When you think about a MR2, drifting is the last thing you would associate it with. Countless stories from around the web have spoken of the extremely high difficulty level of being able to slide the car properly, this of course stemming from the vehicle's drivetrain layout but also their natural tendency to snap oversteer, particularly the 91-92 models. Those model year MR2's came with a suspension setup that made the car unpredictable in certain scenarios. One false move (usually by lifting off the throttle) and the rear end comes around to the point of no return. Inexperienced drivers were quick to suffer the consequences as they crashed their vehicles into trees, curbs, and cars to name a few. The problem became so bad that Toyota made adjustments in 93 to the suspension, tires, and wheels. This helped to alleviate the problem but the damage had already been done and today the 91-95 SW20/SW21 MR2 is regarded to be not only a dangerous car to drive under the wrong hands, it's also one of the most difficult to drift. Or atleast thats what the owners want you to think.
For years I've read comments from owners questioning whether the car can drift. And for years the common response was that the car was so difficult to drift that it wasn't even worth trying. It could be the reason why it is so rare to see one actually get sideways. Witnessing others attempt to drift it only made matters worse when seeing them fail miserably. In 2004, a MR2 Turbo entered in the Falken Drift Showoff competition and every run he would spin. No matter what the driver would do, he could not understand the intricate details of drifting the car properly. Since then in every event I would see a MR2 in, it would just spin. The constant spins only validated all the comments I read about the car and I was convinced it was damn near impossible to slide properly unless you're a Drift King (If you haven't seen the Drift Bible you're a n00b!).
Last night a white MR2 turbo showed up to the skidpad with no tachometer (wtf?), Mazda wheels (Ugh, but atleast it wasn't Nissan wheels), and a T78 turbo (wtf?x2). Patrick, the owner, hasn't had much seat time with the car but he too had been convinced about the myth regarding MR2's. After watching Patrick struggle on the track, he kindly gave me the opportunity to try it out myself. I sat down in the drivers seat with the lowest expectations I've ever had before. I was ready to be embarrassed by spinning at every attempt to slide this car and I was right to think that way. Going into the first turn I spun! But instead of feeling disappointed by it, I was amazed at the realization that the majority of the shenanigans I've read online was complete and utter bull****.
That's right, I said it. All that crap you hear about MR2's being almost impossible to drift, for the most part it's bull. Feel free to quote me on this! And better yet it's actually quite simple to drift too. After I spun I proceeded to get the car sideways again and completed the rest of the course and the night without spinning.
How did I do it you ask? Well if you understand the importance of throttle control, weight transfer, and maintaining your car in the powerband then it'll be all gravy baby. Hmm...actually not completely gravy, more like grits if you're a beginner but it's not going to be difficult if you have some experience. Taking into account all three of those ideas and using them in conjunction is the key to successfully drifting a MR2, and also key to avoiding the look of disappointment.
Going into the first turn I did my usual clutch-kick entry, then from there I was just careful not to get too much angle. With the power delivery not being optimal for drifting purposes, the car did struggle through the tight turns. Once the turbo spooled back up you had to be careful not to let it power the rear wheels too much as it could easily create angle and potentially send you spinning. Getting back to the angle, when you're near the limit it becomes sketchy as to whether it'll hold the car in drift. I only had a limited amount of time with the car so I couldn't necessarily test the limits.
How about the switchbacks? The only unsettling part is all the weight you feel being flung around the back. It's an odd experience at first but you'll get used to it. Other than that it reacted the same way any other RWD vehicle would.
Can it be competitive? Don't think so. Unless you modify the car and log a considerable amount of seat time, I don't see MR2's in a ProAM type of event in the foreseeable future. In local events there's a chance though, a greater chance if one were to compete in the King of Countyline series.
Now for the disclaimer: All of this pertains specifically to the MR2 Turbo but I would imagine there's not much difference with other MR vehicles just as long as they have adequate power, good suspension, and some kind of LSD.
Also the track I used to drift the MR2 in was the skidpad, so your experience will be vastly different and potentially scary if you attempt to do this in a track like CFRC or PBIR. Entries and switchbacks will really get your hairs raised!
Conclusion: The whole point of this was to debunk this myth that MR2's are mythical creatures that only kings are capable of taming. It's definitely not the best car to start off with but it's also not the worst car either. Some of you may already have known this but the majority don't. For the sake of keeping the car from falling into the wrong hands, do not tell your friends about this thread. Last thing I want to see is a n00b crashing their MR2 thinking they were easy to drift because of what I said.
Special thanks goes out to Patrick for letting me use his car.
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