Does anyone have driving experience with a Toyota Mk I (84-89)? If so, is the manual steering as quick and responsive as that of a 914 or is it noticeably slower?

My brother had 1985 mr2 around 1990. The was the last time I drove one. So,
I don't remember. Here are some specs for you though.

http://www.mr2.com/MR2TechData.html

Steering type ......................... rack & pinion
Overall ratio ....................... 18.0:1
Turns, lock-to-lock ................. 3.1
Turning circle, ft/m ................ 31.5 .............. 9.6

Owned one years ago, and a girlfriend had one more recently. They have a quick steering response, and the car overall is generally twitchier than a 914. You can change the feel pretty radically with just front bar changes, though. The wheelbase is shorter, and the car is taller, than the 914. It's also remarkably heavy (2400-2500lbs). Roomy, easy to get in and out of, no storage space, crappy shifter.

IMHO, throw the same amount of money at a 914 or an MR2 in the suspension dept, and the 914 would still be the better handling car.

I've driven a couple of the 2nd generation cars, as well, and was unimpressed.

Thanks for the info!

Or remove everything from the mr2 so it is like 70's 914 (door bars, big
crash bumpers, a/c elec windows, stereo). Apples to apples I bet a mr2
to would hold its own in autox agains 2.0 4cly 914. To me apples to apples
close to same weight for the same stuff. New cars just have so much more
stuff they have to have in them. A stock 914 is almost like a race/rice out
to most people who drive anyting new and nice.

The 914 really comes into is own once put the flares on and bigger (fill
in the blank of your choice here). Not too many car can touch it without
spending cubic dollars.

A gutted MR2 is something like 2100lbs. A gutted early 914 is something like 1800lbs. The MR2 still loses. I don't consider comparing one non-gutted car to another to be an apples and pears comparison.

I was not talking about gutted. But a car built in 1985 to 1989 carries around a
lot of extra stuff that 1970 to 1973 car does not. If compare a 914 to any car
built after 1985 (ok not the elise) it is a gutted car. Look at how thin the stock seats are on a 914. No door bars, big crash bumpers, A/C. PW windows. TWC. working
heater


Tell what this ad sounds like to you

FS: 2001 Porsche Boxter
NO A/C (everthing removed not just disconnected)
NO PS (everthing removed not just disconnected)
NO PW (replace with lighter manual one)
NO air pump (everthing removed not just disconnected)

Replaced thick heavy plush electric seats for light weight thin ones.

Three way cat removed

door bars removed

front and rear crash bumpers removed. replaced with light weight bumpers
that will do nothing in a crash.

heater removed (everthing removed not just disconnected)

All extra metal for safty crash zone removed.

Nice plush carpet and sound deading removed with thinner lighter carpet.

Nice cd/mp3 with 9 speakers replaced with two speakers and a AM radio

LSD removed


(I wonder how much all the stuff weighs)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Now you have 2001 porsche 914. Doesn't the ad almost sound like
a gutted weekend track/race car. I know the ad is missing roll cage,
extra big motor/power, shock/springs, lexan windows to be a race car


I would much rather have 2.0 914 that first gen mr2. I think I would prefer
a 3rd mr2 over a 2.0 914 though. Those new mr2 are light and you put the
corolla S (180hp ish) right in there. I would much rather have 914-6 3.6
with the gt flares over almost any car in the world except cars that
cost $100K++++

Why the MR2 has all that "extra stuff" in it or not is entirely beside the point. It has it, and that's that. The fact that the 914 is as light (actually lighter) than a gutted MR2 is a good thing, IMHO.

All that stuff from a Boxster drops the weight by about 300lbs, btw. It's been done. In the end, it still ends up weighing about 500lbs more than a bone-stock 914...

all this stuff only weighs 300lbs.
seats, hvac, a/c, evap, three way cat, air pump, 5mph bumpers front
and rear, crash bars in the doors. pw windows.
I thought it would have been more. Learn something new everyday.

Anyways, that is not my point in making 2001 914. I think most people that would
have read that ad would have thought that my 2001 914 was gutted/stripped.


I agree with you on the 1st gen are to heavy and tall for there size.

BUT

A third gen mr2 weighs the same as a stock 914 and it has
all that extra stuff.

from www.edmunds.com

Length: 153 in. Width: 66.7 in.
Height: 48.8 in. Wheel Base: 96.5 in.
Ground Clearance: 4.9 in. Curb Weight: 2195 lbs.
Interior
Front Head Room: 37.3 in. Front Hip Room: 49.8 in.
Front Shoulder Room: 51 in. Front Leg Room: 42.2 in.
Luggage Capacity: 1.9 cu. ft. Maximum Cargo Capacity: 2 cu. ft.
Maximum Seating: 2


Of course then you just stuck with a mr2. I guess you could turbo charge it.

I would much rather have the upgrade path of big 6 with gt flares.