My "new" Toy Spyder

[GatorGreg]

Hey all, check out my "new" '03 MR2 Spyder - my plan is to use it a couple days a week to commute in - and if gas gets to $10/gallon I'll be driving it every day instead of my GX (25 city / 33 hwy) I saw it at a used car dealer on the side of the road on my way to the Gator/FSU game and I fell in love with it at first sight. It only has 20,000 miles! I pulled the CARFAX and it only had one owner and I was able to find out from a Toyota dealer that it was owned by a 41 year old woman so hopefully it wasn't too badly abused. I always thought of these as chick cars but after I carved some corners on a test drive I couldn't wipe the smile off my face - it's tons of fun!

They only imported this 3rd gen MR2 from '00 to '05 and mine is an '03 which was the year it got a slight cosmetic upgrade (projector headlights, foglights added, new taillights, power antenna, etc etc). Color is "silver streak" with black top and black leather seats. It also has the optional 6 speed sequential manual tranny, not as fast as the regular 5 spd stick but it's pretty cool shifting the gears with the steering wheel buttons or gear shifter.

If you ever get a chance to test drive one I highly recommend it, driving it reminds me of the old go-kart I had when I was a kid xuz you sit so low to the ground and it hugs the curves so well. Here's some crappy camera phone pics from when I test drove it, I'll post some better ones later:

 

[GatorGreg]

rear shot

 

[GatorGreg]

side shot

 

[Gromulus]

Sweet

Very nice! I forgot how sharp these were. I couldn't tell you the last time I had seen one in my "northern" neck of the woods.

I have been contemplating a new Mazda Miata with the power retractable hardtop for the past year or so. The high gas prices just may be the "excuse" I need as well!


Enjoy!

 

[GatorGreg]

Go for it Gromulus, the high gas price is a great excuse Yeah I don't see many of these down here either. I think I read that Toyota planned to import only 5,000 per year, but I think I saw they only sold a little over 2,000 in the U.S. in '03, so I'm guessing even fewer were sold here in '04 and '05. I hardly ever see one on the road and the ones I do see are usually the '00-'02. I think the '03+ looks much better. I've never driven a Miata but everyone says they handle like they're on rails and the newer Miatas don't look nearly as "girly" as the older versions.

Attaching a tiny pic for my new sig.

 

[RonMAIDEN]

Ahhh yes,one of the last cars that Toyota sold that was actually exciting and affordable.

Toyota's cars have become quite vanilla over the last 7-8 years.

 

[RonMAIDEN]

My mom has an '06 MX-5 and it's definelty a "Miata" I could drive but another 50 ponies would help but the top is one of the easiest manual drop tops in the business and forms it's own boot when down and you never have to even lift your buttt from the driver seat but I'm trying to talk my mom into trading for the power top.

It does handle on rails and makes the most of it's 175hp and it's gained a few pounds but barely noticeable and she has the paddle shifters which to my surprise don['t hamper performance but I'd take the six speed stick anyday.

 

[Gromulus]

Miata

My mom has an '06 MX-5 and it's definelty a "Miata" I could drive but another 50 ponies would help but the top is one of the easiest manual drop tops in the business and forms it's own boot when down and you never have to even lift your buttt from the driver seat but I'm trying to talk my mom into trading for the power top.

It does handle on rails and makes the most of it's 175hp and it's gained a few pounds but barely noticeable and she has the paddle shifters which to my surprise don['t hamper performance but I'd take the six speed stick anyday.

Yep, probably the best designed soft-top from a user friendly and reliability standpoint. I have always liked the Miata and it has proven to be very reliable. Too bad the GM Solstice/Sky twins have had a rough start re. reliability (very poor). The exterior designs are sharp but the interior quality is very cheap and both models require the driver to get our of the car to put the top up or down. Very archaic in this day and age. The Miata has them beat on every front except horsepower, although as RonMaiden points out the Miata's power is very useable.

I like the power hardtop version just to extend the driving season for us northern folk, not to mention a little added security for parking in the rougher parts of town.

I am jealous of GatorGreg who can drive his Mister 2 all year!

 

[GatorGreg]

Re: Miata

Nice looking car there Ron, you've got one of those "cool" Moms

I like the power hardtop version just to extend the driving season for us northern folk, not to mention a little added security for parking in the rougher parts of town.

I am jealous of GatorGreg who can drive his Mister 2 all year!

Yeah it was pretty nice driving it to work today, beautiful weather. The car seems to get lots of compliments from the ladies, I got a "cute car" and a "nice car" from two different ladies The Spyder's top is also really easy, I think the instructions tell you to get out of the car but if you have long arms like me it's very easy to do while still sitting in the car. They actually sell a hardtop for the MR2 also, a bunch of folks on the spyderchat forums have them - I think they buy them from a toyota dealer that imports them from Japan where you can get them from the dealer apparently. They look pretty nice but the cost about 2 grand and of course they're not retractable. Here's a pic of one I found at spyderchat:

 

[Thai]

Congrats Greg!! I am not sure, but that hardtop Spyder sure makes it look like a poor-man's Porsche Carrera GT!

BTW, i disagree with RonM...i think that my Sienna is pretty cool!

 

[MAC4Runner]

Gator -

Nice Spyder :bigok:

I've been in the market for an '02 or '03 for a couple months but haven't found what I'm looking for just yet. It's going to be my commuter car as well during the spring and summer. Great color combo. If you don't mind, can you tell me what you paid?

TIA

 

[GatorGreg]

Thanks MAC, I just sent you a PM. Check out spyderchat for tons of info on the MR2 if you haven't already.

 

[Pirate VI]

sweet now lift it with some mud tires.jk those are cool, I looked at a yellow one b4 I bought my 4runner. we could have gotten a deal on it from a friend, but it was WAY to small for me to drive everyday, It would be sweet to have one though.

 

[Mark86]

That is a great looking car. It is a shame that Toyota stopped production on those. It must be really tough to adjust to the low ground clearance after driving a GX.

 

[GatorGreg]

That is a great looking car. It is a shame that Toyota stopped production on those. It must be really tough to adjust to the low ground clearance after driving a GX.

Thanks Mark, yeah it's weird - especially going from the Spyder and then driving the GX - feels like I'm gonna tip over
Here's another pic:

 

[cweta37]

where I live... if you drive a miata, you're a very gay man or butch lesbian or a very single woman who wants something sporty and has a dog to sit in the passenger seat. I'm not judging, I'm just sayin what it means if you get one in nor cal. they look interesting and they are starting to look better but ... I stand by my really lame statement.

 

[Gromulus]

Impressions

where I live... if you drive a miata, you're a very gay man or butch lesbian or a very single woman who wants something sporty and has a dog to sit in the passenger seat. I'm not judging, I'm just sayin what it means if you get one in nor cal. they look interesting and they are starting to look better but ... I stand by my really lame statement.

Well, as I mentioned several times before - I am seriously thinking about getting a Miata. No better sports car for the money IMO.


Married, almost fifty year old ex-competitive bodybuilder with three kids, I have no one to impress except myself and my wife (and I often fail at that).


Thankfully I dont live in the Peoples's Republic of Kalifornia! (Arnold and Franco aside). It's hard enough just trying to do business there.

 

[GatorGreg]

where I live... if you drive a miata, you're a very gay man or butch lesbian or a very single woman who wants something sporty and has a dog to sit in the passenger seat. I'm not judging, I'm just sayin what it means if you get one in nor cal. they look interesting and they are starting to look better but ... I stand by my really lame statement.

Yeah, but in contrast the MR2 is usually driven by hot young hetero studs, right?

Seriously though, I've discovered that the Spyder is a chick magnet. I've had teenage/college girls yelling out that they love my car in parking lots and I came out of a store once and saw one peeping in my window. She was pretty embarrassed when I caught her This car would have come in real handy in my single days.

 

[Thai]

I've had teenage girls yelling out that they love my car in parking lots

Pedophiles drive it too!

 

[GatorGreg]

Pedophiles drive it too!

Nah, apparently pedo's prefer the NSX