I think the shorter wheelbase of the AW11 helps as well.

dylmrt

I think the shorter wheelbase of the AW11 helps as well.

Shorter wheelbase generally means more tricky to catch oversteer (track being equal), but more responsive to direction change.
 
Cheers

MRTurbo
I also haven't found my Rev1 to be THAT tail happy/'snap' oversteery at all, despite its reputation for being so. It's all about slower in and fast out of corners - feed the power in gradually THROUGH the corner, of course it'll understeer if you mash it suddenly. I guess from my experience with motorbikes, I AVOID lifting off/chopping the throttle in a corner which WILL bite you in the arse if you're pushing 9/10ths+ in an early MR2.

Must say I agree completely with what you're saying. I was quite apprehensive about driving my Rev1 due to all the talk about 'snap oversteer' but I've yet to have any serious moments from this. In fact I have sometimes been trying to make it happen to help learn the limits of the car. Most of my panic moments are usually me understeering on a tight corner.
But I also learnt to go fast on sportsbikes before I ever had a quick car.. It might have more of an effect on driving style than you think.

blacky83 
 
But I also learnt to go fast on sportsbikes before I ever had a quick car.. It might have more of an effect on driving style than you think.

 
I rode motorcycles long before I owned a car, and I quickly learned about grip on different road surfaces, especially when pushing hard.
You get into the habit of looking ahead to spot rough or wet surfaces, gravel etc, and I am sure that habit has saved me many times since.

Totally agree with you guys. I owned a sportsbike just before I bought my MR2 and came from driving a slow FWD so there was a big difference. I found the limits of the 2 VERY quickly as it had pretty worn tyres when i bought it and one drive in the wet was enough lol. Motorbikes have definately made me a better driver though.

A few points in driving and modification...

• Upgrading the rear swaybar on the MR2 can make the car more snappy, and less forgiving.
• As covered by many people lifting off mid throttle can cause snap oversteer.
• steering/braking/throttle inputs should be smooth when pushing the vehicle.
• Take your car to either a skidpan day, driver training day or defensive driver course.
• Get wheel alignments done regularily.
• Make sure you have good tyres
• Drive carefully in the rain,  one of the most common "lost control of my mr2" stories start with been a bit too quick on the throttle coming out of roundabouts.

• If you own an adub, try avoid making your car overly stiff, as it can make the car very hard to control on rough roads.
•  Flogged out steering components and suspension bushes can make for some quirky handling traits. 

The most important thing is to get to know your car and how it responds to your driving style in a safe and controlled environment. Skidpans are good for intentionally making your car loose control, so you can familiarise yourself on how the car feels when it lets go. driver training and defensive driving courses are pretty self explanitary.
 
If you are going to take the car to the track, depending where you are, some tracks are better avoided if you haven't been to the track before, or things you should be mindful of. For victoria...
 
Winton: Good track to learn on, most things are low speed, minimal things to hit
Sandown: Not the best track to learn your car on, very unforgiving if you get it wrong
Phillip island: Fast track, requires cam's licence.
Calder park: Not too fast, just be careful coming onto the front straight.

Agree with all the comments. SW20's in particular can certainly let go especially in the wet as I found out many years ago after clouting a guard rail going up Macquarie Pass at speed.
This is a trait of any mid or rear engined car though, even Ferrari's.
As many have said, it's all about driver behaviour and being aware of your car's capabilities and limitations.

dylmrt

When I read RDS and Esskay, I assume you're talking about the adubs, because I can relate with that, but not the same in the sw20.

In tight corners, the AW11 is amazing, so easy to through around. Its also far less prone to snap oversteer than the SW20.

I find the AW11 is far more predictable as well... but that might just be a function of the power.

 
Sorry, yeah the Adub. I remember (briefly) the Sdub being much less twitchy, but also as a turbo, needing much more care with the right foot. With the extra weight I imagine the SW20 would also be a bit more determined to go where it wants to go once it's limits are exceeded (didn't have my SW20 long enough to find out :( ).
 
Also I've got a whiteline front swaybar at the front, stock bar at the rear of my AW11  so I'm getting more understeer than stock (which also explains my comments above regarding lots of understeer into corners ;))

Would using a front splitter help with the understeer on the sub? Or would it make the car more prone to oversteer at high speeds because the front would be planted by the splitter allowing the rear to come around easier.?

Hmm interesting replies here especially with the motorbikes...
Anyways the MR2 with all things being equal, would never be as stable at high speeds than an FF like an Integra R. Forgot who said it but some aussie pro driver claimed at 180km/h it's a bit scary as the front kinda floats around...
I would install a front splitter just to experiment and try different adjustments for the track you are racing on, it would def help grip on the front IMO. I believe Rev 5 MR2's came with front tyre splitters.
With regards to aqua planning it probably has more to do with tyres...but again low grip surfaces aren't the MR's playground.
Ultimately still comes down to the driver IMO