1989 Toyota MR2 Supercharger from UK and Ireland - Comments

Faultless.

Rare, rapid, blown 1600 engine provides terrific torque and power for 1600cc. Add mongoose exhaust and you have 155bhp+ 155ftlbs torque minimum.

Corners on rails.

t-tops off and it's a convertible.

Disturbs honda civic type r's even though its 18 years old.

Add 180mm pulley for up to 180bhp and 180ftlbs torque+++.

Excellent and all for £2500.

Beat that...

Can't beat it, they are good motors, the only thing that put me off was I heard the fuel consumption was bad on the super charged mark 1. That and they are hard to find! Have fun.

I'm not sure what the economy on the supercharged versions are, but I own a N/A MK1 MR2, 89 plate, and economy is between 30-40mpg, obviously depending on how you drive.

The supercharged version really, really, intrigues me. I've heard the torque is about 40 percent more than the N/A version, is this true?. Being from the UK, they are quite rare.

There is a place called KEIGHLEY TRADE CENTRE in the UK, (NORTH), that deal with Japanese imports. Currently, there is a supercharged MK1 MR2 on there for sale, (amongst many skylines, Evos, and MK2 MR2S, all very souped up, straight from Japan) if anyones looking?. Horsepower on the supercharged version is 145hp, out of the factory, if I'm correct. On the normally aspired European versions, it was 122hp. This might not sound like much of a difference, but considering the extra torque anf added bhp, I imagine the supercharged MK1's feel awesome to drive. I enjoy my N/A, and I would like to hear some feedback on how your supercharged version is going.

Thanks MK1 MR2 owner.

The Supercharged version is as reliable as the NA. It is more fuel efficient than the NA if you switch the Supercharger off, but in the off position it is only 90hp.

A civic type R won't even get a car length on you from 0-60, past this they start to win (not so special for £18,000 v's £3000 for the mr2 sc). Peugeot 306 gti 6's can't pull away from you at all and you have to back off the throttle if following them.

Don't be silly a civic type r would smoke it, I have a civic ivt 1990 and that puts the mr2 to shame.

To poster: 24th Sep 2007, 09:27.

Have you raced against a mk1 supercharged mr2 before?, if so were both cars standard? The supercharged mark 1's are around 6.7secs 0-60, and weigh approx 1 ton, I'm not sure about the IVT civic you have, (did you mean VTI?). My money would be on the Type R, especially a 2007 model. Although I don't believe the SC MR2 would be too shamed, especially as the previous poster demonstrates the drastic difference in price. You could probably spend up to 5 grand on an absolute minter of a mk1 SC, and still have well over 10 grand left, yippee!

I love bargain performance cars, especially from Japan. Consider some of these, fellow car nuts:

3RD GEN Mazda RX7 (especially in turbo form)

MK2 MR2 (again, especially in turbo form)

Mitsubishi Starion (Totally unique today!)

Honda Integra (Always seems highly respected in reviews)

Lotus Excel (Love the wedge shape, a poor mans Esprit?)

TVR 350i (oh!! that V8 Grumble)

Toyota supra (80's version, and especially a 90's turbo)

Honda CRX VTEC + DEL SOL

And many many more!

PS.

Toyota Starlet Turbo (Someone I know just got one imported, tuned to 210bhp. I haven't seen it yet, but it sounds hilarious! Not to my taste though!)

Its the same shape as the crx vtec 1990, and yes its faster than the mr2, it gives the mark 2 turbo a good run, the cars you listed are awesome, especially the integra.

Spot on, I think I remember which model it is now. I can image your car is lighter than the SC MR2, I have a N/A MK1 MR2, even with just 122bhp it gives me a lot of fun. The guy who just bought the Toyota starlet I previously mentioned, he had a CRX VTEC, and it looked awesome, especially that back end, he got an insane 140mph out of it!.

Anyways, happy motoring.

Spot on, I think I remember which model it is now. I can image your car is lighter than the SC MR2, I have a N/A MK1 MR2, even with just 122bhp it gives me a lot of fun. The guy who just bought the Toyota starlet I previously mentioned, he had a CRX VTEC, and it looked awesome, especially that back end, he got an insane 140mph out of it!.

Anyways, happy motoring.

Hey guys, I own a S/C, used to own a Civic Type R (Sold it, dull as anything, got no soul at all, only good thing is motor reving to 9000 RPM, but it becomes tiring after a couple of months). S/C is a car I will NEVER EVER, Not for a million pounds ever sell.

Fitted with a pulley kit from Fensport and tuned by Millway 190 BHP in a tiny AW11? hehehehehe It destroyed the Type R up to about 85mph ish and makes a grin every time it is driven. My mate has 05 plate M3 and that only just pulls away from it at the lights, it cost him £50k my S/C £5k.

Just wanted to add a couple to performance bargin bit.

Renault Sport Clio 172/182, Replace Civic with 1, brakes down more often than an old Skoda, but it is such fun to drive.

Lancia Delta HF Integrale 16V or Evo1- Replaced it with Civic, I cried when I sold it. Monster car, but breaks down because there is a Y in the day. 0-60 5.7secs.

Nik.

To poster: 27th Sep 2007, 15:27.

Your SC MR2 sounds well nice. I remember reading in Banzai magazine several months ago there was a guy with a mint MK1 MR2, he'd also tuned his quite extensively and was aiming to get 200bhp to the back wheels. He hadn't quite managed it at the time, but had gotten around 220bhp at the flywheel!.

As for your comments on the Type R being dull, I've never driven one, but I can imagine what you said is probably true, especially compared to the smaller/lighter/supercharged/mid-engined/rear wheel drive MK1MR2.

After owning a couple of N/A MK1 MR2's, I can say first hand they have definitely got soul. A lot of modern hot hatches are fast, but seem really chunky to me. I'm thinking specifically about cars like MK5 GOLF GTI, I've been in several MK1/2 GTI's and they feel so much more raw and alive.

I agree with your bargain performance cars, especially the Lancia Delta, I wonder if they rust badly though?

Here's few more I thought of:

Isuzu Piazza Turbo

Nissan Silvia ZX

Daihatsu Charade GTI

Hillman Imp Super, lol (Not really a performance car as standard I know, but I've always had a perverse attraction towards them, am I weird? I'm weird aren't I?.

I'm going to go now. keep on truckin'

Lotus Excel, a poor mans esprit?

They are cheaper, but the performance over a 2.2 esprit is superior.

I have an 86, supercharger MR2 Mark 1, 1600cc. I have removed the cat and have HKS intake and exhaust. Civic type R's are lucky to get a car length on me from the lights. They get 0-60 in 6.5 seconds. I do it 6.7. They have 2 litres of modern VTEC, I have a 1.6 from 1986!

What you need to remember is that the supercharged mr2 mk1 gets lots of torque and boost without having any spool up or revs. Plant your foot and the supercharger supplies immediate torque and 8 lbs boost. The Honda has to wring its neck to get the power.

If you change the pulley on the MR2 to a nst/nevo or fensport item for £180, you can get 180hp @ 13lbs boost, very very reliably. That's 35hp more than a standard catted mr2sc for £180. Oh and the car goes for anything from £1500 to £5000 for a minter with 40k on the clock.

And take a Civic 1600 twin cam from the same era as your MR2 and add a supercharger to it, and your MR2 doesn't stand a chance. Take the non supercharged variant MR2 and compare that to the Vivic without the supercharger... again you're beaten!

If you really want to upset Civic Type R drivers, a Vauxhall Cavalier 2.5 V6 with 3ltr cams, decent exhaust and lightened flywheel. Just under the 200bhp mark, eats 9/10 "sports cars" i.e. Type R, Focus RS, 0-60 5.9 seconds. All for under a grand!

I have had Type R Civic, MR2 supercharger and many other sports cars along the way, including Jag XJR, Elise, Esprit etc etc.

Forget the Type R - Japanese shopping trolley with fabulous engine... big deal...for year 2000.. same old rubbish as Clio 172, Focus RS, any other euro box with oversize engine. TEG is better.

Mr2 SC is special, built in 80's remember, only 1600 cc, mid engined, rare, comparable to Elise but many years before!!

The essence of a memorable car is often not out and out performance, but feel handling etc etc. Mk1 MR2 of any kind was rather special in the 80's, even more so now post 2008.

Regret selling it.