cockpit, and a mid-ship engine sending all torque through a tight manual gearbox to the rear wheels, this sleek little car captures the essence of a sporty roadster as a pure expression of playful automotive fun.
Toyota builds it under the label of MR2 Spyder as the third iteration of a mid-engine model that frames the excitement of a sports car in the context of masterful Japanese mechanical technology.
It's simple in design, direct in function, innovative in mechanical applications, and an absolute blast to drive.
Did we mention it's also affordable?
Although the MR2 Spyder fits in a sporty category where fewer on-board seats and open-top styling usually mean more dollars applied to the bottom line, Toyota adopts a different approach and stickers this one at $23,098.
And the name?
It represents the concept, with the M for mid-engine design, the R for rear-wheel drivetrain and the number 2 tacked on for its two seats. The Spyder tag signifies a convertible in historical nomenclature that traces to an early Ferrari where the spindly soft-top framework evoked an image of spidery legs.
Toyota first applied the MR2 designation to a small mid-engine T-top car produced in 1984 on the chassis of the Corolla sedan. In 1991, a larger and heavier design emerged with many components borrowed from the Celica coupe but the mid-ship engine placement retained. That MR2 endured through the 1995 model until its retirement.
The new MR2 Spyder has little in common with these predecessors, other than the label, point of origin and the mid-engine design.
Instead, it cuts to the quick for active automotive performance with a simple design that uses a rigid platform framed with a long wheelbase, short body overhangs front and rear, the engine set in front of rear drive wheels, independent suspension at all corners and fast-acting rack and pinion steering gear.
We spent a long day behind the wheel in prototypes of the MR2 Spyder to sample the action on a diverse course that took us from Phoenix in the flat Sonoran Desert over freeways and remote blacktop strips to sandstone summits in the mountains at Prescott.
The Spyder's stability in motion at a high rate of speed was verified on I-10 west of Phoenix.
Precise action of suspension elements was tested time and again near Wickenburg on the bee-line trace of Vulture Mine Road. It dips through desert drainage washouts in whoop-de-do swoops, forcing springs and shocks to float over each lip, compress at the bottom, then float again over the next rim, yet never upsetting Spyder's road-hugging poise.
The playful nature became evident in the mountains on curves and grades, with juicy surges at hand from the throttle and tight control from the steering wheel. In broad sweepers tires gripped with such bite that we felt Spyder could take the bends even faster and still stay planted.
And its uncanny agility was put to use in an impromptu safety exercise when a stag mule deer sprang from nowhere into our forward path, forcing a too-quick evasive swerve with anti-lock action needed from brakes to effect the in-control right-left-right pirouette.
During these tests, we heard from Harunori Shiratori, Toyota's chief engineer for the MR2 Spyder, who defined five key concepts for the design: "First, we wanted true driver enjoyment, blending good movement, low inertia and light weight. Then, a long wheelbase to achieve high stability and fresh new styling; a mid-engine design to create excellent handling and steering without the weight of the engine up front; a body structure as simple as possible to allow for easy customizing, and low cost to the consumer."
Shiratori's initial goal -- true driver enjoyment -- comes about from the design concepts for a stiff platform with long wheelbase, the mid-engine placement and direct-to-respond hardware for suspension and steering.
The final goal of modest price points was achieved by the back-to-basics mechanical scheme with cost efficiencies in component parts borrowed from other Toyota products.
Spyder's engine, for instance, was developed for Toyota's new Celica GT sports coupe.
The sophisticated aluminum in-line four, displacing 1.8 liters and rigged with dual cams and a variable-valve timing system, racks up 138 hp and torque to 125 lb-ft.
That's enough spark to propel the lightweight MR2 from zero to 60 mph in less than seven seconds.
The keep-it-simple design carries over to equipment -- there's only one version and it contains all of the necessary equipment, with one engine and one transmission, power steering and anti-lock brakes, and the choice of six exterior colors matched to one of three interior shades.
Exterior lines look sleek in a long format with blunt prow and brief tail. In front the hood follows the windshield's steep rake in a descent between shoulders set with exaggerated headlamps. Wavy sides ripple from wheelwell flares and a functional side scoop that repeats a design theme from the original MR2.
Rear wheels pin immediately forward of the back bumper, illustrating the long wheelbase and leaving scant overhang.
Steel body panels bolt to the unit-body structure in a simplified process designed to make body modifications easy for customizers and keep a lid on repair costs.
Layout of the cockpit is simple, with bolstered bucket seats flanking a center console and the stick shifter.
There's a high content of standard convenience gear inside, such as air conditioning, power windows and door locks, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and gear shift knob, plus a stereo kit with cassette deck and CD player. However, storage space has been limited to three bins sized to dimensions of a glove box, with one behind each seat and the third squeezed into the well of a spare tire located below the forward hood.
The soft top, etched with a rigid glass rear window, bends at two flex points and folds back to tuck into a space behind the seats, with the front roof section forming a built-in boot. It's light in weight and easy to work, and we discovered the pop-top movement could even be made from the driver's seat.
|
| Vehicle Specifications: |
| 2001 TOYOTA MR2 SPYDER Specs |
| Description: |
Mid-engine 2-seat roadster
|
| Model Options: |
Mid-engine 2-seat roadster
|
| Wheelbase: |
96.5 inches
|
| Overall Length: |
153.0 inches
|
| Engine Size: |
DOHC 1.8-L I4
|
| Transmission: |
Manual/5
|
| Drive: |
Front
|
| Braking: |
Power 4-disc/ABS
|
| Airbags: |
2 (front)
|
| Gas Mileage: |
25/30 mpg
|
| Price: |
$ 23,098 |
|
|
