EZRider

As an owner of a '96 4Runner I am a big fan of Toyota trucks. But that's as far as it goes. I just cannot get really excited over Toyota's sport car designs. Their newest Mr2 Spyder does get my attention, they are catching up. However there's nothing I would trade mine up for. The 951, in factory form, is an art in automotive engineering which any stock MR2 cannot touch. Yes, you can add all sorts of speed equipment to change the equation but you're just patching up the obvious.

toddk911

Maybe the late 80's supercharged MR2's. Those were supposedly screamers. But I think they had a lot of problems.

RPG951S

The earlier supercharged models are tanks.
My old 88SC had 100+ track days on it, was modified from birth (HKS pulley & stuff from 10K to 100K).
Nothing ever broke. Nothing. Ever.
Only did maintenance and mods, never had to repair/replace anything that was not on the maintenance schedule.
Like any Toyota, parts prices are pricey.

I submit that the vast majority of drivers (like 98%) would prefer a front engine, rear drive car over a mid-engined car. Except for the highest level of motorsport, mid-engine just doesn't make enough of a difference.
Mid engine cars are generaly twitchy, and somewhat counter-intuative; which explains why so many people will 'spin' them
If you don't know what I mean, then you've never dived into a corner too fast with a midengine car, or lifted mid-turn. Heart stopping, to say the least.
However, with proper tuning you can make them stable, but you'll have to sacrifice some of the advantages of the design.

Anyways, I was never impressed with the turbo MR2. It was faster than my SC, but handled poorer, was heavier, and the aftermarket support was focused on drag-racing horsepower upgrades and bling-bling body kits.
Very few people road-race the turbo models.
Here's a prime example of the bling: (TRD2000 bodykit)

David Nichols

I have both,

The 3sgte is a really solid motor. 500+ HP has been recorded on the stock short block.

To me, the mr2 feels more nimble then the 951. I.E. it can change direction faster. As for total grip, its probably only a little better then the Porsche. But.... and this is a big but, its VERY hard to get that last 10% out of the mr2, where it actually has slightly more grip then the 951.

The 951 is faster.

If I could only have one car, the porsche is more practical.

ljd-924SE

my roommate is a toyota guy. he owns a 2003 tacoma (absolutely solid) and an 87 mr2, the first gen, which he auto-x's in C-street prep. i've been in a few of the second gens and they don't even come close to the feel of the first. but, i'll never forget the time i lost it in a wet corner and managed to save it only inches from a curb that would've ruined my day. lesson learned - never let off the throttle mid turn in roommate's car. can't imagine how much fun the supercharged first gens are. it's unfortunate that they are so rare, otherwise my roommate would probably end up with one.

Sach951

It's a nice car for what it is. Definitely cheaper to keep a nice example than a 951. However, I would take my 951 over an MR2 Turbo any day. It's agile on the street, but it lacks the stability and ability of the 951. There's no contest when it comes to power...

Cheers,
Sach

v944god

porshhhh951, post the movie.

but i don't think a mr2 has more grip than a 951. not even close. they are scary cars to drive when you hitting curves at 40-50mph.

Peckster

A buddy of mine tracks an '80s Mister Two n/a. It's a real momentum car, but very quick in the corners and almost bullet-proof. Those Toy fours really stand up to a lot of abuse.

He took me around Mosport in it and the first time through two I thought Iwas going to die.

jc22

This is my experience from owning both cars and my opinions:

I know many will not agree, but I am still partial to the MR2 T. Even being mid-engined the MR2 is still 100X easier to work on and 10X cheaper to modify. They are not as old as 951's so you'll get a much better car to start with and possibly at a cheaper cost. The shifting is precise as opposed to sloppy, the interior is updated as opposed to 80's style in the 951's. I had a '91 that I put TRD springs on and big 17 inch rubber with aggressive alignment and it handled like a go-kart. Oversteer was easy to catch, understeer was minimal, there was no stability problems at high speeds including 110 mph kinks. If you're looking for passenger seating buy a four door but I assume you are not. The MR2 pulled like hell up to 125 with 12psi boost but after that it fell a bit short. Depending on what tracks you use the car at that may or may not be a problem (not a problem on the street). For the street anything over 250hp in a car of that size is a waste of time and money. Listen to the people who have owned both cars, as everyone else is just guessing. If you want a reliable car that is cheap, easy to modify, and fun on the street and track go with the MR2, if you want to go club racing get the 951. That's why I got mine.

gatorbait

It's strange that this thread would pop up right now. I don't think I've ever seen reference to an MR2 in the year that I've been on this forum. As it turns out, I'm contemplating the purchase of a '93 MR2 turbo that's had a ground up restoration.

Through a spate of incredibly bad luck, I had to sell my 951 this month. I'm depressed as hell about it--it was the biggest automotive PITA I've ever owned, but I came to love the car, right up to the point of a complete motor rebuild, when I wound up selling it to my mechanic.

Anyhow, I've got limited resources to buy a replacement car. Don't want a front-driver, so I narrowed my choices to three: '93 MR2 T, a 968 Coupe, and another 951.

The MR2 is the cheapest of the three, and likely to be the most reliable (a Yugo would have been more reliable than my 951). I owned a '91 MR2 T in 1991 before I got hooked on German cars. It's no 951, and mine was pretty darty over 80--not even sure that it's fair to compare the two cars--the MR2 was created out of the Corolla's parts bin, after all. Still, the MR2 was a better daily driver. There's not much lag and there's good mid-range punch. But, lift off the Toyota's throttle while you're building boost and the driveline snaps at you like an Alligator. The 2.0L 4-banger in the MR2 is surprisingly unrefined. The cable-shifter in the MR2 won't give you wood either. Even with an improved turbo, cat-less exhaust and a decent aftermarket intercooler, the MR2's no torque monster. My guess is that a mildly modded 951 would still be showing a heavilly modded MR2 its tailights, especially above 60 MPH.

I'm also toying with the idea of getting a 968, which I also think would be better for the day-to-day grind. Pinion problems aside, the 968 is a newer model and would (hopefully) be more reliable than a 951. The lack of performance mod potential is a huge deficit though.

Then there's the 951. I saw a cherry, completely unmolested '86 951 on ebay today that sold for $9500. But the purchase price of in a 951 is only the beginning. In my case, the purchase was followed by the need for an improved suspension (Koni yellows), chips, a good wastegate, a new boost controller, the need for an accurate boost gauge, rebuilding the transmission, chasing seal leaks, new water pump, new motor mounts, new injectors, new fuel pump, new battery, MO30 sways (not really needed but nice to have anyway), new TPS switch, new blow-off valve, a MAF, a new FPR etc., a decent stereo etc., ad nauseum. I hit the wall when I found out it was rebuild time.

Common sense tells me that even the best-kept 951 is a Pandora's box, unless you have the time/skill to work on your own car (I didn't). Still, anyone who's owned a 951 knows there's something special about the car.

Anyhow, the MR2 is a fun little car that's always destined to run slightly behind the big dogs (IMO). I may buy one, but I'd never think of it as a 951's equal.

InterSpool

Well, the '93 is definitely the way to go. I've been reading up and if anyone takes the time to read http://mr2info.home.comcast.net/power.htm it will clue them in on the potential. I am have a lot of trouble deciding which car I want. The MR2 has a smaller engine than the 951, yes ... but also weighs 400-500 pounds less. Stock, the MR2 and '86 951 are about equal according to the numbers I have found. I've also heard that all the turbos pull heartily up to 120mph, but have trouble past that because of keeping boost pressures (this can be fixed). I think the 951 and MR2 are very comparable, because to decide which is "better" is almost impossible.

v944god

You'll never know until you drive the two. I'd take the 951 in a heartbeat over the MR2. Once a Porsche owner, always a Porsche owner. I do valet as a part time job and every car I've driven has nothing on the 951.

macnewma

I am new to the 951 as I have had mine for just about a week now. I have driven an MR2 with slight mods quite a bit though as a friend of mine has one.

They certainly feel differently. My friends MR2 doesn't have power steering which is cool, but I still prefer the feel of the 951. As far as grip, that is too dependent of alignment, tires and suspension mods, otherwise they are similar.

Both my 951 and his MR2 have about similar mods and miles. Teh 951 probably has a 25hp and a 40lb/ft advantage. His is also lighter. In a straight line, they are pretty equal at most speeds, maybe an advantage to the 951.

I have not tracked either, so I can't speak directly to it. I think both would make awesome track cars though.

One big difference you will find is that, IMHO, the 951 feels much more solid. Not that the MR2 is junk, it just has a tinny feel like most Japanese sports cars. Does it make it slower? Probably not.

If I were you, I wouldn't completely count out the MR2. It is about half the price, equally tunable, very fun and cheaper to maintain. But, obviously, I chose the Porsche. I simply like it more and chose to spend more.

Do keep in mind that the twitchy handling that was described earlier is accurate. It is both good and bad. It is fun, but it can bite you. Make sure you are aware of this...but then again, you can definitely mess up in a 951 as well...knock on wood.

Remember, I am not an full-blown expert on either car. You could talk to Tim at Speed Force Racing , he tunes Supras as well as 951s. He might have some experience with MR2s as well.

Good luck and enjoy!

Max

gatorbait

Interspool, that's a great link. Thanks.

TurboTommy

V944god,.. "I do valet as a part time job and every car I've driven has nothing on the 951."
Ahem....... where would you take these cars to be able to make that kind of assessment?