I tried it with the mk2, and if the reliability had been 100%, even the niceties like heating been in place and I probably would have kept it. The Lexus was likely to be just a stop gap and it proved to be just that. I dabbled with thoughts of stripping it but it would have been 150/160 horsepower in a still heavy chassis. Sod that!
Anyway, I put a speculative swap thing on a VW site to see if anyone wanted a deal on the IS against something like an ABF or VR6 mk2, or even a mk4 or similar for Tan.
I was soon offered this
180hp, 6 speed 2001 Leon Cupra with 312mm brakes as standard
It drives like a typical modern VAG product. Solid, heavy in the controls and somewhat lacking in feel. Great brakes, lovely build quality and nice seats- it's a good starting point. The performance is quite torquey but it runs out of puff early doors and gets nowhere near troubling the 6.5k redline. Nothing a decat, downpipe and remap can't sort
The gearchange is pretty crap. Clean enough but devoid of the mechanical snick of the Lexus six speed. The understeer..........bloody hell. Maybe it's the weight (1350kgs?) of the car, but compared to the mk2 it is like trying to drive a block of flats! I really don't like the wheels but they can always be sold on. I also have a full leather interior in grey, which will be flogged to subsidise the following bits
Rear 25mm anti roll bar to help dial out understeer
Downpipe
Decat
'Proper' wheels
Coilovers if I can get something with nice spring rates or just uprated fast road dampers and springs if I can't
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Obviously, I reserve the right to change my mind all of the time and buy another MX-5 like Tan's but track prepped
