Good News! Today I spoke to the guys at converse engineering in Maine.
I currently have another volvo 240 wagon (1991) with a bad engine, for what the insurance company is giving me for my other car I might just be able to swing putting a Ford 302 with a five speed into the volvo!!!
Vroooom.
Hm. Not a bad design, but certainly nothing special. I always think it looks cool, and then I see one in real life and realize just how huge it is. I’ll admit now that I’m a sucker for small cars, but the G35 is just wrong-sized. Same as with the Nissan 350 (coincidence? 
) – both could have been vastly improved if they’d been about 10% smaller. Maybe TT-sized.
What cars epitomize the designer to me? For a young, dynamic designer like myself (hee hee), I’d like to drive a lotus elise.
The old
or the new
.
The other car I really like is the ~1968 Saab Sonnet MKII.
(quite hard to find pictures of that one, but it’s a beautiful car).
<edit: see below>
Ah! How could I have forgotten the P1800 (coupe)? Ever since I saw my first few episodes of The Saint I’ve adored it. Gorgeous car.
if you are going to go volvo this is the only one for the hardcore ID cats:
The P 1800
coupe
wagon
… but the TT has still got to be the stock car for the average designeer.
ahhh yes the BMW 2002
my friend inherited a bright yellow one in high school, it was like a clown car. we woould pack upwards of 12 people in there and go to lunch (dragging bottom the whole way)
fond fond memories
Volvo: Although the P1800 is the most ‘designed’, my favorite has always been the 122 and 123’s (Amazons).
BMW: Someone beat me to the 3.0 CSi, which was definitely the sweeter big brother to the 2002. I always liked the 2002, but found in person the greenhouse is IMMENSE!
Toyota: I liked the first 2 MR2’s, especially a mark II turbo (with sunroof - the turbo engine torqued the body to cause stress cracks in the T-top model!) Had my hands on one in Philly with a special option Manual steering box, but blew the deal. Trying to get something for cheaper than it was worth…
Yo, the Mazda Protege5 is a good handler. My GF has one…and it definitely is a sport wagon. Even has strut braces in the engine bay! Clutch is a little too racy for me - I like smoother shifting…I know - I’m a wuss.
Toyota: I liked the first 2 MR2’s, especially a mark II turbo (with sunroof - the turbo engine torqued the body to cause stress cracks in the T-top model!) Had my hands on one in Philly with a special option Manual steering box, but blew the deal. Trying to get something for cheaper than it was worth…
Is that why I get wet in rainstorms 
stupid Royota did it to me agian 
Unlike you, CopyBoy, I never had one, so can’t say for sure…but that’s what I’ve heard. I’ve only driven normally-aspirated ones (never owned one) - how’s that 200 hp feel?
I’m the third owner. When I bought the car it was stock except for a K&N amd an upgraded downpipe. I was told by the duesche I bought it from that the downpipee improved lowend torque but the power up top was the same if not worse than stock. So when I bought it, it was fast, much faster than my 89’ NA MR2 (which was flippin sweety, wish I still had it), this only lasted a few months though. The car I bought was cleaned up to look nice, and my mechanic that checked the car for me knew nothing about turbos apparently, cause the turbo pooped out, along with lots of other goodies. The cheapest repair for this, short of ebay was a stge 1 greddy kit. supposedly this kit added 90hp from stock (not sure) and my CAT was bad so it got gutted at the same time. When I got the car back, it should of had around 280hp at the wheels. That was awsome, the car was FAST, very FAST, I highly recommend the upgrade. I also recommend a very detailed inspection of these car before you buy one (especially for over the value as I did), now the car runs like shyte again, and I can’t afford to get it fixed, so I limp it around getting 14mpg. spitting smoke all over the punks in the lowerd civics (of course I can still kill a civic), my plan: to continue to limp it and fix it eventually, cause when it’s right, it’s soooo right 
Just found this thread.
I have actually owned 2 mk2 MR2’s ('91/gen3T and '93T) and now drive a 240 wagon.
That whole thing about the T-tops cars being torqued and cracking…what a load of BS! You get wet because the old T-top seals are worn out. They just don’t have the “spring” they used to. Also make sure your windows are adjusted correctly to make a proper seal.
If you enjoy MR2’s check out www.mr2oc.com the most useful resourse you will ever find for that car.
What I’d like to know is why designers, who are typically “form follows function” in their craft, always attracted to two-seaters or 2 plus 2 cars.
I drove a 914 and a del Sol for ten years until March. Yo drives a TT and he had a MR-2, I’ve read a few posts in this thread refering to the MR-2. I have a good friend that drove a del Sol and now drives a 944.
What’s the deal? Where is the function?
… form doesn’t really follow function, it follows emotion, well according to frog design anyway.
Just found this thread.
I have actually owned 2 mk2 MR2’s ('91/gen3T and '93T) and now drive a 240 wagon.
That whole thing about the T-tops cars being torqued and cracking…what a load of BS! You get wet because the old T-top seals are worn out. They just don’t have the “spring” they used to. Also make sure your windows are adjusted correctly to make a proper seal.
If you enjoy MR2’s check out > www.mr2oc.com > the most useful resourse you will ever find for that car.
thanks for the link, I’ll check it out.
What I’d like to know is why designers, who are typically “form follows function” in their craft, always attracted to two-seaters or 2 plus 2 cars.
I drove a 914 and a del Sol for ten years until March. Yo drives a TT and he had a MR-2, I’ve read a few posts in this thread refering to the MR-2. I have a good friend that drove a del Sol and now drives a 944.
What’s the deal? Where is the function?
I drive an MR2 so I can combat all the duesche drivers in south florida and so I can laugh at all the TT guys at stop lights (just kiddin yo, to many at the beach)
something a lttle more useful would be nice, I’ve been thinking about it a lot today after the a/c started going warm again, and the stupid factory alarm was going off as I unlocked my door, not to mention the lady factor, no beautiful baby wants to be in my loud, fast, racecar with torn laether seats!!
so what do I do? do I go and get a new or slightly pre-own soft ride, or do I get a loan and hard core out my MR2 (but fix the creature comforts of course) 
I feel pretty solid finacially, but I don’t want a car payment, it’d have to be a car I would keep for years, I’m thinking:
WRX
WRX STI
WRX sedan
(the interior kinda sucks though
Bimmer 318 ti or mk1 m3
(obviously to old though, I’d be in the same situation)
A4 w/V6
Merc. c-coupe
or if finaces were no issue, an R32 or 350Z
I can’t handle FF, so there’s not many options 
what do ya guy’s think? any input on my situation? should I stick with what I like, or conform in the name of hot tail at the end of the night?
Most TT guys do putter around. I got the quattro turbo with an aftermarket chip in it(I know a guy), it’s too fast to drive slow, but it doesn’t corner as nimbley as my old MR2 did.
The 350z is pretty freakin fast. I really thought about it (same price as my used TT but brand new), but the interior is still pretty cheap (way nicer that a WRX’s and literally decades nicer than your mr2)
I gotta say, I really dislike the WRX and EVO. I respect the capabilities, but they are dogs to look at and the fit and finish and craftsmaship suck. I drove a few WRX’s and they where both rattle boxes with cheap switch gear and poor fit and color matching in the interior (my appologies to the wrx owners, I know a lot of product designers like them)
A BMW 318 or Merc C coup would be cool because they are not that common, thay have similar niche followings as the MR2.
My recomendation would be a used Audi s4, practicality, performance, and form.
glad to see some love for the classics (3.0csi, bmw2002, p1800).
personally i dont think there have been many great car designs since the late 60s.
these days so many cars are identical (bentley vs. chrysler, jag vs. ford), partly of course because of the conglomeration of car coroporations.
too many cars these days IMO are way overdesigned. very few will past the test of time, and i think suffer from too much excess in form and bulk. not just being big, but not tight. something about too much CAD and not enough craftwork i would guess.
there are some nice new cars (TT is OK, and i feel some of the new volvos), but put a 60’s 911 beside a new one, and you’ll see what i mean!
myself, i have a 1969 MB 250. big yes, but really class with the chrome, great graphics on the inside and really tight lines. every panel and accent looks just where it should be in place and proportion.
unfortunately i didnt bring my car over here to denmark, so its back in Toronto, safe at my parents house.
just my 0.02$ worth.
R
All these designers - and nobody mentioned Alfa Romeo yet???
Haven’t followed up in some time…
Guest, you’re probably right about the T-tops…200 hp probably isn’t enough to really kill them. I incorrectly regurgitated some old info from the MR2.com buyer’s guide…not specifically due to high-hp, but they directed leaning toward a sunroof if you intend to do some “spirited” driving.
The RX-8 hybrid that Mazda’s been hinting at. Finally the fuel economy and low-end-torque issues get fixed – and you get a nice-looking car with the coolest doors this side of a DMC-12.
I’m not sure what it is – whenever I look at an RX-8 I can’t quite put my finger on it – but there’s something about that car that really draws me in.
I thought the opposite of the RX-8, it always looks odd to me. I love the mark III RX-7, but the RX-8’s cabin looks too long for its hood and trunk. Also, all those damn triangles just look gimmicky.
At first, I was thinking of placing the RX-8 on my list of dream cars anyways, merely because I might be able to talk my wife into the “practicality” of it (Honey, it has four doors!). After reading the latest long-term review in Road & Track though, I have my doubts. It seems like those doors work nice, but they didn’t reinforce the chassis enough.