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Y2K Toyota MR-Spyder

To: autocross <AUTOX@autox.team.net>
Subject: Y2K Toyota MR-Spyder
From: Randy Chase <randyc2@home.com>
Date: Mon, 08 Mar 1999 15:22:15 -0800
Car and Driver has a pretty nice layout of the new mid-engined roadster
from Toyota. It is 140hp @6000rpm, 2200 lb weight, with a 0-60mph time
of 7.9 sec. Sounds to me like a great BS car. Can't imagine it going
anywhere else in stock.

Plus it looks like it sits very low, boxsterish styling cues, nice
carbon fibre and alum touches, all for $25,000. To be released right
after nationals. 

Downsides are lack of storage. A serious lack of storage. No trunk.
Anything you want to haul has to fit behind the seats, which from the
pics look like it better not be bigger than a lunch bag. So, forget
hauling tires without a trailer or incredible creativity.

Now the question. I think this car would do well in BS, but it has what
may be a small flaw. Small tires. It is supposed to have 185/55-15s on
the front and 205/50-15s on the rear. According to C&D, the car would
barely roll with 215 width tires on the rear, and from the pic of the
side, it looks like almost no tire clearance.

So, how big a handicap will this be to run this car on 205s all around
vs the Miatas? Am I correct that the Miatas to beat are running 225s?

Randy Chase (or it will be the Honda S2000...or BMW M..or ?)

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