MR2's Ideal Horsepower?

[Yozuki Ri]

Assuming I do some mods to the engine or dump one in for that matter, what HP zone would be ideal to shoot for? Would I need to start doing work on the suspension and whatnot?

[STLMR2na]

depends... once you hit over 300hp, u might want wider rear tires cuz ur gonna get unwanted wheel spin

[johnny g]

It's not about horsepower or torque - it's about the delivery of the power.

450whp, in a linear delivery with a constant-ish torque level.

[MR JAS]

being conservative i would say aim for OVER 9000HP

[r0y6989]

ya 9000 sounds like reasonable hp goal, for a 4 cylinder, very manageable. Just add a couple stickers and a bov and youre already at at least 1000 rwhp!(joke)

There are things to shoot for when building a car. It is one thing to have a ridicilously fast car, and another to have a well balanced car. What good is 400 hp if you spin out everytime you corner accelerating, and going 180 mph if you can't even stop?

[mr3]

I'd take 150 in my mk1. I dont need much just enough to keep up with them turbo mk2 guys in the hills. I was allmost sticking with them revving my engine out but they had too much for me to keep up with.

[mr2v63vz]

i have a little pearl green gem ball magnet sitting on my trunk that doesnt come off for nobody , i got into accidednt and its still there plus it adds 45hp

[MR JAS]

i would say a turbo with a lsd gearbox around 350 ish with larger tyres say 225 or 235 wide would be a good number to aim for after this the car starts to become unmanageable and less reliable

[Medusa]

Originally Posted by MR JAS

OVER 9000HP

[shagy236]

I think this is a very good topic. I have a 92 that i bought with a rebuilt motor, dont know whats done to it but after removing the stock exhaust and running straight pipe off the turbo and a k&n it blows me away how much faster it is. its like night and day

[Yozuki Ri]

While we're on the subject of back tires and control - how much torque would I need to pop a wheelie with the deuce?

[shagy236]

NINE THOUSAND HP!!!! LOL

[Sh0ty]

You'd need metric butt loads of torque, and more importantly, the tires to support it. Also, MR doesn't make for a good wheelie layout. I'd like to have 300 whp delivered via supercharged V6. Nothing makes me happier than instant torque.

[Yozuki Ri]

Originally Posted by Sh0ty

You'd need metric butt loads of torque, and more importantly, the tires to support it. Also, MR doesn't make for a good wheelie layout. I'd like to have 300 whp delivered via supercharged V6. Nothing makes me happier than instant torque.

Yes, but I'd like a specific number :3. I've seen two videos on this forum that had a Mk II pop a wheelie.

Originally Posted by shagy236

NINE THOUSAND HP!!!! LOL

Here you go.

The Most Powerful Diesel Engine in the World

[shagy236]

Assuming you have the car setup perfectly like those cars in the vids, you could do it with as low as 500hp and you would pull the wheels off the ground. but its not as simple as just making a ton of hp

[Yozuki Ri]

What would be the better delivery for the payload - 5SFE, 5SGTE, 3SGE, 3SGTE (one of the variants), or a V6/V8 mod?

[IDon'tKnow]

Originally Posted by johnny g

It's not about horsepower or torque - it's about the delivery of the power.

450whp, in a linear delivery with a constant-ish torque level.

I think Jonny has the right idea here; it's not so much about numbers as it is delivery. If your power band is linear in torque (not to be confused with flat) and your HP is also, you can, essentially, put down as much as you want without wheelspin issues.

Unfortunately turbochargers don't usually lend themselves well to applications with high peak numbers AND linear delivery. Since you're dealing with a turbocharged engine, and I'm assuming you want an all around performer, as opposed to a drag racer, I would shoot for no more than 300-350hp.

And yes you definately want to improve your suspension, brakes, and steering. IMHO you should work on those things first so you don't end up with a sloppy but powerful car.

[IDon'tKnow]

What do you mean by "delivery for the payload?".

You have to answer the questions "How do I want to use the car and how much money do I want to spend?" in order to decide which of your options is best for you. One is only better than the other when comparing based one specific criteria.

[Yozuki Ri]

I think the answer is - I want something to tweak and build. The MR2 was built with a specific formula in mind - I want to further it.

[Edit] Without bastardizing it.

[Sh0ty]

I'd think you'd want displacement for low end torque, probably V8, possibly V6. Fifth gear made a wheelie MK2, but they kind of cheated and most certainly bastardized the car.