Matched pattern is certainly the better option especially when MR2s are known to be sensitive to tyre changes but if I was in your position I would prob say to hell with it and get cheaper and grippier tyres at the front if that was availiable, especially if you find the car to be understeering like mine does. Also unless you were driving at the limit it probably shouldn't matter too much...
T1Rs are much less grippy than RSRs so if you can find what Adrian listed I say go for it. RE002 would be nice if it's cheap
Also bear in mind tho I've never tried it myself, i.e driving mismatched treads at the limit, but around town below the limit it was fine

HA funny you just mention all that, I do like to give my car a bit of a push from time to time and want to get in to some non competitive track days, but I'm not a hardcore racer.
I was just recommended RE002's as they worked out cheaper than T1R's on the front and I was told that they should be grippier. Excuse my ignorance, but I'm not sure how matching treads would be that beneficial when you consider that the tyre could just be wrong for the car in the first place... I would assume the best thing to do is to put the best tyre at each end that you can find....

http://www.tirebuyer.com/...-of-tires#.U99mTUg2FhE

Using mismatched or mixed tires -- "OK" or "no way"?

A matched set is best

Whenever possible, it's always best to use identical tires with the same tread pattern, size, and construction. This helps you maintain optimum control and stability for your vehicle. Generally speaking, you shouldn't use a mixed or mismatched set of tires on your vehicle, unless the tire and/or vehicle manufacturer specifies that this is acceptable. (Some vehicles have what is known as a “staggered fitment" -- different-sized tires on the front and rear axles.)
A few examples of mismatched tires include mixing:

• Winter tires with all-season or summer tires
• Tires with different tread patterns
• Tires from different manufacturers
• Run-flat tires with non-run-flat tires
• Tires with different construction characteristics or sizes

Yeah sure i get that... i just mean that for a car like ours which has such an unusual weight balance, and no weight over the steering wheels, it almost seems irrelevant. We also want our front and rear to behave in different ways anyway (oversteer, understeer, sidewall stiffness/ flexibility), I mean this is why we use a staggered fitment and different fitments from front to rear. Does any of this vaguely ring true?
 
It seems counter intuitive to settle for a lesser tyre for the sake of having them all the same. Sorta like if you could choose between a whole set of no name tyres or two no name tyres and two excellent ones....

Why bother asking for advice if you don't want to listen to any and have already made your mind up anyway?

Mister2 this is a forum, 260z simply wanted others opinions and we as human beings are each entitled to our own. We all have something valuable to share :)

Mister2, all I have heard so far is opinion, and I am having an open discussion to try and weed out the uneducated opinion from the emperical data. Even anecdotal evidence would be better than just a front up generalised statement.

OK. Here's what the biggest tyre seller in the U.S. (and probably the whole world) has to say. I'll leave you to judge if this is just "uneducated opinion".
 
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=136
 
 

That Tyre Rack paragraph starts with "As a general rule" but does that really apply to MR2's anyway with their staggered sizes F/R?
But most of the rest of it does seem like good advice.
 
Apart from that the reality is there is a very small/non existent range of suitable tyres for the smaller rim diameters in staggered sizes to choose from, and for some years now I have used different tyre brands F/R successfully for great handling stability, both for street or track on the limit.
I did however carefully choose good brand performance tyres with respect to sidewall stiffness, tread type etc.

I have used different tyres front to rear many times including on the track and it is absolutely fine.
If you have a direct drive 4x4 like an earlier WRX or GT4 Celica you do need to make sure the circumference is the same though. For an MR2, that won't be a problem.
The same rules still apply to buying tyres - even when you are buying the same for all four corners. i.e. you get what you pay for. The only thing I look for these days is treadwear rating. The lower the number, the more grip you get.
I have Federal 595 RSR's on my GT4 at the moment and they have a 150 rating. I previously had Dunlop Sport Maxx and they were 220 or so. If you want proper performance, don't go higher than 250. As a comparison, semi-slicks are usually between 30 and 50.
If a manufacturer doesn't state treadwear rating, I don't buy them.
So.... to cut a long story short. It's OK to have mismatched tyres front to rear as long as the treadwear rating is similar.
NEVER mismatch tyres between left and right!