I've always loved the balance from a RWD car and the efficency of a turbocharged engine. As me and my friends got together to play a few laps of Gran Turismo 4 it hits me, I love the SR20DET powered JDM 180sx, but what do we get here that's RWD and Turbocharged? We have turbocharged AWD cars (evo, sti, mazdaspeed 6, gti r32) and we get turbocharged FWD from the domestic market (Dodge SRT-4, 2008 Cobalt SS, all Saabs) and the european market (GTI 1.8T). But besides the Mazdaspeed MX-5 no RWD turbocharged car comes mind. And I don't believe the Mazdaspeed MX-5 is still in production. What options do we have for reliable OEM turbocharged RWD cars? Not all of us have the budget to resort to BMW's Turbocharged 3 series.. (they're all I can think of that fit the turbocharged rwd train of thought)  

Easy: the Toyota MR2, the "poor man's Ferrari." I don't know that much of the first generation, and I think the third generation was a little lacking, so I'll talk about the second gen. It was produced between 1991 and 1995, and the USDM version came with two kinds of engines: the 2.2L I4 NA 5S-FE and the 2.0L turbocharged I4 3S-GTE. Because of its mid-engine design and overall cheapness in terms of cost, it was reprimanded for being too dangerous for inexperienced drivers because of its tendency to snap oversteer, so the later versions came with a LSD and wider rear rims to help out. I found one up here in San Jose (a turbocharged '94 T-Bar) for around $5.5K. I was hoping to get it, but my dad said no because of its "high mileage" (even though my friend has an even older one and it never gives him problems). I would buy it myself, but being an 18-year-old college punk, I don't have much in the way of money.  

135i seems like it would be pretty awesome.  Pricey but awesome  

These are some good ideas of turbocharged rwd cars, what else do we have? It seems like the only rwd sport compact cars are either convertibles (miata, s2000) or mid-engined (mr2, mr-s, nsx). Why don't we have anything like the 180sx (turbocharged rwd fastback) in the United States?  Our only option would be a 240sx with a SR20DET and that wouldn't be legal.  

Oh and I guess the 135i is actually... exactly what I was thinking of, but.. $30k?  

You could take the S13/S14 240SX with the stock KA24DE and build it internally. Then you could turbocharge it. It would give some great street-driveable power. And the 135i...if it's around $30K, it wouldn't exactly fit into the sport compact car realm, unless you have the money, and if I did have that kind of money, I'd just get a used Evo/STI with better handling and power and it has more practicality. Not RWD, but still very fun cars nonetheless.  

But the problem with a turbocharged 240sx is that I don't think there's any way you can legally get away with it in California.  

That's true for us Californians. But there are PLENTY of people (even up here in NorCal) who drive SR20DET-equipped 240's. Sure, the engine isn't DOT-approved and it's not even smog-legal, but they can get away with it because they still pass smog. How they do it, I don't know, but it means they have connections and some money and are willing to illegally pass smog. If you want to get some clues, ask people in the street racing world (easy for you since you go to school in SoCal). I wouldn't know simply because I don't race, and I don't care for that crap. I'm one of those guys that baby's their car anyways.  

I have a friend with a sr20det in his 240.. and what he does is he bought a cheap $1,200 240sx.. and he has his sr20 equipped 240. According to him he just switches the VIN numbers underneath the windshield and gets the cheap 240 smogged then he switches them back and now he has the paper work for his sr20... However.. he's lucky to have gone to a place where underneath the windshield was the only place they checked for VIN and some people who have friends or relatives out of California register their cars to the houses out of state. All in all, I think this is too much trouble.  

Of course it's too much trouble. That's why you don't see me shoving an RB25DET into an S14. But that's the price you pay for driving around one of those. If you want a fun, RWD car to drive around, and you have no other alternatives, that's what you gotta do. That's why I opted for that MR2 (very fun car STOCK; I know because one of my friends has one), but my dad shot me down faster than...well, he shot the idea down really fast, you get the idea. You could always search for C.A.R.B. exempt turbo kits for the Miata (if they even exist, I don't know).  

I think what you orignally said about the mkII mr2 is really our (californians) best bet. I just wish there were more of them laying around.  

There are a couple of them laying around, it's just that it can be hard finding a "pristine" model. What I mean by that is, it (the car) was never beaten/raced to death. But if you search long enough and hard enough (like with every other car), you can find a good one. You could also try the old Honda's S2000 and NSX.  

Twin turbo Pinto. 'nuff said.


Seriously though, once I get relocated and settled in, I'm thinking about turboing something older and V8 powered. Probably carburated too, 'cause I'm stupid like that...  

cwytt, I was just thinking of starting a thread on the 135i. It is pricey and a bit heavy for its dimensions, but its the only new BMW I would spend that money on (if I had it). I can't wait to see what the aftermarket can do with it, Vishnu comes to mind. I'm going to predict 500 HP 135i within the next year, the car is just too promising to resist. BMW seems to have taken a cue from Lotus, less is more. And a RWD  twin turbo inline six is just too good to be true.

 And theres also the Pontiac Solstice GXP and Saturn Sky Redline.

Its retarded that I can't post web addresses here  

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