Comparison Between: Toyota Models/Engines

Hey Guys,

As the topic suggests, lets compare the different Toyota models and see; what makes certain models better than others, certain engines better than others, what engine swaps are possible for each model, what the best methods of forced induction is for each model, and basic overall improvements of certain Toyota models.

Thanks, and I look forward to reading your responses!

Why is the MR2 such a good car? Also, what are the differences between a Toyota Supra and a Nissan Skyline, and what makes these two cars the cream-of-the-crop when it comes to Japanese imports?

the mr2 is a good car because it has excellent handling, its light, and its fast... lol its a 2L 4 banger with a 700+hp capabuility... its mid engine which explains its handling... rwd so it can catch the ground, and over all its just a good car

the supra? well it has a I6 and can come with a TT... and well... its fast lol... supras are known to have 1100hp, 6speed which was pretty ahead of its time when the supra came out.... the skyline is awd and ive seen 1400hp on some... what more can i say :smile:

and i was talking about the second gen mr2 just forgot to mention that... the knewer one is focused more on handling and sportiness therefor its not as fast but lots of fun to drive...

all the mr2's are mid engine, rear wheel drive, 2 seaters... thus the name mr2

Great man, thanks for the info!

Should the mr2's stock engine be swapped out to get 700hp potential or is that stock?

Great man, thanks for the info!

Should the mr2's stock engine be swapped out to get 700hp potential or is that stock?


i'm pretty sure he was talking about the standard turbo Mr2 engine. Although for 700hp it might be recomended to upgrade the internals.


Also i would like to add that Mr2's while still very good handlers stock do have a tendency to snap oversteer and with the engine in the back the polar momentum of oversteer in this car could become a problem.

i'm pretty sure he was talking about the standard turbo Mr2 engine. Although for 700hp it might be recomended to upgrade the internals.


Also i would like to add that Mr2's while still very good handlers stock do have a tendency to snap oversteer and with the engine in the back the polar momentum of oversteer in this car could become a problem.


Ohh, I see. So lets say one actually decides to supe up this model all the way up to 700hp, what kind of internal upgrades should be done?

I could see how there could be an oversteer problem with the rear engine, but does this improve the car at say perhaps on a straight away - maybe giving the car more traction at the rear, or is this basically the same as a front mounted engine? Also, I never actually had the privelage of looking into the the mr2 and other cars with rear mounted engines, but what do they actually use the front for?

Thanks!

Ohh, I see. So lets say one actually decides to supe up this model all the way up to 700hp, what kind of internal upgrades should be done?

I could see how there could be an oversteer problem with the rear engine, but does this improve the car at say perhaps on a straight away - maybe giving the car more traction at the rear, or is this basically the same as a front mounted engine? Also, I never actually had the privelage of looking into the the mr2 and other cars with rear mounted engines, but what do they actually use the front for?

Thanks!


I'm not sure exactly what weakneses and strenghts the mr2 engines have but a complete bottom end upgrade for high boost levels would include: pistons, forged rods, forged crank, and sleeves if the block is not strong enough or its an open deck

and a mid rear mounted engine is the best setup for handling, however don't expect the mr2 just because has a MR engine to have the same stock suspension setup as some of the MR supercars

I'm not sure exactly what weakneses and strenghts the mr2 engines have but a complete bottom end upgrade for high boost levels would include: pistons, forged rods, forged crank, and sleeves if the block is not strong enough or its an open deck

and a mid rear mounted engine is the best setup for handling, however don't expect the mr2 just because has a MR engine to have the same stock suspension setup as some of the MR supercars


Do people that race the mr2 usually do some sort of suspension work to them? If so, do you know what kind?

Thanks!

the mr2 does snap out and oversteer but that is the characteristic of the car.. a similar thing happens to porshes being rear engine... it is very easily corrected... and what most people dont kno is that the suspention was upgraded on the 93 + models... most people own 1991's but if youre going to race the car, you would most likely change the suspention anyways... the 700hp can be made on stock internals with the 3sgte engine... it has been done more than once... this engine is a great engine... top secret even used the 3sgte engine in their top secret supra... that tells you something... and they put out 717hp... though most supras can handle over 1000hp their engine's weigh a lot more which was the main reason for this swap... the 3sgte engine has been made since before 1990 and they still make it today... over the years they have gone through 4 different generations... the first did not come in the mr2... the second had 200hp in the us and 225in japan due to the ecu... then the 3rd gen came in 1994 + models... though this never came to america it put out 245hp... and came with a new turbo... then i in 1998 or 1999... i believe they made the 4th gen that comes with 255hp, but was never put in the mr2... the mr2 production stopped in japan in 1999... they even made a 3sge engine which they called "beams" which came w/ 200hp n/a and vvti... they also use a different 3sge "beams" version in the altezza's with the 3sge engine... they come with 210hp vvti... hks made a racing altezza with 600 + hp... this engine is no doubt a racing engine... the engine w/ the vvti which came in the mr2 was a "red top" opposed to the altezza's "black top".... the 4th 3sgte engine is still used today in the current caldinas which are not imported to america unforutnately

if your going to race, you will probably just do typical susupention upgrades, struts, shocks, sway, ect. even though it handles very well stock... and if you do race try to look for a hard top or at least a sun roof... they are pretty rare...

the mr2 does snap out and oversteer but that is the characteristic of the car.. a similar thing happens to porshes being rear engine... it is very easily corrected... and what most people dont kno is that the suspention was upgraded on the 93 + models... most people own 1991's but if youre going to race the car, you would most likely change the suspention anyways... the 700hp can be made on stock internals with the 3sgte engine... it has been done more than once... this engine is a great engine... top secret even used the 3sgte engine in their top secret supra... that tells you something... and they put out 717hp... though most supras can handle over 1000hp their engine's weigh a lot more which was the main reason for this swap... the 3sgte engine has been made since before 1990 and they still make it today... over the years they have gone through 4 different generations... the first did not come in the mr2... the second had 200hp in the us and 225in japan due to the ecu... then the 3rd gen came in 1994 + models... though this never came to america it put out 245hp... and came with a new turbo... then i in 19998 or 1999... i believe they made the 4th gen that comes with 255hp, but was never put in the mr2... the mr2 production stopped in japan in 1998... they even made a 3sge engine which they called "beams" which came w/ 200hp n/a and vvti... they also use a different 3sge "beams" version in the altezza's with the 3sgte engine... they come with 210hp vvti... hks made a racing altezza with 600 + hp... this engine is no doubt a racing engine... the engine w/ the vvti which came in the mr2 was a "red top" opposed to the altezza's "black top" they 4th 3sgte engine is still used today in the current caldinas which are not imported to america unforutnately

Great explanation, thanks a lot!

Also, you mentioned the 3sgte is lighter than the supra engine (2jz I believe) and the 3sgte puts out 700hp. But even though the engine is lighter shouldn't the large power advantage of the 2jz give it the edge over the 3sgte?

the power of the supra's engine will give it an advantage in drag racing, but because the 3sgte engine is smaller, the engine could be placed more inset (what i mean is that it can be placed closer to the driver) so the car wouldnt be so front heavy....this improves its handling and weight ratio... it's handling is also improved because of the weight lost like mentioned before and you will also brake faster... so the top secret supra was more of a track car, not a drag car...

also it was just different... somethin to show off i guess :smile:

Ohh yea I get it, cool thanks!

Shifter, I appreciate your enthusiasm for wanting to learn about cars. It's refreshing that you seem genuinely interested in hearing others' opinions, so I welcome you to AF. If you stick around you'll no doubt benefit from a collection of highly knowledgeable members bestowing their wisdom ;)

But these manufacturer-specific threads you’ve made aren't really comparisons, nor are they the most effective way of achieving your goal. Taking this thread as an example, you would get much more information about the MR2 by browsing through the existing threads in the MR2 forum. That's where the MR2 nuts lurk, and it’s therefore your best source of information. If there are any specific issues you feel havent been touched on, then you can start a new thread there. Supra/Skyline is a genuine comparison and the kind of thread that is expected on this part of AF. But that particular comparison has been done before, in fact it’s been done countless times. My advice to you is to go through the previous pages in the Car Comparisons forum, or use the search function, and read through the various threads that interest you - if they are old please do not revive them ;).

I’m going to lock the Toyota / Nissan / Subaru / BMW threads you’ve made in this forum as they’re quite general. Any questions, feel free to PM me.

Thanks

Jay