|
From the heart.....
The MR2 feels right from the moment you drop down into the thinly padded seat. You’re locked low in the chassis, the doors enclose you right up to shoulder height, the pedals are dead ahead and the gearstick is just where you want it, mounted high and within easy reach. The steering wheel is perhaps a shade to big, but the detail that streams back through the punctured leather rim is just perfect.
The ride is superb, the MR2 gliding across the ground even when your eyes are telling your brain to expect some nasty jolts. The supple set-up helps the open-top structure feel incredibly stiff – there’s no telltale shimmying rear-view mirror or wobbly steering column.
Up the pace and the MR2 just gets better and better. It’s a rare thing to discover a chassis that can simultaneously isolate road imperfections and yet keep you in touch with exactly how much grip there is to play with, but the MR2 seems able to filter out all the unwanted ‘noise’ and relay just the vital information. It quickly builds your confidence to work the front tyres hard into a corner, and then utilise the excellent traction afforded by the mid-engined layout on the exit.
Feel your way into the chassis, keep the sweet little 138bhp 1.8 litre four-pot on the boil, and you’ll make genuinely rapid progress on any sort of road….
|
